Eugene Omoruyi Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Haslam, Hield, Omoruyi, Bulls

March 28th, 2023 at 6:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing at the NFL owners’ meetings in Arizona this week, Jimmy Haslam spoke publicly for the first time about his impeding purchase of Marc Lasry‘s stake in the Bucks, writes Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Because the sale hasn’t been officially finalized, Haslam declined to get into specifics, but he did tell reporters that Bucks co-owner Wes Edens would reclaim his role as the team’s governor while the Haslams learn the ropes of NBA ownership. Under the previous agreement, Edens and Lasry traded the governor title every five years — Edens held it from 2014-19.

Haslam, the owner of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns along with his wife Dee, described his purchase of a stake in the Bucks as “opportunistic,” Owczarski relays.

“I mean listen, we never thought we’d own 10% of the Steelers. Never thought we’d own the Browns. Dee and I had never been, beside watching (daughter) Whitney play high school soccer, had never been to a soccer game,” said Haslam, who also owns the Columbus Crew (MLS). “So it’s just opportunistic. It was straightened set of circumstances; we were called on this opportunity. Business, sports, you tend to be optimistic. I have no idea what will happen next. First thing’s first, let’s get this done and then let’s get the Browns winning games.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Pacers sharpshooter Buddy Hield was sidelined for Monday’s game due to a non-COVID illness, marking just the fourth time since he entered the NBA in 2016 that he has missed a game, writes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Hield started Indiana’s first 73 games this season, but has come off the bench since then so that the team can get a look at different lineup combinations, with an eye toward next season, tweets Agness.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link), Eugene Omoruyi‘s new contract with the Pistons covers two seasons — it’s guaranteed for the rest of 2022/23, with a team option for ’23/24. In order to give Omoruyi more than the prorated minimum for the rest of this season, Detroit used a portion of its room exception to complete the signing, Hoops Rumors has learned. Instead of the $169,445 he would’ve gotten on a minimum-salary deal, the 26-year-old received $269,445 for ’22/23.
With the Trail Blazers set to miss the postseason again, the Bulls won’t get the lottery-protected first-round pick owed to them by Portland this season, and Chicago’s own top-four protected first-rounder appears ticketed for Orlando. However, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago wonders if the Bulls could end up with a first-rounder in 2023 by negotiating a trade with the Blazers, who are on track to receive the Knicks’ first-round pick. As Johnson observes, Portland may want to reacquire its own first-rounder, which remains lottery-protected through 2028, in order to regain flexibility for future trades.

Pistons Sign Eugene Omoruyi

March 23rd, 2023 at 11:10am CST by Rory Maher

The Pistons have signed second-year forward Eugene Omoruyi to a contract that covers at least the rest of the 2022/23 season, the team announced.

The 26-year-old just completed his second 10-day deal with Detroit, and the Pistons decided to keep him around. Head coach Dwane Casey and center James Wiseman praised Omoruyi for his drive, energy and defense in recent weeks.

The former Oregon standout was on a two-way contract with the Thunder earlier this season until being promoted to Oklahoma City’s standard roster after last month’s trade deadline. However, he was cut in late February in order to make room for Lindy Waters on OKC’s 15-man squad.

Omoruyi appeared in 23 games with the Thunder, averaging 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds on .468/.258/.607 shooting in 11.8 minutes per night. In 10 games with the Pistons, he’s averaging 8.8 points and 3.6 rebounds on .455/.231/.750 shooting in 21.3 minutes per contest.

We’ll have to wait for more details to see whether Omoruyi’s new contract only covers the rest of the season or is a multiyear deal. Either way, the Pistons had a roster opening after his second 10-day contract expired, so they didn’t have to release anyone to bring him back.

Central Notes: Pacers, R. Lopez, Merrill, Livers, Omoruyi

March 14th, 2023 at 11:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers‘ decision to hold Tyrese Haliburton (left knee bruise), Myles Turner (sore lower back), and T.J. McConnell (sore back) out of games on Saturday and Monday signaled that the team isn’t exactly going all-out for a spot in the play-in tournament, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

While Bennedict Mathurin‘s ankle sprain would have sidelined him in any situation, the other Pacers regulars who sat out those two contests in Detroit likely would’ve been active if Indiana was in win-now mode instead of focusing on player development. As Dopirak notes, the absences of the team’s regulars resulted in big minutes for young players like Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Oshae Brissett, Jalen Smith, Isaiah Jackson, and Jordan Nwora.

“It’s just valuable for our young guys to get this kind of experience,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “Drew Nembhard needs this kind of work at the point position. He needs to play 35 minutes a game a few games playing the point position. He played 36 (on Monday). He did a lot of good things in both games. There’s a different rhythm to that position, a different flow.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Robin Lopez hasn’t had much of a role this season after signing with the Cavaliers as a free agent last summer, but his nine minutes in Sunday’s win over Charlotte with Jarrett Allen out were the most he has played in a game since January. “Just trying to put some size out there,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff explained (Twitter link via Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com). “With Jarrett being out, we are limited with size. I thought RoLo was good, played hard. Everybody is going to be called upon.”
Within his Cleveland.com story on the Cavaliers‘ new multiyear deal for Sam Merrill, Fedor notes that the club views the swingman as more than just a “one-dimensional” sharpshooter. “I think he was leading or near the top of the G League in taking charges, so he’s got a willingness to scrap, a willingness to help on the defensive end of the floor,” Bickerstaff said. “Can create shots and make shots.”
After being limited to 19 games as a rookie for health reasons, Pistons forward Isaiah Livers is trying to establish himself as part of the team’s future plans with his play this season. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic takes a look at how those efforts are going and explores the strides Livers is making in his second NBA season.
Eugene Omoruyi, who signed a second 10-day contract with the Pistons on Monday, is making a strong case to earn a rest-of-season deal once those 10 days are up, Edwards writes in another story for The Athletic. “I always say, a guy who has his Ph.D. — poor, hungry, driven — they’re going to make it in this league,” head coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s hungry.”

Eugene Omoruyi Signs Second 10-Day Contract With Pistons

March 13th, 2023 at 10:47am CST by Arthur Hill

10:47am: The signing is now official, the Pistons announced in a press release.

8:42am: The Pistons will sign Eugene Omoruyi to another 10-day contract, tweets James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

The deal is expected to be finalized today, Edwards adds, which means it will run through March 22. Detroit would have to sign the 26-year-old forward for the rest of the season to keep him on the roster beyond that date.

Omoruyi appeared in five games during his first 10-day contract, which expired Sunday night. He averaged 8.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per night and impressed the coaching staff on both ends of the court, according to Edwards.

Omoruyi began the season with the Thunder, playing 23 games before being waived last month. He also spent 13 games with the G League’s Oklahoma City Blue.

He will earn $94,136 on his 10-day contract as a second-year player, as our chart shows.

Pistons Notes: Bogdanovic, Ivey, Injuries, Omoruyi

March 8th, 2023 at 10:48am CST by Luke Adams

Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic has sat out the last three games with what the team is referring to as bilateral Achilles tendinopathy. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, that ailment could jeopardize the rest of Bogdanovic’s season.

Charania has heard that the Pistons are considering taking precautionary measures to manage Bogdanovic’s health and may soon to decide to shut him down.

Certainly, the Pistons aren’t in desperate need of Bogdanovic’s contributions on the court down the stretch. Detroit signed the veteran to a contract extension last fall and has repeatedly suggested it views him as a player who can help the team return to playoff contention next season, but that’s not happening this year — the 15-51 Pistons currently have the NBA’s worst record, so the only race they’ll be involved in during the next few weeks is the one for the league’s top draft lottery odds.

Here’s more on the Pistons:

Pistons rookie Jaden Ivey is showing real signs of progress as a ball-handler and play-maker in the second half of the season, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Since January 6, Ivey has averaged 16.1 points and 6.1 assists per game on .433/.358/.746 shooting in 24 appearances (30.8 MPG). He has been even better as of late, racking up 39 points and 25 assists in his last two contests. The next step for Ivey will be figuring out how to share those ball-handling and play-making duties with Cade Cunningham next season.
With several players, including Bogdanovic, Isaiah Stewart (right hip soreness), and Jalen Duren (bilateral ankle soreness) on the shelf this week, Eugene Omoruyi has gotten a chance to play for the Pistons since signing a 10-day contract on Friday, notes Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber-only story). “He’s just a dog, especially on both ends of the floor,” James Wiseman said of his new teammate, who had 15 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes on Tuesday. “But really just locking up the rebounds and just being in there and mucking everything up on defense and being an energy guy. That’s what we needed to get over the hump, especially for this game. I feel like he was a great piece for our team.”
In case you missed it, an ankle injury will sideline Hamidou Diallo for at least the next few weeks, and possibly for the rest of the season.

Pistons Sign Eugene Omoruyi To 10-Day Contract

March 3rd, 2023 at 9:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons have filled the open spot on their 15-man roster, announcing in a press release that they’ve signed forward Eugene Omoruyi to a 10-day contract.

Omoruyi, 26, has spent most of this season with the Thunder, appearing in 23 games for the team and averaging 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds on .468/.258/.607 shooting in 11.8 minutes per night.

The former Oregon standout was on a two-way contract until being promoted to Oklahoma City’s standard roster after last month’s trade deadline. However, he was cut this past Sunday in order to make room for Lindy Waters on OKC’s 15-man squad.

In addition to seeing some action at the NBA level, Omoruyi also played for the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League this season. He averaged 17.5 PPG and 5.7 RPG in 13 NBAGL contests (26.8 MPG), making 45.1% of his shots from the floor but just 18.1% of his three-pointers.

The Pistons opened up a spot on their 15-man roster on Monday, when they bought out Nerlens Noel. Omoruyi will occupy that spot for at least the next 10 days — his deal will run through March 12, covering Detroit’s next five games.

A second-year player, Omoruyi will earn $94,136 on his 10-day contract, as our chart shows.

Thunder Waive Eugene Omoruyi

February 27th, 2023 at 8:53am CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder opened a roster spot by waiving second-year forward Eugene Omoruyi, the team announced in a press release.

Omoruyi, 26, signed a two-way contract with Oklahoma City last summer and was converted to a standard deal earlier this month. His new contract ran through 2023/24, but the second season was non-guaranteed.

The Thunder wanted roster flexibility and the decision came down to Omoruyi or Dario Saric, tweets Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. The team opted to hold onto Saric, who was acquired from the Suns at the trade deadline.

Omoruyi appeared in 23 games for the Thunder, averaging 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per night. He also spent part of the season with the team’s G League affiliate.

After going undrafted out of Oregon in 2021, Omoruyi broke into the NBA on a two-way contract with the Mavericks. He played four games for Dallas before being waived in December of that year.

Thunder Notes: Saric, Deadline Deals, Omoruyi, Sarr

February 14th, 2023 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

Although he’s still just 28 years old, Dario Saric suddenly finds himself in the position of being his team’s oldest player following a trade from Phoenix to Oklahoma City last Thursday. Saric, who referred to the Thunder as a “high-level organization,” doesn’t sound like someone who will pursue a buyout from his new club, suggesting on Monday that he’s looking forward to taking on the role of veteran mentor in OKC.

“You’re always surprised,” Saric said of the trade, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. “That’s kind of how things go. At the end of the day, happy to be here. Happy to be part of this organization, a part of this group of young, talented guys who have a lot of years in front of them to play basketball.”

Asked about the role he anticipates playing with the Thunder, Saric said he doesn’t have any real expectations and is happy to play things by ear.

“I think I will go with the flow,” he said. “We’re gonna figure out everything, how the games go. I’m here open-minded, and coach (Mark Daigneault) says he’s open-minded.”

Here’s more on the Thunder:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is looking forward to seeing what Saric brings to the Thunder, but admitted it was tough to say goodbye to Darius Bazley and Mike Muscala at the trade deadline. Gilgeous-Alexander referred to the club’s locker room as “close-knit” and added that Bazley is “like a brother” to him. Daigneault, meanwhile, said he hopes Bazley and Muscala thrive with their new teams, Mussatto writes for The Oklahoman. “We want those guys to move on and continue to have success and contribute to the teams that they’re on,” the head coach said. “I think that would be a good reflection on the program.”
Eugene Omoruyi‘s new contract with the Thunder is a two-year, minimum-salary deal that isn’t guaranteed beyond this season, Hoops Rumors has learned. Oklahoma City will hold a non-guaranteed $1,927,896 team option on Omoruyi for the 2023/24 season following his promotion from a two-way contract last week.
As for Olivier Sarr‘s two-way deal, it only covers the rest of this season, Hoops Rumors has learned. Players who sign two-way contracts during the second half often agree to add a second year, but that’s not the case for Sarr, who will be eligible this summer for restricted free agency.

Thunder Add Eugene Omoruyi To 15-Man Roster

February 10th, 2023 at 10:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

10:51pm: Omoruyi’s new contract and promotion to the 15-man roster is official, according to a team press release.

6:58pm: The Thunder are converting forward Eugene Omoruyi‘s two-way contract to a standard deal, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.

The contract will run through the 2023/24 season, Wojnarowski adds in another tweet. Details were not disclosed but it’s likely a minimum deal without a full guarantee for next season.

Omoruyi signed a two-way contract in early July.

He has appeared in 21 NBA games this season, including two starts. He’s averaged 5.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per night.

The Thunder opened up a roster spot by trading Mike Muscala to Boston. Though Justin Jackson was sent to OKC in the deal, he was waived on Friday.

Omoruyi went undrafted in 2021 and spent time with the Mavericks on a two-way deal last year. He suffered a season-ending injury in December and was subsequently waived.

During his college career, he spent three seasons at Rutgers and one season at Oregon before declaring for the 2021 NBA draft.

Western Notes: Kawhi, Suns, Grizzlies, Omoruyi

November 1st, 2022 at 9:34am CST by Luke Adams

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard has been ruled out for two more games, with the team deciding that the veteran forward won’t travel to Houston and San Antonio for games on Wednesday and Sunday, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Leonard, who continues to deal with stiffness in his surgically repaired right knee, has already missed Los Angeles’ last four games.

“He’s frustrated,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said before Monday’s game vs. Houston. “He wants to be out on the floor and then not being on the floor, and then now he can’t travel. He wants to travel, but the doctor said it’s not the right thing to do right now with the stiffness and what he is going through.”

Although Lue said that Leonard is feeling a little better, it remains unclear whether he’ll be available on Sunday, when the Clippers return from their brief road trip to host Utah.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

The potential sale of the Suns is complicated by the fact that Robert Sarver only owns 35% of the franchise, while owners of 60% of the team’s shares don’t have “tag-along” rights, explains Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic. That means that those minority shareholders won’t necessarily have to sell their stakes in the franchise when Sarver does, though he could require it as part of a deal. Prospective buyers aren’t sure what path Sarver will take, according to Kaplan, who suggests that the valuation of the team would spike if minority shareholders aren’t obligated to sell — in that scenario, a buyer would be able to gain controlling rights of the Suns while only purchasing 40% of the franchise.
The Grizzlies‘ increased focus on three-point shots isn’t just about analytics, writes Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. It’s also about helping Ja Morant thrive by opening up more space on the floor. Memphis is 11th this year in three-point attempts per game after ranking 23rd last season, and in games when the team makes at least 15 threes, Morant is averaging 40.3 PPG and 8.0 APG.
Thunder two-way player Eugene Omoruyi has seen some action in the early part of the 2022/23 season, appearing in four of the club’s six games so far. Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman takes an in-depth look at Omoruyi’s unique path to the NBA.