Pacers Sign, Waive Three Players
OCTOBER 18: Travis, Mangas, and McGhee have been waived by the Pacers, the team announced today in a press release.
OCTOBER 17: The Pacers have officially signed forward Reid Travis and guards Kyle Mangas and Darius McGhee, the team announced today in a press release. All three players received non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts, per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).
Travis, a former Kentucky Wildcat, went undrafted in 2019 and has played overseas since then, spending one season in Germany and three in Japan. Mangas is another former undrafted free agent who has played in international leagues since going pro. He played college ball at Indiana Wesleyan from 2017-21, then spent one season in the Czech Republic and one in Lithuania.
McGhee is an undersized guard at 5’9″, but he became one of the most dangerous outside shooters in the NCAA during his five college seasons at Liberty. Over the last three years, he made 4.1 three-pointers per game at a 39.6% clip, averaging 21.3 points per game in 98 contests (32.0 MPG) during that time. He’s a three-time ASUN Player of the Year whose agreement with the Pacers was reported two months ago.
As Agness notes, all three players appear likely to become affiliate players for the Indiana Mad Ants, the Pacers’ G League team. Assuming they spend at least 60 days with the Mad Ants, they’ll receive Exhibit 10 bonuses that can be worth up to $75K.
The Pacers now have a full 21-man roster.
Withdrawal Deadline Looms For NCAA Early Entrants
NCAA early entrants in the 2018 NBA draft have until the end of the day on Wednesday, May 30 to make a decision on whether or not to keep their names in this year’s draft pool.
While the NBA’s deadline for draft withdrawals is on June 11, the NCAA has its own deadline. A college player who withdraws from the draft between May 31 and June 11 would become draft-eligible in a future year, but would be ineligible to return to his NCAA team next season. As such, the NBA’s June 11 deadline is generally only worth watching for international early entrants.
A record-setting 236 early entrants declared for the 2018 NBA draft, but many of those prospects were simply testing the draft waters without an agent and have since announced their intent to return to college for at least one more year.
We’ve been making an effort to keep tabs on all the latest early entrants news right here. As our list shows, a number of notable prospects still have decisions to make today. Kevin Huerter (Maryland), Tyus Battle (Syracuse), Jontay Porter (Missouri), PJ Washington (Kentucky), Omari Spellman (Villanova), Jarred Vanderbilt (Kentucky), Lindell Wigginton (Iowa State), Caleb Martin (Nevada), and Cody Martin (Nevada) are among the highly-regarded prospects who have yet to announce their intent one way or the other.
A few of the latest early entrant draft withdrawals are noted below. These players won’t go pro yet, opting instead to continue their respective college careers:
- Reid Travis, F, Stanford, junior (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports): Travis will reportedly be a graduate transfer and may land with Kentucky (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jeff Goodman).
- Lamonte Bearden, G, Western Kentucky, junior (Twitter link via Bearden): Bearden had previously said he intended to sign with an agent and stay in the draft.
- Nojel Eastern, G, Purdue, freshman (press release via the school)
- Chris Clemons, G, Campbell, junior (Twitter link via Rothstein)
- Jon Davis, G, Charlotte, junior (Twitter link via Rothstein)
Draft Notes: Huell, Rose, Pipkins, Caroline
With the deadline to withdraw from the draft coming on Wednesday, several players have reached their final decisions. Among them is Miami forward Dewan Huell, who will return to school for his junior season, writes Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald.
Huell, who made a formal announcement on Twitter earlier today, averaged 11.4 points and 6.7 rebounds in 32 games this season. “I’m really excited to get back to work with my brothers so we can accomplish more than ever during the 2018-19 season,” he wrote.
Huell doesn’t appear in the list of top 100 prospects compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and would have been a long shot to be drafted.
There’s more draft-related news to pass along:
- Shooting guard Quinton Rose will withdraw from the draft and return to Temple, writes Jon Rothstein of FRS Sports. Rose averaged 14.9 points per game as a sophomore.
- Jalon Pipkins will take his name out of the draft, but won’t return to Cal State Northridge, Rothstein tweets. The freshman guard will explore transfer opportunities after averaging just 3.1 points per game in a reserve role.
- Nevada’s Jordan Caroline will return to the team for his senior season, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN. The 6’7″ swingman averaged 17.7 points and 8.6 rebounds for the Wolfpack.
- Ferris State’s Zach Hankins will exit the draft and will transfer to Xavier, Goodman adds (Twitter link).
- Arizona’s Allonzo Trier was among a group of players who worked out Friday for the Timberwolves, according to Darren Wolfson of Eyewitness 5 News (Twitter link). Also at the session were Stanford’s Reid Travis, Baylor’s Nuni Omot, Colorado’s George King, Kentucky’s PJ Washington and Nevada’s Cody Martin (Twitter link).
- The Suns held a workout Friday featuring Xavier’s Trevon Bluiett, Kansas’ Devonte’ Graham, Arizona State’s Tra Holder, SMU’s Shake Milton, Oakland’s Kendrick Nunn and Iowa State’s Lindell Wigginton (Twitter link).
- Six players participated in a workout today with the Bulls, according to the team’s website. Nunn and Bluiett were on hand, along with USC’s Elijah Stewart, Western Michigan’s Thomas Wilder, Michigan’s Duncan Robinson and San Diego State’s Jalen McDaniels.
East Draft Notes: Hawks, Wizards, Raptors, Nets
UCLA point guard Aaron Holiday and Villanova floor leader Jalen Brunson headline the list of six players the Hawks will work out on Friday, according to a team press release. Holiday is ranked No. 17 by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, while Brunson is rated No. 26 overall.
Gary Clark (Cincinnati), Rawle Alkins (Arizona), Juwan Morgan (Indiana) and Tony Carr (Penn State) are the other players trying to make a favorable impression. The Hawks hosted Donte DiVincenzo (Villanova), Ben Lammers (Georgia Tech), Jalen McDaniels (San Diego State), Markis McDuffie (Wichita State), Doral Moore (Wake Forest) and Brandon Sampson (LSU) on Thursday.
In other draft workouts by Eastern Conference clubs:
- The Wizards hosted six players on Thursday, according to the team’s website. Yuta Watanabe (George Washington), Junior Robinson (Mount St. Mary’s), Junior Etou (Tulsa), Marcus Derrickson (Georgetown), James Daniel III (Tennessee) and Phillip Carr (Morgan State) were the players Washington’s staff evaluated.
- Jon Elmore (Marshall), Marcus Foster (Creighton), Jairus Lyles (Maryland Baltimore-County), Dakota Mathias (Purdue), Marcus Lee (California) and Nana Foulland (Bucknell) worked out for the Raptors on Thursday, the team’s media relations department tweets.
- Among the players the Nets have worked out are Shamorie Ponds (St. John’s), Barry Brown Jr (Kansas State), Chris Silva (South Carolina), Mustapha Heron (Auburn), PJ Washington (Kentucky), Reid Travis (Stanford), Jordan Caroline (Nevada), Matt Mobley (St. Bonaventure), Abudushalamu Abudurexiti (Xingyang Long Lions), Cody Martin (Nevada) and Admiral Schofield (Tennessee), according to NetsDaily.com.
Draft Workouts: Lakers, Simons, Wizards, Nuggets
While the Lakers don’t hold their own first-round pick in this year’s draft, the club is currently armed with a pair of selections at 25th and 47th overall, and is doing its due diligence on potential selections. One prospect earning a look from Los Angeles is Duke guard Gary Trent Jr., who will work out for the club on Wednesday, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).
Before they bring in Trent, the Lakers will work out six prospects on Tuesday, according to a team release. Emmett Naar (St. Mary’s), Barry Brown (Kansas State), Fletcher Magee (Wofford), Gabe DeVoe (Clemson), Duncan Robinson (Michigan), and Obi Enechionyia (Temple) are auditioning for L.A.
Here’s more draft workout news from around the NBA:
- IMG Academy guard Anfernee Simons worked out for the Bulls on Sunday, according to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com, who tweets that Simons also had a Pro Day prior to last week’s draft combine. Approximately 20 NBA teams attended that session, per Zagoria.
- The Wizards are working out six prospects on Tuesday, including Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo, the team announced in a press release. Chris Chiozza (Florida), Tiwian Kendley (Morgan State), Jairus Lyles (UMBC), Doral Moore (Wake Forest), and Ray Spalding (Louisville) will also participate.
- Purdue’s Carsen Edwards, who is still weighing whether or not to remain in the draft, worked out for the Nets on Monday and is still scheduled to get a look from the Pistons and Hawks, tweets Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports.
- Six players worked out for the Nuggets on Monday, with Cody Martin (Nevada), Reid Travis (Stanford), Isaiah Reese (Canisius), Admiral Schofield (Tennessee), William McDowell-White (Brose Bamberg), and local prospect Daniel Amigo (Denver) auditioning for the club.
Draft Notes: DiVincenzo, Spellman, Walker, Bearden
Coach Jay Wright will recommend to Donte DiVincenzo and Omari Spellman that they return to Villanova if it doesn’t look like they’ll be drafted in the first round, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. DiVincenzo goes to the Mavericks at No. 33 in the latest mock draft compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, while Spellman isn’t projected to be taken. Players have until May 30 to make their decisions.
“Omari and Donte are out there to try to prove themselves as first-round picks,” Wright said of his players’ trips to the NBA Draft Combine. “For them, I hope they are. And I think this process has been good for them. I think they will get some good information.”
DiVincenzo met with the Lakers, Magic, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Spurs, Hawks and Grizzlies at the combine and said he received a lot of “positive feedback.” Spellman has upcoming workouts with the Lakers [May 23], Clippers [May 24], Spurs [26] and Jazz [28] that will likely influence his decision, Zagoria adds.
There’s more draft news as the deadline for decisions draws closer:
- The Sixers may consider Miami guard Lonnie Walker at No. 10, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Walker met with Philadelphia officials Friday and was impressed by the experience. “It went well,” he said. “See a little bit of Elton Brand and all those guys, I felt like a little kid, seeing guys I watched on TV.” Givony has Walker projected at No. 13 to the Clippers.
- Lamonte Bearden of Western Kentucky will sign with an agent and stay in the draft, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. The guard averaged 11.8 points and 3.4 assists as a redshirt junior.
- Kent State’s Jaylin Walker tweeted that he will return to school for his senior season. He averaged 16.6 points per game for the Golden Flashes this season.
- The Nuggets have pre-draft workouts scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, the team announced in an e-mail. Scheduled to appear at Monday’s session are Tyler Davis of Texas A&M, Cody Martin of Nevada, William McDowell-White of Brose Bamberg, Isaiah Reese of Canisius, Admiral Schofield of Tennessee and Reid Travis of Stanford. Tuesday’s schedule features Tyler Cook of Iowa, Jon Elmore of Marshall, Ethan Happ of Wisconsin, Mustapha Heron of Auburn, Charles Matthews of Michigan and Shamorie Ponds of St. John’s.
Draft Notes: Ponds, Heron, Spellman, Melton
After being passed over for the NBA Draft Combine, Shamorie Ponds of St. John’s is concentrating on team workouts to prove himself, writes Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog. The sophomore guard put up a 21.6/5.0/4.7 line for the Red Storm this season, but wasn’t among the 69 players who received combine invitations.
“For sure, I was most definitely upset,” he said. “I feel I deserved it.”
Ponds worked out today for the Cavaliers and has held a session with the Nets. Cleveland GM Koby Altman spoke with all the participants after the workout, and Ponds said he received positive feedback. “[Altman] said he really likes my game a lot, he really enjoyed watching it,” Ponds added. “There was great energy after the workout.”
Ponds still has workouts remaining with the Jazz, Pistons and Lakers and wants to reschedule sessions with the Knicks and Hawks that he had to cancel because of final exams. He will use the results of those workouts to determine whether to remain in the draft, a decision that has to be made by May 30.
There are more draft-related notes to pass on:
- Today’s workout in Cleveland included three other prominent players in Auburn’s Mustapha Heron, Villanova’s Omari Spellman and USC’s De’Anthony Melton, Zagoria tweets. Heron also worked out Friday for the Nets along with Nevada’s Cody Martin, Georgia’s Kendrick Nunn, North Carolina’s Joel Berry and Stanford’s Reid Travis.
- Michigan State’s Nick Ward had sessions with the Knicks and Thunder during the week and is set to work out for the Pistons this weekend, according to Brendan F. Quinn of the Athletic (Twitter link). Eight other teams have submitted requests to see the sophomore in action.
- The Timberwolves brought in Rodney Bullock of Providence and Jalen McDaniels of San Diego State for a workout on Thursday, relays Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).
- ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz take a look at the best selections for each of the lottery teams if they land in the top three.
Draft Updates: Vick, Travis, Harper, Charalampopoulos
Kansas guard Lagerald Vick appears set to forgo his senior year and begin his professional career, according to an announcement from the Jayhawks. Vick’s own statement indicates that he doesn’t plan to hire an agent at the moment, which would give him the opportunity to withdraw his name from the draft pool and play one more college season. However, the press release from the program makes it sound as if he won’t be back.
“I believe the time is right for him to move on, explore his options as a professional and see what develops,” coach Bill Self said of Vick. “We won a lot of games with Lagerald over the last three years and appreciate everything he’s done for Kansas and our basketball program. We are 100% supportive of his decision and wish him the very best in whatever path this takes him.”
Here are more of the latest updates on early entrants for the 2018 NBA draft:
- Stanford forward Reid Travis is declaring for the 2018 draft without hiring an agent, the school announced today. Travis, who averaged an impressive 19.5 PPG and 8.7 RPG as a junior, will have until May 30 to withdraw his name and retain his NCAA eligibility.
- Auburn sophomore guard Jared Harper is testing the NBA draft waters, according to a press release. Harper is coming off a season in which he averaged 13.2 PPG and 5.4 APG while shooting 35.5% on three-pointers.
- Greek forward Vasilis Charalampopoulos is the latest international early entrant to join 2018’s draft pool, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. A veteran of Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos, Charalampopoulos says it has “always been a dream” to play in the NBA. “Entering the draft gives me the opportunity to challenge myself outside of Europe,” he said. “This decision to enter the draft was not difficult. The difficult part was finding when the right time was for me.”
- Texas A&M junior Admon Gilder is entering the draft without an agent, a source tells Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). The 6’4″ guard averaged 12.3 PPG on .458/.395/.821 shooting in 2017/18.
- Tyler Hall, a junior guard from Montana State, announced (via Twitter) that he’ll test the NBA draft waters this spring. The Bobcats’ leading scorer (17.5 PPG) will have the opportunity to return for his senior year if he removes his name from consideration by May 30.