2023/24 NBA G League Draft Results
The NBA G League held its draft for the 2023/24 season on Saturday afternoon.
The 29 G League teams affiliated with NBA franchises participated in the event, as did the unaffiliated Mexico City Capitanes. The G League Ignite, which is made up of top prospects and veteran mentors, doesn’t take part in the draft.
[RELATED: NBA G League Announces Schedule For 2023/24 Season]
The first player selected in today’s G League draft was former Nuggets and Thunder forward Jack White, who recently fell victim to a roster crunch in Oklahoma City.
White spent last season on a two-way contract with Denver, then signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with the Thunder that included a $600K partial guarantee.
That guarantee made him ineligible to suit up for the Oklahoma City Blue this season, so he entered the G League draft, where the Texas Legends, the Mavericks‘ affiliate, snared him with the No. 1 overall pick.
Outside of White, there was only one other player drafted today who has prior NBA experience. That player is Scottie Lewis, the 56th overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft. He appeared in just two games for the Hornets while on a two-way deal in 2021/22. The Windy City Bulls, Chicago’s affiliate, drafted him today with the No. 32 overall pick.
Former Tulsa wing Brandon Rachal has never appeared in an NBA regular season game, but he was among Saturday’s draftees who has at least signed an NBA contract, having inked a pair of Exhibit 10 deals with Brooklyn in 2021 and 2022. Rachal made G League history today by becoming the first player drafted by the Rip City Remix, the Trail Blazers‘ expansion franchise.
Here are the full 2023/24 G League draft results:
Round One:
- Texas Legends (Mavericks): Jack White
- South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Teafale Lenard Jr.
- Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): David Muoka
- College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Javonte Perkins
- Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Will Richardson
- Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Pavel Savkov
- Austin Spurs (Spurs): David Shriver
- Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Isiaih Mosley
- Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Logan Johnson
- Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Karolis Lukosiunas
- Raptors 905 (Raptors): Myles Burns
- Mexico City Capitanes (N/A): J.J. Romer Rosario
- Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Bryson Warren (Overtime Elite)
- Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Olisa Akonobi
- Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Walter Ellis
- Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Marcus Burk
- Texas Legends (Mavericks): Nana Opoku
- Texas Legends (Mavericks): Maxime Carene
- Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Jamal Bey
- Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Manny Camper
- Osceola Magic (Magic): Jaycee Hillsman
- Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): Brandon Rachal
- Ontario Clippers (Clippers): Elijah Harkless
- Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): Anthony Nelson
- Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Kok Yat (Overtime Elite)
- Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Lance Thomas
- Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Arinze Chidom
- College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Jared Wilson-Frame
- Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Myron Gardner
- Maine Celtics (Celtics): Wendell Green Jr.
Round Two:
- Texas Legends (Mavericks): J.D. Tsasa (North Canyon High School)
- Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Scottie Lewis
- Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Eric Williams Jr.
- Osceola Magic (Magic): Tray Maddox
- Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): No pick
- Stockton Kings (Kings): Kalob Ledoux
- Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): No pick
- Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Sincere Carry
- Stockton Kings (Kings): Alex Hunter
- College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Sam Daniel (Florida Tech)
- Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Nojel Eastern
- Ontario Clippers (Clippers): David Bell
- Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers): Stephan Hicks
- Mexico City Capitanes (N/A): No pick
- Osceola Magic (Magic): Darius Mickens (Cal State San Bernadino)
- Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): No pick
- Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Keyshawn Bryant
- Rip City Remix (Trail Blazers): Kevin McClain
- Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Davion Warren
- Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers): David Sloan
- Indiana Mad Ants (Pacers): No pick
- Westchester Knicks (Knicks): No pick
- Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
- Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
- Osceola Magic (Magic): Isaiah Wade (Central Oklahoma)
- Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Isaac Johnson
- Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Denzel Mahoney
- Texas Legends (Mavericks): No pick
- Texas Legends (Mavericks): No pick
- Ontario Clippers (Clippers): No pick
Round Three (supplemental picks):
- Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Robert Johnson
- Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Kyree Walker
Teams will fill out their rosters with affiliate players, returning rights players, tryout players, and players who are assigned to the G League from the NBA roster (including those on two-way contracts).
G League training camps open on Monday, with this year’s NBAGL Showcase Cup tournament tipping off on November 10. The Showcase Cup will be played over about a month-and-a-half and will be followed by the G League regular season, which begins on December 27.
Lakers Notes: Westbrook, Davis, Pelinka, Harrison
Russell Westbrook didn’t change teams this offseason, but he’s adjusting to a new coaching staff for the fourth year in a row, writes Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has promised that his approach will unleash Westbrook’s talents, and the early returns have been encouraging.
“Definitely different – just the ability to be able to get in the open floor, attack with space, take my time,” Westbrook said. “Miss or make, shots will come as the season prolongs. But just get in that rhythm and know that I can get to any spot that I want to and get in-rhythm shots for sure, so far.”
Westbrook is coming off a difficult season that began with a trade from the Wizards to the Lakers, which meant far less time as the primary ball-handler. Westbrook is working to embrace Ham’s vision for him as a screener and a cutter and is hoping to cut down on turnovers after committing 295 last season.
“My speed sometimes speeds me up and lets me get to a place fast,” he said. “But my patience and understanding of my spacing and my spots are important to my efficiency and how I can improve in finishing around the rim, making shots and not rushing.”
There’s more on the Lakers:
- Anthony Davis was able to practice today after lower back tightness prevented him from playing in Wednesday’s game, Goon adds. The team hasn’t determined if Davis will try to play Sunday against the Warriors. After resolving a visa issue, Dennis Schröder is in Los Angeles and is expected to join the team Monday.
- The contract extension for general manager Rob Pelinka was worked out early this offseason, a source tells Sam Amick of The Athletic. Once the decision was made in April to fire head coach Frank Vogel, Lakers management decided to extend Pelinka so his contract would align with the new head coach’s.
- After the Lakers signed Shaquille Harrison earlier today, their G League affiliate completed a trade to obtain his returning rights, tweets Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. The South Bay Lakers sent the rights to Mac McClung and Jared Wilson-Frame to the Delaware Blue Coats (the Sixers‘ affiliate) in exchange for the rights to Harrison and Naz Mitrou-Long.
Summer League Commitments: Wolves, Warriors, Wizards, Magic
Kevon Harris has accepted a summer league invite from the Timberwolves, his agent Billy Davis of Family of Athletes told Hoops Rumors. Harris, a 6’6″ guard, averaged 14.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game for the Raptors’ G League affiliate this season, shooting 49% from the floor and 39% from deep.
Harris went unselected in the 2020 NBA draft after spending four collegiate seasons at Stephen F. Austin. This will be the first summer league stint of his career. The event will be held from July 7-17 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
There’s more summer league news to report:
- Richmond’s Jacob Gilyard has agreed to play summer league with the Warriors, a league source told Hoops Rumors. Gilyard, a 5’9″ point guard, averaged 13.3 points and 5.4 assists per game last season. He went undrafted on Thursday.
- The Wizards are bringing guard Pat Spencer to their Las Vegas Summer League entry, agents Keith Glass and Luke Glass said. Spencer, 25, played for the team’s G League affiliate this season, averaging 7.5 points. Originally a lacrosse star at Loyola University Maryland, Spencer didn’t play organized basketball between 2016 and 2019. He left the school as the NCAA all-time leader in assists and second in points, then transitioned back to basketball.
- Jared Wilson-Frame has committed to play with the Magic during summer league, agent Billy Davis told Hoops Rumors. Wilson-Frame averaged 16.4 points per game with the Jazz’s G League affiliate this season, shooting 41% from three-point range.