L.J. Figueroa Rumors | Hoops Rumors

International Notes: Whiteside, Vonleh, Figueroa, Schakel, Schmidt

July 25th, 2023 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

A former All-Defensive player and a former lottery pick are among the veteran NBA free agents reportedly receiving overseas interest.

Big man Hassan Whiteside, who led the league in blocks per game twice and made an All-Defensive team in 2016, has drawn interest from Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv, per Omri Manhime of Sport5 (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando). Whiteside was out of the NBA in 2022/23 and played in Lebanon earlier in his professional career.

Meanwhile, Greek team Panathinaikos is said to be eyeing Noah Vonleh, according to Stavros Barbarousis of Eurohoops.net. The No. 9 overall pick in the 2014 draft, Vonleh has appeared in 362 career regular season NBA games, including 23 last season for Boston. He played for the Shanghai Sharks in 2021/22 but has never joined a European team.

Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:

Former Oregon guard L.J. Figueroa, who has spent the last two seasons in the G League playing with the Santa Cruz Warriors and South Bay Lakers, has signed with German club Ratiopharm Ulm, per a press release from the team. Although Figueroa signed Exhibit 10 contracts with Golden State and L.A., he has yet to play in a regular season NBA game.
Jordan Schakel, a member of the Wizards for parts of the last two seasons, is aiming to play for the German national team in the 2024 Olympics in Paris, agents Mike Naiditch and Daniel Poneman tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Schakel has only appeared in six games at the NBA level, but made 39.9% of his three-point attempts in the G League last season.
Ryan Schmidt has left his job as the head coach of the London Lions in the British Basketball League in order to take a coaching job with an NBA team, according to a press release. While his destination isn’t yet known, Schmidt will be joining an Eastern Conference club, reports Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. He previously had a four-year stint as an assistant coach for the Raptors 905, Toronto’s G League team (2017-21).

Lakers Waive LJ Figueroa, Sign Bryce Hamilton

October 10th, 2022 at 2:36pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers have waived wing LJ Figueroa and signed undrafted guard Bryce Hamilton to replace him on the 20-man training camp roster, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). ESPN’s Dave McMenamin notes (via Twitter) that Hamilton will be on a training camp contract.

Hamilton, who turns 22 next month, went undrafted in June after four seasons at UNLV. He had a productive college career, having earned a spot on three consecutive All-Mountain West Conference teams. Hamilton averaged 21.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 2.2 APG on .430/.346/.768 shooting in 32 games (32.3 MPG) as a senior last season. He most recently played for the Heat during Summer League.

Figueroa spent his first two college seasons with St. John’s before transferring to Oregon for the 2020/21 season. The 24-year-old went undrafted in 2021 and signed a training camp deal with the Warriors, was waived, and then spent his first pro season with Golden State’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, averaging 16.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.0 SPG on .494/.323/.781 shooting in 32 games (23 starts, 27.6 MPG). He suited up for the Hornets in Summer League.

While the terms of the contracts for Figueroa and Hamilton were not disclosed, it seems likely that both deals included Exhibit 10 language, which would make them each eligible for a $50K bonus if they spend at least 60 days with the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ NBA GL affiliate. Spears confirms (via Twitter) that Hamilton is expected to be waived before the regular season and start his pro career in the G League.

Lakers Waive Bacon, McCoy; Sign Harrison, Figueroa

October 8th, 2022 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have completed a series of roster moves, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived camp invitees Dwayne Bacon and Javante McCoy and filled those newly-opened spots by signing guards Shaquille Harrison and L.J. Figueroa.

McCoy had an Exhibit 10 clause in his contract and could end up joining the South Bay Lakers, Los Angeles’ G League affiliate. However, Bacon’s deal wasn’t an Exhibit 10, so he’ll likely seek out a new opportunity.

The details of Harrison’s and Figueroa’s contracts haven’t been reported, but they’re almost certainly non-guaranteed camp deals as well. Since South Bay previously acquired Figueroa’s returning rights from the Santa Cruz Warriors, he’s likely ticketed for the G League. It’s unclear what the team’s plans are for Harrison, who has appeared in 175 career NBA games, but saw action in just two last season while on a pair of 10-day contracts with Brooklyn.

The Lakers have the maximum allowable 20 players under contract, including 12 on guaranteed deals and two on two-ways. Of the six other players with non-guaranteed salaries, Austin Reaves and Wenyen Gabriel are viewed as the frontrunners to make the regular season roster.

Warriors Waive L.J. Figueroa, Axel Toupane

October 16th, 2021 at 3:42pm CST by JD Shaw

The Warriors announced on Saturday (via Twitter) that they have waived L.J. Figueroa and Axel Toupane, both of whom signed Exhibit 10 contracts with the club. Both players are likely to play for the team’s G League affiliate this season.

Figueroa appeared in one preseason game, while Toupane signed with the club on Friday. Golden State’s roster has now been trimmed to 15 players — including guard Chris Chiozza on a two-way contract.

Prior to signing with Golden State, Figueroa went unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft. Toupane, for his part, has made stops with the Nuggets, Bucks, Pelicans and various overseas clubs during his career.

LJ Figueroa Signs With Warriors

October 13th, 2021 at 6:25pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent swingman LJ Figueroa has signed a training camp contract with the Warriors, the team announced (via Twitter). No details of the deal were released, but it’s likely intended as a way to get Figueroa to Golden State’s G League affiliate in Santa Cruz.

After two years at St. John’s, the 23-year-old played for Oregon last season, averaging 12.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in 26 games. He went undrafted, then played for the Mavericks during Summer League.

The move brings the Warriors to the preseason roster limit of 20 players.

Pacific Notes: Warriors Workouts, Lakers, LeBron, CP3

July 15th, 2021 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors, who hold the seventh and 14th overall picks in this year’s draft, are busy this week working out prospects, many of whom could be in play for one of those two lottery picks.

As Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweets, Cameron Thomas, Tre Mann, Isaiah Todd, Quentin Grimes, Nah’Shon Hyland, and LJ Figueroa came in for a group workout with the Warriors on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Baylor’s Davion Mitchell is conducting an individual workout with Golden State before Jalen Johnson, Kai Jones, and Moses Moody audition later in the afternoon, according to Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area (Twitter link).

Of those 10 prospects, Mitchell (No. 7), Johnson (12), Moody (16), Jones (20), Mann (22), Thomas (26), Grimes (29), and Hyland (30) are all projected by ESPN to be first-round picks.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Jovan Buha of The Athletic presents the case for and against the Lakers re-signing each of their own free agents, including Dennis Schröder, Alex Caruso, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Andre Drummond.
During an appearance on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live,’ LeBron James laughed off a question asking about the possibility of the Lakers signing or trading for Suns point guard Chris Paul, but admitted that he’d “absolutely” like to play with his close friend at some point, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic details. Maybe it could happen before the two stars retire, but I wouldn’t count on it being a realistic option in 2021/22.
In case you missed it, Suns assistant Willie Green is on track to become the Pelicans’ new head coach and is expected to finalize a deal with the team this week.

Pacific Notes: Bagley, Kings, Lakers, Wiggins

July 8th, 2021 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

During an episode of the Halfway Decent Pod, Kings forward/center Marvin Bagley III expressed no regrets about causing a stir on Twitter by liking a tweet that read “we gotta get @MB3FIVE outta Sac” and removing mentions of the Kings from his social media profiles, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee.

“First of all, it’s my Twitter, bro,” Bagley said. “It’s my Twitter. It has my name on it. I can like whatever I choose and please, and whatever I feel like liking.”

According to Anderson, Bagley explained that he liked the aforementioned tweet out of frustration after watching Trae Young – who was selected three spots after Bagley in the 2018 draft – score 48 points against Milwaukee in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals.

“As a competitor, that just makes me want to get to that and I need to be there. I want to be there bad,” Bagley said. “… For me, my personal goals and where I’m trying to get to in my career, I’ve got to make it happen. I’ve got to do everything I’ve got to do to make it happen.

“I think liking that tweet, that’s where that came from and it is what it is. People (are) going to take it and run with it. It is what it is. I did it. It’s my Twitter. I can like and do whatever I want on my account. I’m not hurting nobody. I’m not harming nobody, but you already know how the fans take stuff and want to run with something.”

Bagley, who is extension-eligible this offseason, has one year left on his rookie contract with Sacramento.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Senegalese big man Biram Faye, who has been playing professionally in Spain, will participate in a pre-draft workout with the Kings on Thursday, tweets Jason Jones of The Athletic. Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee takes a more in-depth look at some of the prospects Sacramento has either interviewed or worked out so far in the pre-draft process.
The Lakers hosted a group workout on Wednesday, auditioning Jason Preston, Cody Riley, Alan Griffin, LJ Figueroa, Matt Coleman III, and Giorgi Bezhanishvili, tweets ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Los Angeles has just one pick in this year’s draft, at No. 22.
Andrew Wiggins‘ name frequently pops up in Warriors-related trade rumors, but the forward’s strong showing for Canada at the recent Olympic qualifying tournament will give the franchise more to consider as it weighs Wiggins’ future, writes Kendra Andrews of NBC Sports Bay Area.

Draft Notes: Mamukelashvili, Carr, Champagnie, Figueroa, Cockburn, Sims

June 16th, 2021 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Seton Hall’s Sandro Mamukelashvili is scheduled to work out for the Pistons on Thursday, Adam Zagoria of the New York Times tweets. The 6’11” Mamukelashvili already worked out for the Jazz, Thunder and Hornets. He’s currently listed as the No. 56 overall prospect on ESPN’s Best Available list.

We have more news and insights on this year’s draft:

Minnesota guard Marcus Carr has worked out for the Hornets and Timberwolves, Zagoria reports in a separate tweet. Carr averaged 19.4 PPG and 4.9 APG for the Golden Gophers last season.
St. John’s Julian Champagnie (ranked No. 92 by ESPN) and Oregon’s LJ Figueroa worked out for the Celtics on Wednesday, according to Zagoria (Twitter links). Illinois big man Kofi Cockburn (ranked No. 91) will work out for Boston on Thursday, Zagoria adds in another tweet.
Ohio guard Jason Preston and Georgia Tech guard Jose Alvarado are among the underrated prospects in this year’s draft, Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated opines. Preston averaged 15.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 7.3 APG last season, while Alvarado averaged 15.2 PPG and 4.1 APG.
Texas forward Jericho Sims has worked out for the Grizzlies and will work out for the Kings, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets.
What’s the biggest need for each of the lottery teams? Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman takes a closer look at that subject.

Draft Notes: Bishop, Lottery Scenarios, Figueroa, Gach

June 24th, 2020 at 1:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Having had his waiver for another college season denied by the NCAA, Jermaine Bishop of Norfolk State will keep his name in the 2020 NBA draft and go pro, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

A 6’1″ guard, Bishop spent two years at Saint Louis before transferring to Norfolk State for his junior year. In 2019/20, he averaged 15.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.2 APG on .405/.395/.855 shooting in 31 games (33.4 MPG) for the Spartans.

Bishop isn’t a top-100 prospect on ESPN’s big board and seems likely to go undrafted in October, but his outside shooting ability should intrigue professional teams. His .395 3PT% this season came on 8.0 three-point attempts per game.

Here’s more on the draft:

In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz break down the various lottery odds and options for the NBA’s bottom eight teams. Although ESPN’s draft gurus view LaMelo Ball as the best option for most of those clubs, they acknowledge that there may be a few tough decisions to make, with no clear No. 1 prospect in this year’s class.
After spending two seasons with St. John’s, guard LJ Figueroa is transferring to Oregon. Despite that commitment to the Ducks, Figueroa hasn’t ruled out going pro and his name is still in the draft pool, a source tells Zach Braziller of The New York Post. However, Figueroa is unlikely to remain in the draft.
Former Utah swingman Both Gach entered the transfer portal this spring and committed to the University of Minnesota. Gach was testing the draft waters during that process, but the expectation is that he’ll remove his name from draft consideration, a source tells Josh Newman of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Draft Notes: Combine, Haliburton, Francis, Figueroa

May 26th, 2020 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

If not for the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA’s draft combine would have taken place last week in Chicago, with dozens of this year’s top prospects congregating for workouts, scrimmages, interviews, and medical tests. Instead, that event has been indefinitely postponed, and it’s unclear what form it will eventually take — if it happens at all.

According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, league sources still believe there’s a good chance that a “downsized” combine that includes live interviews could take place in August or September. One report earlier in May suggested that such an event might be held within the NBA’s “bubble” location – possibly Walt Disney World – rather than Chicago, though that’s still speculative at this point.

Of course, before the NBA can even line up tentative plans for a combine, it will need to formally postpone the draft, which is still scheduled for June 25. According to Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link), some teams expect the draft to be delayed until September, with free agency potentially starting around October 1.

Here’s more on the 2020 NBA draft:

Within his above-linked piece, Berman notes that Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm believes potential top-10 pick Tyrese Haliburton would benefit from being able to interview in person with NBA teams. “On Zoom, you can only impress so much,” Prohm said. “If he was in person, over dinner, or in the facility or ballroom at the combine, he’d knock it out of the park. His spirit and personality will wow people. He’ll move up on the charts on that alone. … His character and maturity is very high.”
Richmond guard Blake Francis, who tested the draft waters following his junior year, has decided to withdraw and return to school for one more season, he tells Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Francis is the third Richmond early entrant to withdraw from the draft pool, joining teammates Jacob Gilyard and Grant Golden.
St. John’s guard LJ Figueroa has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal, a source tells Evan Daniels of 247Sports (Twitter link). Figueroa, who declared for the draft in the spring, will continue testing the waters as he explores his transfer options, tweets Rothstein.