Jay Huff Among NBA Vets Representing U.S. In World Cup Qualifiers
USA Basketball has formally announced its 12-man roster for the next window of FIBA World Cup qualifying games, which will tip off in early July.
The following players will represent Team USA in games at the Dominican Republic on July 3 and at Mexico on July 6:
- Pedro Bradshaw, G
- Jacob Gilyard, G
- Kevon Harris, G
- Dewan Hernandez, C
- Jay Huff, C
- Mike James, G
- Elijah Pemberton, G
- Orlando Robinson, C
- Matt Ryan, F
- Terry Taylor, F
- Jarrod Uthoff, F
- Gabe York, G
While only one active NBA player — Pacers center Huff — is on the roster for the pair of qualifying games early next month, nine others have previous experience in the league, including Robinson, who spent most of last season on a two-way contract with the Magic. He was waived in February.
Taylor (Kings) and Ryan (Knicks) both appeared in NBA games during the 2024/25 campaign, but spent last season in Australia and Dubai, respectively.
It’s been several years since he stepped foot on an NBA court, but James might be the most well-known player on the roster. The 35-year-old guard won the EuroLeague’s MVP award in 2024 and is the league’s all-time leading scorer. This is his first time representing the United States in international competition.
The U.S. team, which is being coached by former Rockets head coach Stephen Silas, is currently 3-1 heading into these qualifiers. It’s the third of six qualifying windows ahead of next year’s World Cup.
The actual World Cup roster is unlikely to feature any of the players in this 12-man group, since the U.S. typically sends a more star-studded squad to the event itself, which takes place during the NBA offseason. However, the qualifying games give some less-heralded players the opportunity to represent their home country and to help Team USA clinch its spot in the World Cup.
Central Notes: Allen, Harden, Dieng, Q. Jackson, Oladipo
Starting center Jarrett Allen has impressed new Cavaliers point guard James Harden, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Harden, an 11-time All-Star, was acquired a couple weeks ago in a blockbuster trade with the Clippers.
“He’s better than I thought he was‚” Harden said of Allen following Cleveland’s blowout victory over the Nets on Thursday. “He’s able to catch the ball and finish around the rim with both hands. He has so much touch around the rim. That’s I think probably one of the most underrated parts of his game.
“Just trying to find ways to get him the ball, in positions where he can be successful. It’s only been four games, but it’s easy for me to just figure it out.”
The 35-21 Cavaliers have been surging up the Eastern Conference standings over the past four-plus weeks, winning 11 of their past 12 games, including six straight. Head coach Kenny Atkinson says he’s been focused on getting Allen more involved offensively, according to Fedor, and Harden has quickly developed impressive chemistry with the 27-year-old big man.
“Almost like a renewed energy, a belief,” Atkinson reiterated when asked about Harden’s presence. “They know we got something good going on. We brought in guys that are going to help us. Wow we’ve got to confirm it, right? I’m not going to sit up here after four games or whatever and say we’re this juggernaut. We still have a lot to prove. But I think the early returns with our spirit and our confidence and our aggressiveness is really good.”
Here’s more from around the Central Division:
- It was a whirlwind trade deadline for fourth-year forward Ousmane Dieng, who was involved in three different deals before finally ending up with the Bucks. He said Milwaukee had been interested in him for some time, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “It was a little crazy, but I’m excited to be here,” Dieng said. “I know they were trying to get me for a while here in Milwaukee, so I’m excited and just ready to help the team.” As Nehm writes, the 22-year-old caught fire in his final two games before the All-Star break, scoring 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting in 23 minutes in a win at Orlando. The impending restricted free agent followed that up with the best stat line of his career against his former team, recording 19 points (on 7-of-12 shooting), 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocks in a victory at Oklahoma City. “I think he’s just scratching the surface,” Bucks lead assistant coach Darvin Ham said in Oklahoma City. “He’s so young, and just his size, his athleticism, his smarts … some of the passes he made, some of the finishes, the 3s, the defense, like, he’s just scratching the surface. We found a jewel.”
- In an in-depth subscriber-only story for The Indianapolis Star, Dustin Dopirak takes a look at Quenton Jackson‘s upbringing and unconventional path to the NBA. The Pacers guard, who is on a two-way contract, is a candidate to be promoted to a standard deal before the season ends, Dopirak writes. “The love that they showed was different,” Jackson said of the Pacers. “And just the way they played. It’s a free-spirited game. They don’t put too much pressure on you to do too much. They don’t put you in a box. They kinda just allow you to be you within the system that they have. I love that. They play fast. That was always my game. I was always quick, I was always in shape, I was always playing fast, a transition guy. That worked out for me as well. I just love it here. The people are cool. It was kinda just my atmosphere. This is my vibe. I love everybody here.”
- Former All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, who is attempting an NBA comeback by playing in the G League, has been traded from the Bucks‘ affiliate team (the Wisconsin Herd) to the Cavaliers‘ affiliate club (the Cleveland Charge), the Herd announced in a press release. Wisconsin received the returning player rights to Jacob Gilyard and Drake Jeffries, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2026 international pick. Oladipo, 33, has averaged 14.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.8 APG and 1.8 SPG on .396/.321/.714 shooting in 26 games with the Herd this season (28.7 MPG).
G League Notes: K. Brown, Nets, Djurisic, Pacers, Cavs, Suns
After being waived by Indiana’s NBA team earlier this month, Kendall Brown won’t suit up for the Pacers‘ G League squad this season either. The Long Island Nets announced in a press release on Saturday that they’ve acquired Brown’s returning rights from the Indiana Mad Ants in exchange for the returning rights to guard Au’Diese Toney, a 2025 second-round pick, and a 2026 first-rounder.
Brown was the 48th overall pick in the 2022 draft, but played sparingly in his first two professional seasons with the Pacers, appearing in just 21 games and logging 103 total minutes at the NBA level. The 6’7″ swingman had a far more substantial role in the G League, where he put up 17.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 34.1 minutes per contest across 36 total outings for the Mad Ants last season.
Brown is one of several players with NBA experience who is part of Long Island’s training camp roster, which the team announced on Sunday (via Twitter). That group of former NBA players also includes A.J. Lawson, Amari Bailey, Colin Castleton, and former NBA lottery pick Killian Hayes.
Here are a few more notes from around the G League:
- As expected, Hawks forward Nikola Djurisic, the No. 43 overall pick in this year’s draft, signed a G League contract and will open the season with the College Park Skyhawks while he recovers from offseason foot surgery. He said during Sunday’s media day that he’s started doing on-court work but isn’t taking contact yet and is still doing 1-on-0 drills, tweets Kevin Chouinard of Hawks.com. Atlanta will continue to control Djurisic’s NBA rights, so he’s essentially a draft-and-stash player who’s playing domestically rather than in a league overseas.
- The Indiana Mad Ants formally announced their training camp roster on Sunday (via Twitter). The Pacers‘ G League affiliate includes former NBA players like swingman Dakota Mathias, forward Cameron McGriff, and former No. 3 overall pick Jahlil Okafor.
- The Cleveland Charge (the Cavaliers‘ affiliate) has officially announced its coaching staff and its training camp roster for the coming season. First-year head coach Chris Darnell will lead a group that includes former NBAers Jacob Gilyard, Chandler Hutchison, and Zhaire Smith, among others.
- Veteran NBA forward Mamadi Diakite and former second-round pick Cassius Stanley are among the headliners on the first training camp roster announced (via Twitter) by the Valley Suns, who are embarking upon their first year in the G League.
Cavaliers Waive Jacob Gilyard
The Cavaliers have waived guard Jacob Gilyard, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets.
Gilyard, 26, was added to the camp roster late last month. He appeared in one preseason game.
Gilyard spent last season on two-way deals with the Grizzlies and Nets, appearing in a total of 41 games for the two teams. The 5’9″ point guard held a rotation role for Memphis, averaging 4.7 points and 3.5 assists with a .425 3PT% in 17.7 minutes per game across 37 outings (14 starts).
He became an unrestricted free agent this summer after the Nets opted not to tender him a two-way qualifying offer.
The Cleveland Charge acquired Gilyard’s rights in a trade with the Memphis Hustle prior to Gilyard signing an Exhibit 10 contract. He will be eligible for a bonus worth $77.5K as long as he spends at least 60 days with the Cavs’ G League team.
Cavaliers Sign Jacob Gilyard, Zhaire Smith
SEPTEMBER 25: Gilyard and Smith have each officially signed with the Cavs, per RealGM’s transaction log.
Having cut Tomlin and Osabuohien on Tuesday, Cleveland is back up to 21 players under contract, with Nance’s deal now official too.
SEPTEMBER 24: Free agent guards Jacob Gilyard and Zhaire Smith are signing Exhibit 10 contracts with the Cavaliers, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required).
Gilyard, 26, spent last season on two-way deals with the Grizzlies and Nets, appearing in a total of 41 games for the two teams. The 5’9″ point guard held his own in a rotation role for Memphis, averaging 4.7 points and 3.5 assists with a .425 3PT% in 17.7 minutes per game across 37 outings (14 starts).
However, two-way players can’t be active for more than 50 NBA games, so with Gilyard just about at that limit, the Grizzlies opted to waive him rather than promote him, putting him on track to finish the season in Brooklyn. He became an unrestricted free agent this summer after the Nets opted not to tender him a two-way qualifying offer.
As for Smith, the former No. 16 overall pick spent most of last season with the Cleveland Charge in the G League, briefly earning an NBA call-up on a 10-day contract with the Cavaliers in February. In 47 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Cavs’ NBAGL affiliate, the 6’4″ guard averaged 13.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 33.0 minutes per contest, posting an impressive shooting line of .539/.394/.836.
Since Cleveland controls Smith’s G League returning rights and recently acquired Gilyard’s rights in a trade with the Memphis Hustle, the plan will likely be for both players to report back to the Charge this fall. Their Exhibit 10 contracts will make them eligible for bonuses worth up to $77.5K as long as they spend at least 60 days with the Cavs’ G League team.
According to Fedor, before they’re waived, Gilyard and Smith will get the opportunity to attend training camp with the Cavs along with fellow invitees Pete Nance and Jules Bernard. A report on Monday indicated that those two players, along with Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Gabe Osabuohien, had agreed to Exhibit 10 deals with Cleveland. Fedor confirms that reporting, but says Tomlin and Osabuohien are expected to be waived before camp begins.
The Cavs’ deals with Bernard, Tomlin, and Osabuohien are now official, per RealGM’s transaction log.
The Cavs are already carrying 14 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals, so they’ll be at the 21-man limit once their back-of-the-roster transactions are complete.
And-Ones: Fitts, Gilyard, NBA Schedule, Flagg, Swarm Staff
In an NBA G League swap, the Memphis Hustle acquired a 2025 first-round pick and the returning player rights to forward Malik Fitts from the Cleveland Charge, the Grizzlies’ G League team tweets. The Charge, the Cavaliers’ affiliate, received the returning player rights to guard Jacob Gilyard.
Fitts has appeared in 18 NBA games, most recently in eight contests with Boston during the 2021/22 campaign when he was signed to two 10-day contracts. Gilyard appeared in a combined 41 NBA games with the Grizzlies and Nets last season. He was on a two-way deal with Brooklyn after Memphis waived him.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- It’s impossible to keep all the NBA teams happy and give them their desired dates on an 82-game schedule. Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic spoke to an unnamed source who detailed the issues confronting the schedule makers. “You’ve got 30 different teams each with their own perspective on what they would like to see and within each of the 30 teams, you’ve got multiple perspectives from what makes the most sense,” the source said. “The league is then responsible for taking all of the different perspectives and try to make something that’s going to please everyone, which inherently is an impossible task.”
- How would projected 2025 top pick Cooper Flagg impact a team in rebuild mode? Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report dives into that topic, exploring how the Duke freshman big man would fit in with the Nets, Hornets, Pistons, Trail Blazers, Spurs, Raptors, Jazz and Wizards.
- Nathan Peavy, David Noel III and Alex Ruoff have been announced as assistant coaches on DJ Bakker‘s staff with the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets‘ affiliate, the G League team announced in a press release. Peavy joins the Swarm after serving last season as the head coach of the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league, Puerto Rico’s top professional division. Noel spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ affiliate. Ruoff was on West Virginia’s coaching staff the last two seasons.
New York Notes: Knicks, Capela, Hart, Nets, Gilyard, Wilson
Responding to a reader’s question in a video mailbag, Ian Begley of SNY.tv identified Hawks big man Clint Capela as one of the centers the Knicks have checked in on this offseason as they scour the trade market.
“I don’t know how far talks went,” Begley said (Twitter video clip). “I don’t know if they’re active at this very moment. But they did check in on Capela.”
According to Begley, it’s unclear whether the Knicks envisioned Capela replacing Mitchell Robinson on the roster as their starting center or if they viewed the duo as a potential platoon at the five. Either scenario is a long shot, given that Capela will earn $22.3MM in 2024/25. Sending out enough salary to exceed Capela’s cap figure (avoiding a first-apron hard cap) would be tricky, unless the Knicks were to move either Julius Randle ($28.9MM) or multiple rotation players in a deal.
Although the Knicks have kicked the tires on higher-salary center options like Capela, Begley says the most likely scenario is that they add a lower-cost backup for Robinson and enter training camp with a roster that looks very similar to the current group.
Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:
- The influx of money that the NBA’s new media rights deals will bring into the league has Knicks forward Josh Hart rethinking how long he wants to play, he said during an appearance on the Front Office Sports Today podcast. “I wanted to retire at like 34, maybe 35, so I’d still got a bit of juice left,” Hart said (story via Dennis Young of Front Office Sports). “But then I saw (reports of the new $76 billion media deal), and I was like, you know what? I’m gonna play until my knees fall off.”
- Jacob Gilyard is no longer with the Nets‘ Summer League team, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). While there are no details yet on Gilyard’s absence, Lewis speculates that the free agent guard’s strong play in Las Vegas – including a .375 3PT% and 3.3 steals per game – may have earned him a contract offer from another NBA club.
- Nets swingman Jalen Wilson, who had already been excelling in Vegas, had 33 points and 10 rebounds in Thursday’s victory over Orlando and looks like a legitimate candidate for this year’s Summer League MVP award, writes Collin Helwig of NetsDaily. Wilson has averaged 24.3 points per game on .463/.556/.882 shooting in four outings. The 23-year-old, who has a $1.89MM minimum-salary contract for 2024/25 that is currently just partially guaranteed for $75K, looks like a safe bet to make Brooklyn’s regular season roster, which would increase that partial guarantee to $325K.
Contract Details: Lawson, K. Brown, Forrest, Barlow, Bouyea, More
The Mavericks used a portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception to give A.J. Lawson a $1MM rest-of-season salary and a four-year contract when they promoted him to their standard roster, Hoops Rumors has learned.
While Lawson’s 2023/24 salary of $1MM – which is well above his prorated minimum – is guaranteed, he’s not necessarily assured of any money beyond this season. His minimum salaries for the following three years are fully non-guaranteed. If he plays out the full contract, the Mavericks wing would earn approximately $7.91MM.
Here are more details on recently signed contracts around the NBA:
- The three-year contract that Kendall Brown signed with the Pacers features a starting salary of $1.1MM, which came out of the team’s room exception. This season is the first year that the room exception can be used to sign players for up to three years instead of just two, and Indiana took advantage of that flexibility to give Brown non-guaranteed minimum salaries in 2024/25 and ’25/26, with a team option on that final year. He’ll receive a partial guarantee of $250K if he makes the Pacers’ regular season roster in the fall.
- The new contracts for Hawks guard Trent Forrest and Spurs forward Dominick Barlow are just rest-of-season, minimum-salary deals, which suggests that those two players just got standard conversions from their two-way contracts rather than negotiating new terms. Forrest will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, while Barlow will be eligible for restricted free agency.
- As expected, both Shake Milton (Knicks) and Mike Muscala (Thunder) signed rest-of-season, minimum-salary contracts with their new clubs.
- Like fellow San Antonio newcomer RaiQuan Gray, Jamaree Bouyea signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Spurs, so his new contract runs through the 2024/25 season.
- The two-way deals recently signed by Jeff Dowtin (Sixers), Jacob Gilyard (Nets), Jacob Toppin (Knicks), Ish Wainright (Suns), Quenton Jackson (Pacers), Harry Giles (Lakers), and Dylan Windler (Hawks) are all one-year (rest-of-season) contracts, so those players will be eligible to become restricted free agents this summer.
Nets Sign Jacob Gilyard To Two-Way Contract
MARCH 2: Gilyard’s two-way deal is now official, according to an announcement from the Nets.
MARCH 1: The Nets intend to sign former Grizzlies point guard Jacob Gilyard to a two-way contract, league sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Gilyard was previously on a two-way deal with the Grizzlies, but Memphis waived him last week in order to sign Jordan Goodwin.
Players on two-way contracts can only be active for 50 NBA games in a season. Gilyard was nearly at the 50-game limit, and the Grizzlies had a full 15-man standard roster. Instead of promoting him and having to waive someone from the standard roster, they decided to cut ties.
Gilyard, 25, was a college star at Richmond before going undrafted in 2022. He signed a two-way deal with Memphis at the end of 2022/23, appearing in one game as a rookie. In 37 games this season, he averaged 4.7 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 42.5% from deep in 17.7 minutes per contest.
On Friday afternoon, the Nets used a portion of their mid-level exception to promote rookie forward Jalen Wilson to a multiyear standard contract. That opened up a two-way spot, which Gilyard is set to fill.
Grizzlies Release Gilyard, Sign Goodwin To Two-Way Deal
The Grizzlies have released Jacob Gilyard and filled his two-way spot by signing Jordan Goodwin, the team announced in a press release (via Twitter).
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was first to report the moves (Twitter link), noting that Gilyard made a “positive impression” on Memphis despite being waived. He initially signed a two-way deal with the Grizzlies last April, making one appearance as a rookie in 2022/23.
Players on two-way contracts can only be active for 50 NBA games in a season. As we relayed a few days ago, Gilyard — a 5’9″ point guard who went undrafted in 2022 out of Richmond — was nearly at the 50-game limit, and the Grizzlies have a full 15-man standard roster.
Instead of converting him to a standard deal and having to waive someone on a guaranteed contract, they decided to cut Gilyard, who averaged 4.7 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 42.5% from deep in 37 games this season (17.7 minutes). He’ll still receive his full two-way salary, but two-way deals don’t count against the salary cap, whereas standard deals do.
Gilyard will become an unrestricted free agent on Monday if he clears waivers.
Memphis initially signed Goodwin to a 10-day hardship contract before the All-Star break. That deal expired after last night’s loss to the Clippers, but the Grizzlies will keep him around on a two-way contract.
A third-year guard out of Saint Louis, Goodwin has previously played for the Wizards and Suns. He has averaged 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals in two appearances thus far with Memphis (26.5 minutes).
The Grizzlies have a full 18-man roster, with all three two-way slots filled.