And-Ones: Lawson, Tobey, Lin, Ainge, Alkins
Former Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson has signed with Kolossos Rhodes, a team in the Greek League, per a team press release. According to Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando, Lawson originally signed with the Greek club last January, but was unable to leave China to join the team due to travel complications.
Lawson, who is still only 33 years old, had several seasons of borderline All-Star level play for the Nuggets before off-court issues derailed him. The 5’11” point guard has averaged 26+ PPG and 8.7+ APG the last two seasons in China. This stint marks his first time in the European leagues since he played with BC Zalgiris during the 2011 NBA lockout.
We have more news from around the world of basketball:
- Mike Tobey, who played in two games for the Hornets during the 2016/17 season, had a strong showing for the Slovenian Olympic team alongside Luka Doncic in Tokyo, averaging 13.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG and 2.5 APG while shooting 38% from three. But Marc Stein reports that Tobey has a significant buyout with his current team of Valencia in Spain, making a return to the NBA a complicated proposition, at least in the near future.
- Former Knick – and NBA champion with the Raptors – Jeremy Lin tested positive for COVID-19 upon landing in Shanghai, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Lin said he is vaccinated, and is only experiencing minor symptoms.
- Danny Ainge may not be with the Celtics anymore, but he calls his current status “taking a break,” rather than “retired,” according to an interview with A. Sherrod Blakely. “I’m pretty sure I don’t want to re-enter to the level I was at, for sure,” Ainge said. “I’m enjoying what I’m doing now. I’m in no rush.”
- Rawle Alkins plans to sign with Ukraine’s Dnipro, according to our JD Shaw (Twitter link). The 23-year-old 6’5 guard from the University of Arizona played 10 games for the Bulls during the 2018/19 season.
And-Ones: Milutinov, Macon, G League, Dunk Contest
Serbian center and former Spurs first-round pick Nikola Milutinov has suffered a major shoulder injury playing for CSKA Moscow and will undergo surgery, Ennio Terrasi Borghesan of Sportando relays. Milutinov, who suffered the injury last week against Bayern Munich, signed a three-year contract with the EuroLeague powerhouse last June. Milutinov was selected by the Spurs with the 26th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. However, he has yet to sign an NBA contract. He played five seasons with Olympiacos in Greece.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- The G League will have 14 additional players on the Orlando campus as fill-ins in case of injuries, callups or other issues, Jonathan Givony of ESPN tweets. Rawle Alkins, Isaiah Briscoe and Malik Pope are among the players on the list.
- Former NBA guard Daryl Macon has parted ways with Galatasaray Istanbul, the team tweets. He’s joining AEK Athens, Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas tweets. Macon began the 2019/20 season on a two-way deal with Miami and was waived last January. He also played for Dallas.
- Reports surfaced last week that the All-Star Game, which originally was scheduled to be held in Indianapolis this season, could be held after all in Atlanta. Now, the NBA and the players’ union are discussing the addition of both a dunk and three-point contest there on the weekend of March 6-7, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.
Pelicans Waive Four Players
The Pelicans announced on Saturday that they’ve waived guards Rawle Alkins and Tony Carr, forward Jarrod Uthoff, and center Ike Anigbogu.
Given all four of those players were on non-guaranteed deals, the Pelicans’ roster is likely set for the regular season with 12 guaranteed contracts, two partially guaranteed deals (Willy Hernangomez and Sindarius Thornwell), and a pair of two-way pacts.
Anigbogu is the most prominent name among the bunch as the big man was a second-round draft pick (47th overall) of the Pacers in 2017. However, Anigbogu has seen action in just 14 games from 2017-19. The 6’10” center has also seen time in the G League, suiting up for 47 games over the past three seasons.
Uthoff and Alkins have also seen NBA action; Uthoff appeared in three games for the Wizards last season while Alkins played in 10 games for the Bulls in 2017/18.
Carr, 23, was a second-round pick of the Pelicans in 2018 and saw time for the team’s G League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, in 2019/20.
New Orleans also signed and waived Justin Wright-Foreman, per RealGM’s transactions log, presumably for G League purposes.
Pelicans Sign Rawle Alkins To Exhibit 10 Deal
The Pelicans have added guard Rawle Alkins via an Exhibit 10 contract, Andrew Lopez of ESPN tweets. Alkins confirmed the deal on his official Twitter account.
The 23-year-old Alkins went undrafted out of Arizona in 2018. The 6’5″ shooting guard saw his only prior NBA action during the 2018/19 season, when he inked a two-way contract with the Bulls. Alkins split his time between Chicago and the team’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
Alkins averaged 11.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, and 0.7 BPG in 44 games for the Windy City Bulls. Alkins also suited up for Chicago across 10 games, starting one. He averaged 12.0 MPG, 3.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 1.3 APG.
After the Bulls opted not to retain him for the 2019/20, Alkins played in Portugal, logging time with FC Porto of the Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol.
As an Exhibit 10 signing, Alkins will now join the Pelicans for training camp this month, hoping to make the Pelicans’ regular season roster, or that of their G League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks in Eerie, Pennsylvania.
Bulls Notes: Parker, Boylen, Alkins
Jabari Parker is refusing to lash out at the Bulls, even though he finds himself on the trading block after being pulled from the rotation, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Parker’s situation in Chicago soured quickly after he joined the team as a free agent in July. New coach Jim Boylen reportedly cites poor effort on defense and a selfish attitude on offense as the basis for his decisions, but Parker doesn’t want to get caught up in a war of words.
“I chose to come here,” Parker said. “I did everything I can to prove that I belong here. And I’m going to continue to do that. My job is to be ready to be on the court. My agent’s job is to just be my defense and be that voice for me that I’m not able to say.”
Parker is open to a deal, and his agent, Mark Bartelstein, is working with the team to resolve the situation. According to Johnson, the Bulls began seeking trade partners well before restrictions were lifted on newly signed free agents yesterday.
“It’s not easy,” Boylen said. “I’ve been direct and honest with him about what I expect and what I hope he can continue to work on.”
There’s more this morning out of Chicago:
- The Heat, Suns, Cavaliers and Hawks are teams that might be good fits for Parker, writes Frank Urbina of HoopsHype.
- Boylen had a strong supporter in Spurs coach Gregg Popovich even before the Bulls’ surprising win in San Antonio last night, Johnson adds in the same story. Boylen, who has been under fire since replacing Fred Hoiberg two weeks ago, spent two years as an assistant with the Spurs and was with the team when it won the 2014 NBA title. “He’s a pretty straightforward, honest individual, and he’ll do it the way he thinks is best for that group,” Popovich said. “And he’ll be fair, he’ll be demanding, and he will try to make everything clear so whatever system he wants to employ will get across. I’ve learned as much from him as he’s learned from us here.”
- If there’s a bright side to Zach LaVine‘s injury, it gives the Bulls a chance to evaluate rookie Rawle Alkins, notes Michael Walton of NBC Sports Chicago. Alkins signed a two-way contract this summer and has spent the season in the G League at Windy City, where he is averaging 15.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He will be called up in time for tomorrow night’s game, tweets Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.
Rawle Alkins Signs Two-Way Deal With Bulls
JULY 25: The Bulls have officially signed Alkins to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.
JULY 22: The Bulls have agreed to a two-way deal with undrafted guard Rawle Alkins, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. The Arizona product spent the past few weeks with the Raptors‘ Summer League team.
Toronto liked Alkins’ summer performance where he averaged 9.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 2.0 APG. The Raptors offered Alkins a camp invitation but he chose the deal with the higher guaranteed money, per TSN’s Josh Lewenberg.
As a two-way player, Alkins will spend most of his time with the Bulls’ G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls. However, he is permitted to spend up to 45 days with the NBA team. The Bulls have the option to convert Alkins’ deal into a standard NBA deal if they choose.
In his sophomore season with the Wildcats, Alkins averaged 13.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.5 APG. Entering the 2018 NBA Draft, Alkins was ranked as the 49th-best prospect on Jonathan Givony’s top-100 list at ESPN.com.
Raptors To Sign Rawle Alkins To Camp Deal
Rawle Alkins is expected to head to training camp with the Raptors this fall, according to Jeremy Woo of SI.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Toronto agreed to sign the Arizona guard to a camp deal.
Alkins, who wasn’t picked on Thursday night, entered the draft after his sophomore season with the Wildcats. In 2017/18, he averaged 13.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.5 APG with a shooting line of .432/.359/.724. He was ranked as the 49th-best prospect of the 2018 class on Jonathan Givony’s top-100 list at ESPN.com.
NBA teams are permitted to carry 20 players during the offseason up until the regular season begins, at which point they have to cut their rosters down to 15 (plus two two-way players). While exact terms of Alkins’ agreement with the Raptors aren’t known, he’ll likely receive a small guarantee as a camp invitee and may have a chance to compete for a roster spot during the preseason.
The signing can’t be finalized until after the new league year begins in July.
Draft Workouts: Sixers, Grizzlies, Pacers, Hornets, T-Wolves
The Sixers will host Kentucky forward Kevin Knox and Texas Tech guard Zhaire Smith for the second time on Tuesday, according to a team release. Knox’s workout will be separate from the other six players they will bring in, including Smith. The Sixers hold the No. 10 selection in the lottery. Knox is currently ranked No. 9 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, while Smith is slotted at No. 16.
The other members of the group workout are all guards, including B.J. Johnson (La Salle), De’Anthony Melton (USC), Tyler Nelson (Fairfield), Malik Newman (Kansas) and Landry Shamet (Wichita State). Melton (No. 24, Givony) is a possibility for the Sixers with their other first-rounder at No. 26.
We have numerous other draft workouts to pass along:
- Potential first-rounder Bruce Brown (Miami, Fla.) is among the players the Grizzlies will evaluate on Tuesday, according to a team release. Brown, a shooting guard, is currently ranked No. 28 by Givony. Allonzo Trier (Arizona), Anfernee Simons (IMG), Brandon Sampson (LSU), Tim Bond (Eastern Michigan) and Markel Crawford (Ole Miss) are the other players invited to the workout. Melvin Frazier (Tulane), Nuni Omot (Baylor), J.P. Macura (Xavier), Daxter Miles (West Virginia), Brenton Scott (Indiana State) and William Lee (UAB) will visit the Grizzlies on Wednesday.
- The Pacers will bring in Rawle Alkins (Arizona), Marcus Derrickson (Georgetown), Arnoldas Kulboka (Lithuania), Kelan Martin (Butler), Elie Okobo (France), and Theo Pinson (North Carolina) on Tuesday, according to a press release.
- The Hornets will be evaluating some second-round prospects on Tuesday, including A.J. Davis (Central Florida), James Demery (St. Joe’s), Jerome Robinson (Boston College), Sam Hunt (North Carolina State) and Jared Terrell (Rhode Island), according to a team release.
- Terrell worked out twice for the Timberwolves, according to Rhode Island basketball’s Twitter feed. Frazier visited Minnesota on Saturday, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. Projected first-round prospect Troy Brown (Oregon) also worked out on Saturday along with Duncan Robinson (Michigan), Andrew Rowsey (Marquette) and Kulboka, according to Wolfson (Twitter links). Duke’s Gary Trent visited on Monday and could also visit the Jazz and Warriors before the draft, Wolfson adds in another tweet.
Draft Workouts: Sexton, Hornets, Lakers, Wizards
Alabama point guard Collin Sexton will headline the Hornets‘ pre-draft workouts on Thursday, according to a press release from the team. Sexton’s stock is high enough that he’s a decent bet to come off the board within the first 10 picks of next week’s draft, but if he slips to No. 11, Charlotte would face an interesting decision — drafting Sexton would almost certainly increase the trade buzz surrounding the team’s current standout point guard Kemba Walker.
In addition to Sexton and previously-reported participant Zhaire Smith, Josh Newkirk (Indiana), Matt Mobley (St. Bonaventure), Deng Adel (Louisville), Gary Clark (Cincinnati), and Devon Hall (Virginia) will also get a look from the Hornets on Thursday.
Here are more updates on pre-draft workouts from around the NBA:
- The latest group workout for the Lakers featured Rawle Alkins (Arizona), Jeffrey Carroll (Oklahoma State), Angel Delgado (Seton Hall), Kelan Martin (Butler), Brandon McCoy (UNLV), and Kendrick Nunn (Oakland), the club announced on its website. As previously noted, it’s Delgado’s second audition for L.A.
- Josh Okogie‘s busy workout schedule includes visits to the Suns, Jazz, Clippers, and Pacers, with possible returns to the Lakers and Celtics also possible, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Okogie is considered a potential first-round pick.
- The Wizards will audition Keita Bates-Diop (Ohio State), Khadeen Carrington (Seton Hall), Bryant Crawford (Wake Forest), Brandon McCoy (UNLV), Doral Moore (Wake Forest), and Jonathan Stark (Murray State) on Thursday, according to the team.
- Billy Preston, who last played in Bosnia, has workouts on tap with the Trail Blazers, Bucks, Hornets, and Nets, he said today (Twitter link via Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington). Preston is one of 91 early entrants hoping to be drafted this year.
Draft Workouts: Brown, Lakers, Grizzlies, Alkins
Oregon shooting guard Troy Brown worked out for the Spurs on Sunday, Michael Scotto of The Athletic tweets. The Spurs hold the No. 18 pick and Brown is ranked No. 19 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Brown then worked out for the Wizards Monday and is headed to Milwaukee for an evaluation by the Bucks, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets. Washington owns the No. 15 selection with the Bucks at No. 17.
We have plenty of other workouts to pass along:
- The Lakers will work out Abdul-Malik Abu (North Carolina State), Trevon Bluiett (Xavier), Kameron Chatman (Detroit), Manu Lecomte (Baylor), Marcus Lee (Cal) and Matt Mobley (St. Bonaventure) on Tuesday, the team’s PR department tweets. Seton Hall big man Angel Delgado will get a second look from the Lakers on Tuesday, Adam Zagoria of the New York Times tweets.
- The Grizzlies will bring in six second-round prospects on Tuesday, according to a team press release. That group includes A.J. Davis (UCF), Wenyen Gabriel (Kentucky), Brandon Goodwin (Florida Gulf Coast), Devonte’ Graham (Kansas), Terry Larrier (Connecticut) and Ray Spalding (Louisville). Memphis held a workout with projected lottery pick Wendell Carter Jr. on Monday, Chris Herrington tweets. Carter is ranked No. 6 by Givony; the Grizzlies have the No. 4 pick.
- Arizona guard Rawle Alkins will be evaluated by the Warriors on Tuesday, according to another Zagoria tweet.
- Swingman Todd Withers (Queens) has worked out for the Thunder, Nets and Hornets, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
- Zhaire Smith will work out for the Sixers and Suns after visiting the Wizards on Monday, Chase Hughes of NBCSWashington tweets. The Texas Tech forward is ranked No. 16 overall by Givony.