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COVID-19 Updates: G. Hill, Budenholzer, Warren, F. Jackson, More

January 13th, 2022 at 7:08pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bucks received good news today, as veteran George Hill and head coach Mike Budenholzer have both cleared the health and safety protocols, Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports (Twitter links).

However, the team did place one more player in the protocols: Langston Galloway. Galloway’s 10-day contract expires on Sunday night, so it’s possible he’ll no longer be a Buck by the time he exits the protocols.

Here are more COVID-related updates from around the NBA:

Pacers forward T.J. Warren has exited the protocols, James Boyd of The Indianapolis Star tweets. Unfortunately, Warren is still sidelined as he recovers from foot surgery.
Pistons guard Frank Jackson has exited the protocols but needs to wait a couple days to recondition. He might return Sunday against the Suns, Rod Beard of The Detroit News tweets.
Robert Woodard has entered the protocols for the Kings, according to James Ham of ESPN 1320 (Twitter link).
Heat forward Markieff Morris has exited the protocols but needs time to recondition, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Two-way rookie Ish Wainright has exited the protocols for the Suns, but is listed as questionable for Friday’s contest against Indiana due to reconditioning, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic (via Twitter).
Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson has entered the protocols, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Marcus Smart of the Celtics is listed as questionable for Friday’s game against Philadelphia due to the protocols, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter link). Based on his status, Smart may have returned an inconclusive test, so we’ll have to wait for an update to see if he’ll actually be sidelined or not.

NBA G League Announces 2020/21 All-NBAGL Teams

March 23rd, 2021 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

After being named the G League’s Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year on Monday, Delaware Blue Coats forward Paul Reed – who is on a two-way contract with the Sixers – headlines the All-NBA G League First Team, as the league announced today in a press release.

Reed was joined on the All-NBAGL first team by MVP runner-up Kevin Porter Jr. of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, as well as Oklahoma City Blue big man Moses Brown, Lakeland Magic forward Mamadi Diakite, and Westchester Knicks guard Jared Harper. All of those players are currently on either standard NBA contracts or two-way deals.

That’s a common theme for this year’s All-NBAGL teams. The majority of the 15 players named to the three squads are either currently under contract with NBA teams or have past NBA experience.

The complete list of the 2020/21 All-NBA G League teams, along with the All-Rookie and All-Defensive squads, is below. Players currently on NBA contracts are noted with an asterisk (*), while those on two-way contracts are noted with a caret (^).

All-NBAGL First Team:

Paul Reed (Delaware Blue Coats) ^
Kevin Porter Jr. (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) *
Moses Brown (Oklahoma City Blue) ^
Mamadi Diakite (Lakeland Magic) ^
Jared Harper (Westchester Knicks) ^

All-NBAGL Second Team:

Oshae Brissett (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
Henry Ellenson (Raptors 905)
Malachi Flynn (Raptors 905) *
Alize Johnson (Raptors 905) *
- Note: Johnson is currently on a 10-day contract.
Brodric Thomas (Canton Charge) ^

All-NBAGL Third Team:

Tyler Cook (Iowa Wolves) *
- Note: Cook is currently on a 10-day contract.
Tre Jones (Austin Spurs) *
Jordan Poole (Santa Cruz Warriors) *
Robert Woodard II (Austin Spurs) *
Jarrod Uthoff (Erie BayHawks)

NBAGL All-Rookie Team:

Paul Reed (Delaware Blue Coats) ^
Mamadi Diakite (Lakeland Magic) ^
Malachi Flynn (Raptors 905) *
Brodric Thomas (Canton Charge) ^
KJ Martin (Rio Grande Valley Vipers) *

NBAGL All-Defensive Team:

Paul Reed (Delaware Blue Coats) ^
Moses Brown (Oklahoma City Blue) ^
Mamadi Diakite (Lakeland Magic) ^
Tahjere McCall (Lakeland Magic)
Gary Payton II (Raptors 905)

Of the 18 players who earned a spot on one of the G League’s All-NBAGL, All-Rookie, or All-Defensive teams this year, only four – Brissett, Uthoff, McCall, and Payton – haven’t been on some form of standard, two-way, or 10-day NBA contract since the ’20/21 season began. All four of them have previous NBA experience.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kings’ Woodard Out At Least 3-4 Weeks With Hamstring Strain

March 2nd, 2021 at 8:41am CST by Luke Adams

Kings rookie forward Robert Woodard II has been recalled from the G League, but he won’t be available to play for Sacramento anytime soon. According to a press release from the team, Woodard suffered a left hamstring strain on Sunday while playing for the Austin Spurs and will be re-evaluated in three or four weeks.

The 40th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Woodard has seen limited action for the Kings this season, logging garbage-time minutes in six games before being assigned to the G League at the end of January. Because Sacramento’s NBAGL affiliate (the Stockton Kings) isn’t in action this season, Woodard joined San Antonio’s affiliate at the G League bubble in Florida.

Although the Spurs have no direct investment in his development, Woodard was playing big minutes for Austin at Walt Disney World, averaging 16.8 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 1.3 SPG in 12 games (31.3 MPG). He struggled with his shot, however, making 41.5% of his overall attempts and just 21.3% from beyond the 3-point line.

Austin is tied for fourth in the G League standings with an 8-4 record, but if the team is going to make a deep run in the eight-team, single-elimination playoff tournament next week, it will have to do so without Woodard.

The Kings, meanwhile, now have a number of players unavailable, as Jabari Parker and Hassan Whiteside remain in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, while Chimezie Metu is out with a broken wrist. Standout rookie Tyrese Haliburton is also day-to-day with a calf injury.

California Notes: Poole, LeBron, Kings, Wiggins

February 23rd, 2021 at 8:15pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Anthony Slater of The Athletic wonders if second-year reserve point guard Jordan Poole should be given the keys to the Warriors‘ bench ahead of current main backup point guard Brad Wanamaker.

Poole has struggled to carve out consistent minutes in Golden State’s rotation this season, as he appears better-suited toward a play-maker role than an off-ball one, and yet he has frequently been slotted in the latter position to accommodate Wanamaker. Poole has flashed his bona fides in the NBAGL Orlando “bubble” thus far, averaging 22.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 3.8 APG in eight games for the Santa Cruz Warriors.

There’s more out of California:

Lakers All-Star forward LeBron James is happy with his heavy minutes load, even in his 18th NBA season, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. In February alone, James has played more than 40 minutes in four games. “This is a fast turnaround from last season, and we all wish we could have more rest,” James acknowledged. “But I’m here to work, I’m here to punch my clock in and be available to my teammates.” With starters Dennis Schroder and Anthony Davis both recently sidelined, James has been needed more than usual to help Los Angeles. He is currently averaging 35.0 MPG.
Kings backup swingmen DaQuan Jeffries and Robert Woodard II represent the ideal athletic, big wing defenders Sacramento’s front office is targeting, writes Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee.“Toughness on the defensive side of the ball is definitely something [Jeffries] brings,” center Richaun Holmes said. Kings head coach Luke Walton also expressed excitement for Woodard. “Woodard, obviously he’s a rookie and he needs a ton of experience himself, and he’s getting some good experience down in the [NBA G League] bubble right now.”
Warriors assistant coach Ron Adams lauded the defensive development of swingman Andrew Wiggins, according to Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area. “His total defensive game is coming along,” Adams said. “He’s getting better on the help side.” Adams cited one area in which he would like to see Wiggins continue to grow. “Like any player he has a few things he can improve — we’d like to see him rebound [he’s averaging 4.7 per game] a little bit better.”

Kings Notes: Bagley, Walton, Robinson, G League

January 30th, 2021 at 7:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings are encouraged by Marvin Bagley III‘s performance through the first quarter of the season, but mostly they’re happy he has been able to avoid injuries, writes James Ham of NBC Sports. Bagley has appeared in all 18 of Sacramento’s games so far after being limited to 13 last year by a variety of mishaps.

“Just being able to be there for my team — available, that’s something that I wanted to do and I did everything in the offseason to make sure I was ready for that,” Bagley said. “I’m feeling good.”

There has been a cloud hanging over Bagley’s career, not only due to injuries but because of the Kings’ decision to draft him ahead of Luka Doncic and Trae Young, who have already been to All-Star games. Sacramento hopes better health will lead Bagley on a similar course.

“We have to be patient,” coach Luke Walton said. “He hasn’t had the experience he needs. He’s still a very young player. He’s a very willing learner. He’s a very talented player and it just takes time.”

There’s more from Sacramento:

Walton probably won’t have to worry about his job for a while, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. New general manager Monte McNair is still assembling his long-term roster, and Anderson thinks McNair will want to see what Walton can do with that group before making a decision on his coach. Anderson points out that the Kings have been through 10 head coaches in the past 15 years.
Glenn Robinson III is one of several NBA players with a father who played in the league, notes Alex Kramers of NBA.com. The swingman, who’s in his first year with the Kings, said he has learned to rely on that connection. “Throughout the years and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve appreciated my dad more and more,” Robinson said. “Obviously, we both have the same career, and I’m able to call him and get advice, on and off the court. That’s something that I can never replace. I’m forever grateful for that.”
Sacramento has assigned two players to the G League bubble, Anderson writes in a separate story. Because the Kings’ affiliate isn’t participating, they sent Jahmi’us Ramsey to play for the Clippers’ team (Agua Caliente) and Robert Woodard to the Spurs’ squad (Austin). Both are rookies who were selected in the second round of November’s draft.

Kings Sign Robert Woodard II To Four-Year Deal

December 1st, 2020 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

1:00pm: Woodard’s first NBA deal will be a four-year contract with a $1.5MM guaranteed salary in year one, reports ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links). It’ll feature a $3.3MM overall guaranteed, according to Marks. That sounds like two guaranteed seasons with a small partial guarantee in year three.

12:48pm: The Kings have made it official with one of their second-round picks, announcing that they’ve signed former Mississippi State forward Robert Woodard II to his first NBA contract.

After playing a modest role off the bench as a freshman in 2018/19, Woodard moved into Mississippi State’s starting lineup last season and took an impressive step forward as a sophomore, averaging 11.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.1 SPG. In 31 games (33.1 MPG), he posted an impressive .495 FG% and .429 3PT%.

Woodard, who declared for the draft as an early entrant, was selected with the 40th overall pick last month and was sent from Memphis to Sacramento as part of a draft-night trade.

Terms of Woodard’s deal aren’t yet known, but the players picked at No. 39 (Elijah Hughes) and No. 41 (Tre Jones) each got fully guaranteed salaries for the next two seasons, so I’d be surprised if Woodard doesn’t get a similar commitment from the Kings.

Assuming his 2020/21 salary is guaranteed, Woodard will be the 13th player on the roster with a full guarantee for the coming season. That would leave just two spots on the 15-man regular season roster for some combination of Frank Kaminsky, Glenn Robinson III, Chimezie Metu, and No. 43 overall pick Jahmi’us Ramsey. Sacramento does still have a two-way contract slot still open too, so I’d guess the team will try to sign Ramsey to a two-way deal.

Grizzlies, Kings Swap Second-Round Picks

November 19th, 2020 at 6:37am CST by Arthur Hill

NOVEMBER 19: The Kings officially announced their trade with the Grizzlies, acquiring the rights to Woodard (No. 40) and a 2022 second-round pick in exchange for the rights to Tillman (No. 35).

NOVEMBER 18: The Grizzlies are trading the 40th pick in tonight’s draft and a future second-rounder to the Kings for the 35th selection, tweets Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian. The future second will be the lesser of the Pistons’ or Bulls’ picks in 2022 (Twitter link).

Memphis used that pick to draft Michigan State center Xavier Tillman. The 6’8″ junior averaged 13.7 points and 10.3 rebounds in 31 games for the Spartans last season.

With the 40th pick, Sacramento selected Mississippi State forward Robert Woodard. The 6’7″ sophonmore averaged 11.4 points and 6.5 rebounds in 31 games.

Western Notes: Nesmith, McMillan, Rockets, Diaz

November 9th, 2020 at 7:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Small forward isn’t a position of need for the Nuggets but if they go in that direction with their draft pick, Vanderbilt’s Aaron Nesmith or Mississippi State’s Robert Woodard could make sense, Mike Singer of the Denver Post writes. Denver holds the No. 22 pick. Nesmith would have to slip for the Nuggets to snare him at that spot — he’s currently rated at No. 13 overall on ESPN’s best available list, while Woodard is ranked No. 26. Nesmith’s perimeter shooting could compel Denver to attempt to move up in the first round, Singer adds.

We have more from the Western Conference:

Jamelle McMillan will not return on the Pelicans’ coaching staff with Stan Van Gundy in charge, Christian Clark and Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Times Picayune report. McMillan has been in the New Orleans organization for eight seasons, though he also had a stint with the Suns. He’s the son of former Pacers coach Nate McMillan, who is reportedly joining the Hawks’ staff.
New Rockets GM Rafael Stone hints that he’ll be in the market for a traditional center, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon notes. Stone said he wants a roster with “more optionality” next season, presumably meaning Houston doesn’t want to play small ball on a regular basis. “We’re definitely not going into this offseason saying, ‘We don’t want anyone over 6-7,'” Stone said.
With the Clippers preparing to move to a new arena in 2024, the organization has announced several hires who will help with the transition, according to a team press release. Most notably, Alex Diaz has been named Chief Operating Officer. He will primarily oversee the operations planning of Inglewood Basketball & Entertainment Center and provide operational council for the Clippers, Honey Training Center and the LA Forum, which was acquired earlier this year by team owner Steve Ballmer.

Draft Notes: Okongwu, Stewart, Woodard, Bane

October 25th, 2020 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

He’s unlikely to be the first center taken in next month’s draft, but USC’s Onyeka Okongwu believes he can become the best big man in the 2020 class, writes Mike Schmitz of ESPN. Most mock drafts have former Memphis center James Wiseman going in the top three with Okongwu slotted a few picks later. The former Trojan has confidence in what he can offer an NBA team.

“I feel like I’m higher than all of them,” Okongwu said. “I just do all the little things well. I just play basketball. I know how to win. … I just want to be impactful and have an essential role in helping a team win.”

Okongwu was USC’s best player in his lone season at the school, averaging 16.2 points and 8.6 rebounds in 28 games. He also had a true shooting percentage over 65% and ranked 10th in the NCAA in player efficiency. His defensive versatility, particularly his ability to disrupt the pick-and-roll, should translate well to the next level.

“It’s natural,” Okongwu said. “My AAU coach used to tell me, ‘You can have a bad day on offense but never a bad day on defense.’ When he told me that, it always stuck with me the rest of my life and now it shows.”

There’s more draft news to pass along:

Washington’s Isaiah Stewart considers himself “the biggest sleeper in the draft,” according to Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype. Stewart has slid in draft projections since the start of last season and is now considered a late first-rounder. He believes the disrupted pre-draft process, including the lack of a traditional draft combine, cost him an opportunity to show teams what he can do. “People forgot who I am,” Stewart said. “I’m not sure if it’s because we had a losing season or not. But these guys that they have in the draft over me are guys I’ve been beating my whole life.”
In a separate story, Mississippi State’s Robert Woodard tells Kalbrosky he’s been getting feedback from NBA teams that puts him in a range between the 25th and 40th pick. “A lot of teams are pretty interested in my game,” Woodard said. “It’s just a matter of being able to prove myself, whether it be through the virtual combine or otherwise. … I want to prove myself and establish who I am for the teams because a lot of teams are very interested in me, but they just don’t know my full potential yet.”
TCU’s Desmond Bane will have met with all 30 NBA teams by the end of the month and is making an impression with his character and work ethic, notes CJ Moore of The Athletic. The 22-year-old is among the oldest players in the draft and brings a cerebral approach to the game.

LaMelo Ball Headlines List Of Draft Combine Participants

September 28th, 2020 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

Potential No. 1 overall pick LaMelo Ball will be among the prospects participating in the revamped virtual draft combine this week, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Ball is scheduled to take part in team interviews and a media session this week, but may not participate in any other portion, Jeremy Woo of SI.com cautions (via Twitter).

While Ball’s participation might be limited, many of this year’s other top prospects aren’t taking part in the event at all. As Woo points out (via Twitter), Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, Obi Toppin, Onyeka Okongwu, Cole Anthony, Aaron Nesmith, Devin Vassell, and Saddiq Bey are among the players who don’t appear on the list of participants sent out by the NBA.

The list of top prospects besides Ball who will be participating in the event includes Precious Achiuwa, Deni Avdija, Tyrese Haliburton, RJ Hampton, Killian Hayes, Theo Maledon, and Isaac Okoro, among others.

Here’s the full list of combine participants, via Charania:

Precious Achiuwa, F, Memphis
Ty-Shon Alexander, G, Creighton
Deni Avdija, F, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
Udoka Azubuike, C, Kansas
LaMelo Ball, G, Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
Desmond Bane, G, TCU
Tyler Bey, F, Colorado
Vernon Carey Jr., C, Duke
Yoeli Childs, F, BYU
Mamadi Diakite, F, Virginia
Devon Dotson, G, Kansas
Paul Eboua, F, VL Pesaro (Italy)
CJ Elleby, F, Washington State
Malachi Flynn, G, San Diego State
Trent Forrest, G, Florida State
Josh Green, G/F, Arizona
Ashton Hagans, G, Kentucky
Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State
Josh Hall, F, Moravian Prep
RJ Hampton, G, New Zealand Breakers (New Zealand)
Jalen Harris, G, Nevada
Killian Hayes, G, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
Markus Howard, G, Marquette
Elijah Hughes, G/F, Syracuse
Isaiah Joe, G, Arkansas
Mason Jones, G, Arkansas
Tre Jones, G, Duke
Nathan Knight, F/C, William & Mary
Kira Lewis, G, Alabama
Theo Maledon, G, ASVEL (France)
Karim Mane, G, Vanier College (Canada)
Nico Mannion, G, Arizona
Naji Marshall, F, Xavier
Kenyon Martin Jr., F, IMG Academy
Skylar Mays, G, LSU
Jaden McDaniels, F, Washington
Sam Merrill, G, Utah State
Zeke Nnaji, F, Arizona
Jordan Nwora, F, Louisville
Isaac Okoro, F, Auburn
Daniel Oturu, C, Minnesota
Reggie Perry, F, Mississippi State
Myles Powell, G, Seton Hall
Payton Pritchard, G, Oregon
Immanuel Quickley, G, Kentucky
Jahmi’us Ramsey, G, Texas Tech
Paul Reed, F, DePaul
Nick Richards, F/C, Kentucky
Grant Riller, G, Charleston
Jay Scrubb, G, John A. Logan College
Jalen Smith, F, Maryland
Cassius Stanley, G, Duke
Lamar Stevens, F, Penn State
Isaiah Stewart, F/C, Washington
Tyrell Terry, G, Stanford
Xavier Tillman, F/C, Michigan State
Kaleb Wesson, F/C, Ohio State
Kahlil Whitney, F, Kentucky
Cassius Winston, G, Michigan State
Robert Woodard II, F, Mississippi State

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA is unable to hold its typical in-person draft combine this year, but the league has put together an alternative combine that will feature interviews through videoconferencing as well as the making of “pro day” videos, which will include strength and agility testing, anthropometric measurements, and shooting drills. Participants will also undergo medical testing and exams.

For more details on this year’s combine, be sure to check out our full story on the changes.