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Isaiah Crawford Joins Rockets On Two-Way Deal

July 26th, 2025 at 9:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets have signed small forward Isaiah Crawford to a two-way contract, agent Andre Buck tells Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Crawford, 23, signed a two-way deal with Sacramento last summer after going undrafted out of Louisiana Tech. He became an unrestricted free agent on Friday when the Kings withdrew their two-way qualifying offer. Because the deadline to unilaterally withdraw the offer was July 13, Crawford had to grant his consent.

Crawford saw limited action in 15 NBA games last season, but he put up big numbers in the G League. In 37 games with the Stockton Kings, he averaged 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.2 steals in 31.5 minutes per night with .471/.401/.789 shooting numbers.

Once his new contract is finalized, Crawford will join Kevon Harris as two-way players in Houston. Center N’Faly Dante has received a qualifying offer that is equivalent to another one-year, two-way deal, and former Celtic JD Davison may also be in the mix for a two-way spot.

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Kings’ Isaiah Crawford Becomes Unrestricted Free Agent

July 26th, 2025 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

The Kings have withdrawn their two-way qualifying offer to forward Isaiah Crawford, making him an unrestricted free agent, according to RealGM’s official NBA transaction log.

Crawford signed a two-way deal with Sacramento last July after going undrafted out of Louisiana Tech. The 23-year-old logged just 46 total minutes in 15 games at the NBA level as a rookie, but was a key part of the rotation for the Stockton Kings in the G League, posting averages of 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals in 31.5 minutes per game across 37 outings, with a shooting line of .471/.401/.789.

Crawford received a two-way qualifying offer from the Kings last month, making him a restricted free agent, and the deadline for teams to unilaterally withdraw those QOs passed on July 13. However, qualifying offers can still be rescinded with the player’s consent, so Crawford signed off on the move him to make him unrestricted.

[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]

The Kings have signed a pair of players – Dylan Cardwell and Isaiah Stevens – to two-year, two-way contracts since the new league year began on July 1. While Sacramento could technically still re-sign Crawford as an unrestricted free agent, rescinding his qualifying offer suggests the team has other plans for its third two-way slot.

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Suns’ Gillepsie, Lakers’ Koloko Among Two-Way Players Receiving QOs

June 29th, 2025 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

A series of players who finished the 2024/25 season on two-way contracts have received qualifying offers from their respective teams, making them free agents, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac. Those players are as follows (all links go to Twitter):

In each case, the player’s qualifying offer is equivalent to another one-year, two-way deal, with a small portion (approximately $85K) guaranteed.

While a rival team could technically sign any of these players to an offer sheet during free agency, we essentially never see that happen with two-way free agents. Most of them end up either accepting their two-way QOs or agreeing to new standard contracts with their current teams.

Gillespie, who turned 26 on Wednesday, is among the players who made a strong case for a promotion to a standard contract this past season. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per game for Phoenix across 33 appearances (nine starts) and made 43.3% of his three-point tries.

Koloko (2.4 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 37 games), Vukcevic (9.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and .496/.373/.776 shooting in 35 games), and Wallace (5.4 PPG and 2.6 APG in 31 games) also played rotation minutes for their respective clubs in 2024/25.

Sunday is the deadline for teams to make qualifying offers to players who are eligible for restricted free agency.

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Stockton Kings Win G League Title, Mason Jones Named Finals MVP

April 15th, 2025 at 7:19am CST by Luke Adams

The Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s affiliate, claimed the 2024/25 G League title by winning the deciding game of a best-of-three series with the Osceola Magic on Monday.

After losing Game 1 to Orlando’s G League affiliate last Tuesday, Stockton evened the series with a 144-126 victory on Friday and then knocked off Osceola 118-110 on Monday, with Dexter Dennis, Terry Taylor, and Isaac Jones all scoring at least 21 points in the championship game.

Veteran guard Mason Jones, who is on a two-way contract with Sacramento, was named the G League Finals MVP (Twitter link). For the series, he averaged 22.3 points, 9.7 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game and made 11-of-25 three-point shots (44.0%).

Jones, 26, made his NBA debut in 2021 and has since appeared in 51 regular season games for the Rockets, Sixers, Lakers, and Kings, including 10 for Sacramento this season. However, he has played very limited minutes at the NBA level, whereas he averaged 23.6 PPG, 7.9 APG, 5.1 RPG, and 1.1 SPG in 35.9 MPG with a shooting line of .492/.447/.790 across 27 Tip-Off Tournament and regular season outings for Stockton this season.

Mason Jones was one of three players under contract with Sacramento who contributed to Stockton’s NBAGL championship. Fellow two-way player Isaiah Crawford also started all three games in the Finals, while Isaac Jones, who was promoted to the Kings’ 15-man roster last month, was assigned to Stockton for Game 3 and posted a double-double (21 points, 13 rebounds) on 8-of-11 shooting on Monday.

The Kings hold a minimum-salary team option on Isaac Jones for next season. Mason Jones and Crawford will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.

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Community Shootaround: Best Two-Way Contract Players

August 20th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Every year, several two-way contract players outperform their current deals and wind up playing more minutes than expected for their respective organizations. However, two-way players are limited to 50 games on their contracts and aren’t eligible for the postseason.

[RELATED: 2024/25 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]

Once top two-way players approach their 50-game limit or it’s clear they’re either a part of the organization’s future or making an immediate impact, a team will often convert their deals. Some teams have to wait longer than others due to financial reasons or a lack of roster spots, however.

Take the Heat, for example, who often begin seasons with 14 players on standard deals as opposed to the maximum allowable 15 due to their position against the tax. That’s what they did in 2021/22 when they had Caleb Martin on a two-way deal before signing him at mid-season, when his salary would be prorated and allow them to squeeze under the tax line.

Still, we’re almost certain to see several players converted from two-way to standard contracts this season. Last year, Vince Williams, GG Jackson, Keon Ellis, Craig Porter Jr. and Duop Reath were among impact players who were converted sooner rather than later. Martin, Aaron Wiggins and Sam Hauser are other good in-season examples for recent years.

The Heat could repeat history with a two-way player who may see minutes relatively early in the season with Keshad Johnson. Miami signed Johnson to a two-way deal right after the draft and he played well for the team this summer after ranking as one of the best undrafted free agents. With Martin gone, minutes are open along the wing and at the forward spot for the Heat and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Johnson fill in.

The Wizards have a roster glut to sort through before making any such move, but since they’re likely to be active at the trade deadline, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Justin Champagnie get brought up at some point. Champagnie has appeared in 56 NBA games and impressed in the G League.

The Kings may have one of the best trios of two-way players in the league with Mason Jones, Isaiah Crawford and Isaac Jones. The latter two players went undrafted in 2024 but were rated among the best available rookie free agents after June’s draft. Mason Jones, meanwhile, has impressed in the league before and posted a .502/.459/.833 shooting line in the G League last season. Sacramento could have an opportunity for minutes early with Devin Carter dealing with a shoulder injury and the team light on depth.

Cleveland has been filling out its two-way slots over the past week, bringing in JT Thor and re-signing Emoni Bates. Thor is still just 21 after having three seasons of NBA experience. Bates impressed last season in the G League, averaging 21.6 PPG and making 37.0% of his 10.5 three-point attempts per game. With the Cavaliers still having three open standard roster spots, it’s possible their rotation is a bit shallower to begin the year even if Isaac Okoro re-signs.

Utah is another team with several “veterans” on two-way deals between Jason Preston, Oscar Tshiebwe and Micah Potter. Tshiebwe, in particular, was the G League Rookie of the Year last season after pulling down 16.1 rebounds per game. The Jazz are a young team that could give minutes to as many young players as possible to see who sticks.

That brings us to our question of the day. Which player currently on a two-way contract do you see earning a promotion this season? Are there any players who you think are underlooked? Which players are primed to earn minutes right away?

Take to the comments to let us know. We look forward to your input!

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Kings Sign Isaiah Crawford, Isaac Jones To Two-Way Deals

July 3rd, 2024 at 12:37pm CST by Rory Maher

JULY 3: Both signings are now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log. For now, all three Kings two-way slots are full, with Mason Jones occupying the third.

JUNE 27: The Kings plan to sign a pair of undrafted free agents to two-way contracts, according to reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter links).

Louisiana Tech wing Isaiah Crawford, who is ranked No. 10 on ESPN’s best undrafted players list, will be heading to Sacramento, as will Washington State big man Isaac Jones, who is ranked No. 5 on ESPN’s list. Both players were viewed as fringe second-round picks heading into the 2024 draft, with Jones ranking No. 59 on ESPN’s big board and Crawford slotting in at No. 67.

Crawford had an impressive senior season for the Bulldogs in 2023/24, averaging 16.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 2.1 SPG and 1.7 BPG on .485/.414/.728 shooting in 32 games (32.9 MPG). The 6’5″ forward possesses a 7’0″ wingspan and has some 3-and-D upside, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

Jones, meanwhile, was one of the biggest risers in the pre-draft process even though he ultimately went undrafted, impressing at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament and G League Elite Camp prior to being invited to the draft combine in Chicago. The 6’8″ forward/center is another prospect with excellent length, as he has a 7’3″ wingspan, per Givony.

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Northwest Notes: Conley, Blazers, Nuggets, Thunder

May 29th, 2024 at 6:18pm CST by Earnest Marshall

Seventeen-year NBA veteran and Timberwolves guard Mike Conley is the closest he’s ever been to the NBA Finals after winning Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, Andscape’s Marc J. Spears writes. The Wolves went down 3-0 to Dallas but held off elimination on Tuesday night with a 105-100 victory.

“This is the biggest game I’ve had in my career,” Conley said after Game 4. “The next game is the biggest game I’ve had in my career. It’s the biggest win. Honestly, it is. If you look at the board and see the seven up there, that is how many games we have left to win. That is how many we are away from a ring.”

On a roster with an average age under 27 years old and with a franchise star (Anthony Edwards) who was six years old when Conley entered the league, the point guard is the veteran presence who has played a key role in getting this team this deep into the postseason. Conley, whom head coach Chris Finch says “means everything” to the club, is averaging 11.9 points and 6.0 assists through 14 playoff games this season.

Conley also made the Western Conference Finals in 2013 with Memphis, but he and his team were swept by San Antonio. Tuesday’s win was his first career conference finals win. While Dallas holds a commanding 3-1 lead, Minnesota’s players and coaches continue exude confidence, Spears writes.

“It’s one game. Game 5 is Game 7,” Conley said. “This is all we got. Keep our mentality like that. Don’t look at the circus that surrounds us and all the stuff you been hearing. Keep the faith more than anything. The testament with the guys tonight is that we truly didn’t believe this was our last game … This doesn’t come around very often. So, when you get this chance, give everything you got. Don’t be afraid to fail.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • The Trail Blazers hosted Louisiana Tech’s Isaiah Crawford, UConn’s Alex Karaban, Arizona’s Caleb Love, Boston College’s Quinten Post, Indiana’s Kel’el Ware and Tyler Smith of the G League Ignite for a pre-draft workout on Tuesday, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link). Portland holds picks Nos. 7, 14, 34 and 40. Since the time of the workout, Karaban withdrew from the draft and CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reports Love is doing the same (Twitter link). Of the players listed, Ware is the highest ranked on ESPN’s best available list (No. 25).
  • Speculating how the Trail Blazers will manage having four picks in this year’s class, Highkin observes in a mailbag (Substack link) that Portland has 14 players on guaranteed contracts next season. If the Blazers do use most or all of their picks, that would likely mean some combination of Malcolm Brogdon, Jerami Grant, Robert Williams III, Matisse Thybulle and Anfernee Simons are out the door, or at the very least, being shopped, Highkin writes. Highkin explains that recent Blazers second-rounders (Rayan Rupert, Jabari Walker) have earned standard contracts, complicating matters at picks 34 and 40. As for likely targets at No. 7, Cody Williams and Tidjane Salaun could be in play, according to Highkin. In the second part of his mailbag (Substack link), he further breaks down what the Blazers will do with their veterans this offseason.
  • The Nuggets don’t have much money to spend on outside free agents this offseason and may be limited to minimum-salary players. Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports analyzes 10 potential low-cost free agents who could make sense in Denver, including Utah’s Kris Dunn, Los Angeles’s Mason Plumlee and Philadelphia’s Kyle Lowry.
  • Thunder general manager Sam Presti emphasized during his end-of-season press conference that he’s focused on building around what he already has. This season showed Oklahoma City’s roster needs additional time to continue to grow more than it needs outside moves, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes. Presti also said he doesn’t regret not being more aggressive at the deadline and is pleased with where the roster stands. “I know this is not going to go over well for people,” Presti said “But what we have is an appearance … We have shown up to the postseason. We’ll arrive if we can replicate that. Because there’s a lot of teams that have gotten to the playoffs for one year and then they, for whatever reasons, may not be able to get back there. So the way I would look at that is you can either pick the lock or you can crack the code. Picking the lock, you’re stealing it. Cracking the code, you own it.“
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Draft Notes: Crawford, Jakimovski, Uzan, Scheierman, Carter

May 19th, 2024 at 7:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Louisiana Tech’s Isaiah Crawford is planning to stay in the draft, he told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein (Twitter link).

The 6’6” forward averaged 16.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.1 SPG and 1.7 BPG last season for the Bulldogs. He’s currently listed at No. 81 on ESPN’s Best Available rankings.

Crawford has already worked out for the Timberwolves after participating in the G League Elite Camp.

We have more draft-related news:

  • Andrej Jakimovski plans to withdraw from the draft and play for Colorado next season, Rothstein tweets.  The forward is transferring from Washington State, where he played for four seasons. He averaged 9.7 PPG and 5.6 RPG in 2023/24.
  • Taking a similar approach, Milos Uzan is withdrawing from the draft and transferring to Houston, Rothstein adds in another tweet. Uzan played two seasons at Oklahoma, averaging 9.0 PPG and 4.4 APG last season.
  • Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman, who racked up 26 points, four assists and four steals across two games, was probably the one prospect who did the most to improve his stock in the on-court sessions at the draft combine, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger. Scheierman will turn 24 by the time training camp opens, Hollinger notes, but his ability to be a plug-and-play wing could make him a popular target in the top half of the second round. Providence’s Devin Carter, who displayed superior leaping ability and bested all of his peers with his sprint time, likely moved into the top 20 of the draft, Hollinger adds.
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Timberwolves Notes: Gobert, Finch, Towns, Draft Workout

May 9th, 2024 at 10:58am CST by Dana Gauruder

Rudy Gobert, who was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year this week, is grateful to the Timberwolves organization for sticking by him after a rough first year in Minnesota, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes.

“When things didn’t go as smoothly as we wanted them to last year, they never doubted me,” Gobert said. “They have shown me love every day, pushing me to be better every day, and I really appreciate that.”

He also feels the entire city has embraced him after many league observers called the blockbuster trade with Utah a disastrous move during and after last season.

“I think we are trying to accomplish something bigger, but more importantly I think I’ve found a home,” he said. “I’ve found a team, a coaching staff, an organization and a city that has embraced me, and a group that has embraced me. I feel like it’s like a family. We are there for each other. We really care about one another.”

We have more on the Timberwolves:

  • Gobert missed Game 2 after the birth of his first child and was thrilled to watch his teammates dismantle the Nuggets in a 106-80 blowout, Dave McMenamin of ESPN relays. “It was incredible,” Gobert said. “I was exhausted, obviously, holding the baby and watching the game at the same time, but I had a little bit of emotions at the end because it felt like there was something special.”
  • Coach Chris Finch has been showing his toughness during the series, running the team shortly after undergoing knee surgery for a ruptured patella tendon. “He hops over on the crutches at times when he’s yelling at guys behind the bench,” Conley told Krawczysnki. “That passion he has for the game, it’s rubbing off on other guys. We’re doing a great job of keeping him involved, keeping him engaged and he’s doing a great job keeping on us and just being who he is.”
  • Karl-Anthony Towns has won the league’s Social Justice award, Marc Spears of Andscape.com reports. Among other issues, Towns has championed voting rights for formerly incarcerated people. He is expected to be given the award prior to Game 3 on Friday.
  • The Wolves will be hosting a pre-draft workout on Thursday for six prospects, mainly potential second-rounders, the team’s PR department tweets. Isaiah Crawford (Louisiana Tech), Thierry Darlan (G League Ignite), Aaron Estrada (Alabama), A.J. Johnson (Illawarra Hawks), Riley Minix (Morehead State) and Jaylen Wells (Washington State) are the participants. Wells is ranked No. 54 on ESPN’s Best Available list, while Johnson is pegged at No. 62.
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44 Prospects Invited To G League Elite Camp

May 4th, 2024 at 11:57am CST by Earnest Marshall

Forty-four prospects for the 2024 NBA draft were invited to the NBA’s G League Elite Camp, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link).

The list of players is as follows:

The field of draft prospects scrimmage for two days in Chicago starting on May 11 ahead of the NBA’s annual draft combine. If players perform well enough, they’re often promoted to the larger combine immediately following the G League Elite Camp. Typically, at least a half dozen players move on.

While the combine usually focuses on the top-ranked players in each draft class, the G League Elite Camp offers opportunity to prospects further down boards who are more likely to go undrafted. Of the 44 names invited to the G League Elite Camp, only 16 rank among ESPN’s top 100 prospects. No prospect ranks higher than No. 48 (Onyenso) on ESPN’s board.

Nine of ESPN’s top 100 prospects have not been invited to Chicago for either event: Armel Traore (France), Zacharie Perrin (France), Andrija Jelavic (Croatia), Yannick Kraag (Netherlands), Tre Mitchell (Kentucky), Ilias Kamardine (France), Dylan Disu (Texas), Riley Minix (Morehead State) and Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee). According to Givony (Twitter link), the NBA might not announce the official list until Monday, so there’s a chance it’s amended.

The G League Elite Camp will give invitees who declared for the draft as early entrants an opportunity to see where they stand ahead of the draft withdrawal deadline on May 29. Not all of the players who participate in this event will remain in the draft pool.

Last year, future NBA players like Hornets forward Leaky Black, Pistons forward Tosan Evbuomwan, Mavericks forward Alex Fudge, Celtics guard Drew Peterson and Nets guard Jaylen Martin all participated in the event. Other recent notable alums of the event include Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and Clippers guard Terance Mann.

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