Nets Notes: Wolf, Porter Jr., Hauser, Highsmith
Nets big man Danny Wolf lasted until the No. 27 pick in the June draft and he’ll use that as motivation the rest of his career, he told Brian Lewis of the New York Post (subscription required).
“Obviously, I’d be faulted to say I don’t have a chip on my shoulder to not only prove others wrong and prove teams or guys picked ahead of me wrong and just prove myself right, that I know what I can become,” Wolf said. “I’m going to have that chip on my shoulder as long as I’m in this league. … So I use it [for] motivation, but all I’m going to do is work, as I have done.”
The biggest concern regarding Wolf coming out of Michigan was his ability to defend at the NBA level. He has shown thus far that he can more than hold his own at that end, according to Lewis, who notes that Wolf’s defensive field goal percentage (40%) ranks first among rookies who have defended at least 30 shots.
“There were a lot of questions from teams and front offices as to who I could guard. I took that as a chip on my shoulder to prove that I can more than guard in this league,” Wolf said. “But it’s a work in progress, and I need to continue to get quicker and stronger.”
Here’s more on the Nets:
- Michael Porter Jr. is posting career-high numbers and the New York Daily News’ C.J. Holmes uses more advanced statistic measures to lay out Porter’s All-Star case. However, the fact that Porter is playing for a rebuilding club certainly hinders his chances. Holmes notes the Nets are 6-3 when Porter scores 30 points or more. “I mean, just look at what we look like when he’s on the court versus when he’s not on the court,” center Nic Claxton said. “He does so much. He creates so many opportunities for himself, for other teammates. His averages are off the charts, so he definitely should be an All-Star.” Porter is averaging 25.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
- Former Michigan State forward Joey Hauser, brother of the Celtics’ Sam Hauser, is working as a video assistant with the Nets this season, according to NetsDaily (Twitter link). Joey played for the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate, last season. He also briefly had a two-way contract with Utah.
- Haywood Highsmith, who has yet to make his Nets debut due to a knee injury, was on the court during pregame warmups on Thursday working out with the coaching staff, but he has yet to be cleared for contact, Lewis tweets. Highsmith was acquired from the Heat in mid-August.
Hawks Waive Joey Hauser
The Hawks have waived forward Joey Hauser, the team announced today in a press release. Hauser was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal last week.
Hauser, who went undrafted out of Michigan State in 2023, signed a two-way contract with the Jazz last July, but was cut during the preseason. He caught on with the Clippers as a G League affiliate player and spent his rookie season with the Ontario Clippers (now called the San Diego Clippers), appearing in 50 total Showcase Cup and NBAGL regular season games and averaging 7.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game.
The younger brother of Celtics wing Sam Hauser, Joey made 41.6% of his three-point attempts in his college career at Marquette and MSU, then converted 36.4% of his tries from beyond the arc in the G League last season. He suited up for the Pelicans at the Las Vegas Summer League last month.
The College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s NBAGL affiliate, acquired Hauser’s returning rights from the San Diego Clippers a couple weeks ago. Now that he’s been released, the 25-year-old could receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with College Park.
The Hawks now have 19 players on their roster, two shy of the offseason limit.
Hawks Sign Joey Hauser To Exhibit 10 Deal
SEPTEMBER 19: A month after it was initially reported, Hauser’s Exhibit 10 deal with the Hawks is now official, according to RealGM’s official NBA transactions log.
AUGUST 21: The Hawks are signing free agent forward Joey Hauser to an Exhibit 10 contract, a source confirms to Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks (Twitter link). Billy Reinhardt (Twitter link) first reported the agreement between the two sides.
Hauser, who went undrafted out of Michigan State in 2023, signed a two-way contract with the Jazz last July, but was cut during the preseason. He caught on with the Clippers as a G League affiliate player and spent his rookie season with the Ontario Clippers, appearing in 50 total Showcase Cup and NBAGL regular season games and averaging 7.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game.
The younger brother of Celtics wing Sam Hauser, Joey made 41.6% of his three-point attempts in his college career at Marquette and MSU, then converted 36.4% of his tries from beyond the arc in the G League last season. He suited up for the Pelicans at the Las Vegas Summer League last month.
Although Reinhardt suggests Hauser will have the opportunity to compete for a roster spot in Atlanta’s camp this fall, he’s unlikely to claim a 15-man roster spot, given that the Hawks already have 15 players on guaranteed salaries and are right up against the luxury tax line.
Exhibit 10 deals – which are one-year, minimum-salary contracts that are non-guaranteed and don’t count against the cap until the regular season – can also be converted to two-way contracts. However, the Hawks already have three players filling their two-way slots, so Hauser would presumably have to outperform Seth Lundy, Keaton Wallace, or Dominick Barlow this fall to have a chance to earn a roster spot that way.
If the College Park Skyhawks were to acquire Hauser’s returning NBAGL rights from the Ontario Clippers, he could receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived by Atlanta this fall and then spends at least 60 days with College Park.
G League Moves: Kings, Wizards, Cavs, Jazz, Hawks, More
While the NBA trade market has been quiet since July, NBA G League teams have been active in recent days, swapping returning player rights and draft picks ahead of the 2024/25 season.
A player’s G League returning rights are only valuable in certain situations. If a player is on a standard or two-way contract with an NBA team, those returning rights mean little, since the player will play for his NBA’s team affiliate when he reports to the G League. Even for players not on NBA rosters, returning rights offer no assurances for G League teams — the player could opt to play in Europe, Australia, Asia, or in another non-NBAGL league.
However, most G League trades made at this point in the year are completed with the knowledge that at least one of the players involved in the deal intends to sign an NBAGL contract and report to the team acquiring him. And in some cases, the trades represent the start of a greater opportunity for a player.
For instance, last summer, Trevelin Queen (Osceola Magic) and Alondes Williams (Sioux Falls Skyforce) were among the players who had their returning rights acquired by new teams. Queen and Williams initially signed training camp contracts with the NBA parent clubs (Orlando and Miami), but were eventually promoted to two-way deals and finished the 2023/24 season in the NBA.
Here are some details on the latest trades completed in the G League:
- The Stockton Kings, Capital City Go-Go (Wizards), and Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers) finalized a three-team deal that sent Jules Bernard‘s returning rights to Cleveland, the rights to Dexter Dennis and Justin Powell to Stockton, and NBA veteran Jaylen Nowell to Capital City, per a press release from the Kings. Nowell has reportedly agreed to a camp deal with the Wizards.
- Stockton followed up that deal by reaching a separate agreement with the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz‘s affiliate (press release). The Kings acquired the rights to Jayce Johnson and a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for the rights to Dane Goodwin.
- The College Park Skyhawks, the Hawks‘ G League affiliate, sent the returning rights to Miles Norris and Joel Ayayi to the Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies) in exchange for Michael Devoe‘s rights and the Indiana Mad Ants’ 2025 first-round pick.
- The Skyhawks subsequently flipped that 2025 Mad Ants first-rounder to the San Diego Clippers for Joey Hauser‘s rights (Twitter links). Hauser is reportedly joining the Hawks this fall on an Exhibit 10 deal.
- The Mexico City Capitanes – the G League’s only unaffiliated team – has made a pair of trades. The Capitanes sent Ethan Thompson‘s rights to the Osceola Magic in exchange for the rights to D.J. Wilson and a 2024 first-round pick (Twitter link), then acquired Greg Brown‘s returning rights from the Texas Legends (Mavericks) in exchange for the rights to Phillip Wheeler and a 2025 second-round pick (press release).
Clippers Waiving Xavier Moon, Joey Hauser
The Clippers are waiving wing Xavier Moon and forward Joey Hauser, a source tells Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
The moves had been anticipated, since Moon and Hauser were on Exhibit 10 contracts and the Clippers already have 15 players on guaranteed deals and three on two-way pacts.
Moon played for the Ontario Clippers – L.A.’s G League affiliate – for most of last season, putting up 20.1 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game with a shooting line of .523/.389/.824 in 48 total regular season and Showcase Cup games (31.0 MPG). The performance earned him a spot on the All-NBAGL Third Team.
Moon averaged 9.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 3.3 APG on 38.1% shooting in four games (19.9 MPG) for Los Angeles during the preseason.
Hauser, whose brother Sam Hauser plays for Boston, went undrafted out of Michigan State earlier this year. He averaged 14.4 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 34 contests (34.1 MPG) during his final college season, posting an impressive shooting line of .484/.461/.876. He signed a two-way contract with the Jazz in July, but was waived last month.
Both Moon and Hauser appear likely to report to the Ontario Clippers in the NBAGL. Their Exhibit 10 contracts will put them in line for bonuses worth up to $75K if they spend at least 60 days with Ontario.
Clippers Sign Joey Hauser, Cut Two Players
The Clippers have officially signed rookie forward Joey Hauser while waiving guard Nate Darling and forward Bryson Williams, the team announced today.
Hauser went undrafted out of Michigan State earlier this year. He averaged 14.4 points and 7.0 rebounds in 34.1 minutes per game in 34 appearances during his final college season, posting an impressive shooting line of .484/.461/.876.
Hauser, whose brother Sam Hauser plays for Boston, signed a two-way contract with the Jazz in July, but was waived last month when Utah decided to bring in Josh Christopher on a two-way deal. Signing him to an Exhibit 10 contract will give the Clippers his G League rights and will put Joey in line for a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the Ontario Clippers, L.A.’s G League team.
Darling and Williams, who joined the Clippers on Exhibit 10 deals of their own earlier this month, are likely ticketed for Ontario once they clear waivers.
Jazz Sign Josh Christopher To Two-Way Contract
OCTOBER 13, 11:49am: The Jazz have officially signed Christopher to a two-way contract, the team confirmed today in a press release.
OCTOBER 12, 8:24pm: Utah has waived Hauser to open up a two-way slot for Christopher, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
OCTOBER 12, 6:32pm: The Jazz are signing former Rockets first-round pick Josh Christopher to a two-way contract, according to Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Christopher, 21, was selected with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. The former Arizona State wing averaged 6.9 points in 138 games (four starts) in his first two seasons in the league.
The 6’5″ Christopher was waived by the Grizzlies at the end of September after the team acquired him in an earlier offseason trade. Now, he’s heading to Utah after showcasing the ability to score in bunches at the NBA level. He holds career highs of 30 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals.
Christopher can provide immediate wing and scoring depth for the Jazz and could look to carve out a role on the bench. He averaged 5.8 points per game last season.
The Jazz already have three players signed to two-way contracts – Joey Hauser, Johnny Juzang and Micah Potter – and will have to waive one to bring in Christopher. Utah has a full 21-man roster as of this moment.
Christopher joins Usman Garuba and TyTy Washington as recent former Houston first-round picks to sign two-way deals with other teams this offseason. Houston traded away the young trio in the same five-team deal that brought Dillon Brooks to the Rockets via sign-and-trade.
Jazz Sign Joey Hauser On Two-Way Deal
July 3: Hauser’s two-way deal is now official, the Jazz announced in a press release.
June 23: The Jazz are signing Michigan State senior forward Joey Hauser on a two-way contract, The Athletic’s Tony Jones tweets.
Hauser played one season at Marquette before transferring and sitting out a season. The 6’9” Hauser played three seasons for the Spartans and started regularly the past two seasons. He averaged 14.4 points and 7.0 rebounds last season and drained 46.1% of his 3-point attempts.
Sam Hauser, Joey’s older brother, played regularly for the Celtics this past season.
Draft Notes: Black, Whitehead, Henderson, Hornets, Porter
In an interview with Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link), Arkansas guard Anthony Black describes himself as an unselfish player who’s willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win. Black displayed impressive passing skills during his freshman year with the Razorbacks, but he said he can defend, rebound and score as well.
Black, who grew up admiring Gilbert Arenas and Kobe Bryant, compares himself to Oklahoma City’s Josh Giddey among current players. Like Giddey, Black is exceptionally tall for a point guard and he uses his 6’7″ height to his advantage.
“I think it helps in my reads,” Black said. “I watch a lot of film, so I’m watching some of the film from the season and some of my reads I’m making just looking straight. There’s a defender, but he’s not tall enough to block it. I can read the back line of the defense a lot easier, I feel like, than a smaller guard who could be guarded by someone with some length and disrupt the passing lane.”
There’s more on the draft:
- The second surgery needed by Duke forward Dariq Whitehead wasn’t caused by a re-fracture of his right foot, tweets Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. A source tells Wasserman that Whitehead has met with several teams picking late in the lottery as well as teams with multiple first-round selections. He hasn’t been able to work out, but he’s gone through film sessions and met with head coaches, executives and medical personnel.
- The Hornets haven’t set a date for their workout with Scoot Henderson, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The G League Ignite guard visited the Trail Blazers over the weekend and indicated that he will only work out for Portland and Charlotte. Boone notes that workout days usually aren’t publicized far in advance, and Henderson lives in Georgia so it wouldn’t take him long to get to the Hornets’ facility.
- The Hornets are hosting a workout today with Texas’ Timmy Allen, Baylor’s Adam Flagler, Florida’s Alex Fudge, Michigan State’s Joey Hauser, Southern Utah’s Tevian Jones and North Carolina State’s Terquavion Smith (Twitter link).
- Craig Porter Jr. has already conducted workouts with the Mavericks, Warriors, Celtics, Pistons, Magic and Cavaliers, and he has upcoming sessions with the Clippers, Wizards, Nuggets and Knicks, according to a tweet from Global Scouting. The Wichita State guard is a potential late second-round pick.
50 Prospects Reportedly Invited To G League Elite Camp
A total of 50 prospects for the 2023 NBA draft have been invited to the NBA’s G League Elite Camp, according to reports from Adam Zagoria of Forbes and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (Twitter links).
Those players are as follows:
- Charles Bediako (Alabama)
- Leaky Black (North Carolina)
- Jalen Bridges (Baylor)
- Johni Broome (Auburn)
- Joe Bryant (Norfolk State)
- Tyler Burton (Richmond)
- Michael Caicedo (Coviran Granada – Spain)
- Tyger Campbell (UCLA)
- Colin Castleton (Florida)
- Malcolm Cazalon (Mega Basket – Serbia)
- Tristan Da Silva (Colorado)
- Antoine Davis (Detroit)
- Johnell Davis (FAU)
- Kendric Davis (Memphis)
- Shaun Doss (Arkansas Pine-Bluff)
- Tosan Evbuomwan (Princeton)
- PJ Hall (Clemson)
- Hakim Hart (Maryland)
- Joey Hauser (Michigan State)
- Nadir Hifi (Le Portel – France)
- D’Moi Hodge (Missouri)
- Zvonimir Ivisic (SC Derby – Montenegro)
- Josiah-Jordan James (Tennessee)
- Dillon Jones (Weber State)
- Mojave King (G League Ignite)
- Taevion Kinsey (Marshall)
- Pelle Larsson (Arizona)
- Tyrin Lawrence (Vanderbilt)
- Jaylen Martin (Overtime Elite)
- Matthew Mayer (Illinois)
- Caleb McConnell (Rutgers)
- Emanuel Miller (TCU)
- Matthew Murrell (Mississippi)
- Ousmane N’Diaye (Baskonia – Spain)
- Tristen Newton (UConn)
- Olivier Nkamhoua (Tennessee)
- Landers Nolley II (Cincinnati)
- Markquis Nowell (Kansas State)
- Norchad Omier (Miami)
- Clifford Omoruyi (Rutgers)
- Drew Peterson (USC)
- Antonio Reeves (Kentucky)
- Sir’Jabari Rice (Texas)
- Spencer Rodgers (Kennesaw State)
- Mark Sears (Alabama)
- Mike Sharavjamts (Dayton)
- Isaiah Stevens (Colorado State)
- Jacob Toppin (Kentucky)
- Hunter Tyson (Clemson)
- Anton Watson (Gonzaga)
The name of the G League Elite Camp is a bit of a misnomer — when first introduced, the event showcased NBAGL players, but the field of participants now consists exclusively of draft prospects. The event will take place on May 13 and 14 in Chicago, ahead of this year’s draft combine.
Like the combine, the Elite Camp brings young players to Chicago to meet NBA teams and participate in drills and scrimmages. While the combine focuses on the top prospects in a given draft class, the Elite Camp generally features prospects who are trying to break into that upper echelon of prospects but are more likely to go undrafted. The top performers at the event typically receive invites to the combine.
Of the 50 G League Elite Camp invitees, 15 show up on Jonathan Givony’s list of this year’s top 100 prospects at ESPN.com. However, no Elite Camp invitee ranks higher than No. 58 (Hart) on ESPN’s board.
The G League Elite Camp will give the invitees who declared for the draft as early entrants an opportunity to see where they stand ahead of the draft withdrawal deadline on May 31. Not all of the players who participate in this event will remain in the draft pool.
Some NBA players who have participated in past G League Elite Camps include Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, Pacers forward Oshae Brissett, Clippers guard Terance Mann, and Heat wing Max Strus.