Eight 2023 Draft Picks Have Yet To Sign NBA Contracts
Of the 58 players who were selected in last month’s draft, 50 have signed their first NBA contracts during the first two weeks they’ve been permitted to do so.
As our tracker shows, the breakdown is as follows:
- First-round picks signed using the rookie scale exception: 29
- Second-round picks signed using the new second-round pick exception: 13
- Note: Of these 13 players, 12 received four-year contracts, while one (Rayan Rupert) signed a three-year deal.
- Second-round picks signed to two-way contracts: 8
That leaves eight players from the 2023 draft class who have yet to sign with their respective NBA teams. Those players are as follows:
- Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Mavericks
- James Nnaji, Hornets
- Tristan Vukcevic, Wizards
- Sidy Cissoko, Spurs
- G.G. Jackson, Grizzlies
- Mojave King, Pacers
- Jordan Miller, Clippers
- Tarik Biberovic, Grizzlies
Not all of these players will sign an NBA contract in 2023/24. King and Biberovic are each expected to spend at least one season playing overseas before coming stateside. Vukcevic is another candidate to become a draft-and-stash prospect.
It’s also unclear whether the Hornets plan to sign Nnaji right away or let the 18-year-old big man continue developing his game in Europe. For now, Charlotte only has 12 players on guaranteed contracts for 2023/24, but depending on which restricted free agents (P.J. Washington, Theo Maledon) and players on non-guaranteed deals (JT Thor, Kobi Simmons) return, there might not be a spot for Nnaji, who remains under contract with FC Barcelona and – as a No. 31 overall pick who would require an international buyout – wouldn’t be a candidate for a two-way deal.
Prosper is the only unsigned first-rounder in this year’s class, but the delay doesn’t seem like anything to worry about. The Mavericks, who continued this past week to explore the trade market and consider how to fill out their roster, have taken their time getting around to signing a handful of players, with deals for free agents like Seth Curry and Dante Exum only becoming official on Friday. I’d expect Prosper’s contract to be finalized soon.
That leaves Cissoko, Jackson, and Miller, each of whom look like candidates to receive two-way contracts. Some of the other players drafted in their range, including No. 41 pick Amari Bailey and No. 46 pick Seth Lundy, have received two-way deals, and the Spurs, Grizzlies, and Clippers all have roster logjams, meaning there may not be room on their 15-man rosters for their unsigned second-rounders.
The Spurs will have 17 players on standard contracts once they officially re-sign Tre Jones and Sandro Mamukelashvili. The Grizzlies also have 17 players under contract and would have a full 15-man roster even if they trade or waive Josh Christopher and Isaiah Todd. The Clippers have 16 players on standard contracts (15 guaranteed). However, all three teams have at least one two-way slot available.
Southwest Notes: Cissoko, Spurs, Zion, Griffin, Rockets
No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama has understandably drawn much of the attention in San Antonio, but fellow Spurs rookie Sidy Cissoko has been impressive in Summer League as well, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link).
The young French forward was the 44th overall pick of last month’s draft and isn’t known as a top scorer, but he knows he can still impact the game.
“I know I am a rookie and a second-round pick, so I know I won’t get 20 shots a game,” he said. “I am just trying to do my best with my defense and try to help the team in other ways. I know my role. I know what to do.”
At 6’7″ and 225 pounds, the 19-year-old can be a real deterrent defensively, according to Orsborn, and he’s also a creative play-maker. Cissoko averaged 12.8 points, 3.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 block on .457/.304/.645 shooting in 28 games last season with the G League Ignite (29.3 minutes).
“I just try to help the team first with my defense,” Cissoko added. “You can get minutes playing defense. When you play defense, the offense will come along.”
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- The Spurs are contemplating building a new arena in downtown San Antonio in order to showcase Wembanyama, sources tell Greg Jefferson and Madison Iszler of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required). As the two writers detail, the Spurs’ lease on their current arena, the AT&T Center, expires in 2032. However, it needs renovations and there’s belief that a downtown arena would generate revenue for the county, though it would also leave the current arena vacant. The Holt family owns the Spurs, and it also owns a stake in the San Antonio Missions, a Double-A baseball team. The idea would be to put a potential new stadium for the Missions next to the Spurs’, with bars surrounding both, according to The Express-News.
- Top Pelicans executive David Griffin is hopeful Zion Williamson is on the right track this summer after being plagued with injuries over his first four seasons, according to Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “I think first of all he’s trying to do the right things,” Griffin said. “I think when you start from that place, that’s good. He’s got incredible potential to be sort of game-changing for even the league as a whole. But at the same time the volatility around the injury situation has been really severe. So at this point it’s going to be a function of how can we get him in the best place to succeed, and what’s he willing to do to ensure that happens? And I think right now his head’s in the right place, and we’ll just have to hope for the best.” Griffin also discussed the team’s offseason moves, among other topics.
- The Clippers recently acquired Kenyon Martin Jr. in a trade with the Rockets, and he had nothing but good things to say about his time in Houston in a thank you message on Twitter.
Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Cissoko, Draft-Night Trade, Popovich
Saturday’s “Meet the Rookies” news conference in San Antonio was more like a party than a routine press event, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Roughly a hundred Spurs staff members joined some current players and a few franchise legends to get a glimpse of Victor Wembanyama, who was making his first official public appearance in the city.
“We have never seen anything like him before,” Manu Ginoblili said, “but we have to see how it all translates.”
Wembanyama joined Ginobili, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Sean Elliott and coach Gregg Popovich for an exclusive dinner Friday night. That came a few hours after the French big man was welcomed at the airport by thousands of Spurs fans who are counting on him to lead the team back to title contention.
“The last 72 hours have been tiring, but I’m really enjoying the moment,” Wembanyama told reporters today. “I’ve been welcomed warmly. It’s just really comfortable.”
There’s more from San Antonio:
- Second-round pick Sidy Cissoko also spoke at the press conference and said he can help the Spurs no matter how they decide to use him, per Tom Orsborn of The Express-News. The 19-year-old Frenchman played against Wembanyama while growing up before spending this season with the G League Ignite. “I can do kind of everything on the court and be as versatile as I can to help the team win,” Cissoko said. “If they want me to play the four, I can play the four. If they want me to play the one, I can play the one. Each position comes to me. Just anything to help us win in the end.”
- Before selecting Cissoko, the Spurs made a trade with the Timberwolves, moving down from the 33rd pick to No. 44, Orsborn notes in a separate story. San Antonio took Leonard Miller for Minnesota and picked up two future second-round picks. “When the deal came about where we could move 33 for two picks out in the future, we thought that was a good opportunity for us,” general manager Brian Wright said. “… We were ecstatic (Cissoko) was there. He was someone we were considering if we had stayed at 33, so to get him at 44, we thought that was great.”
- In the same piece, Popovich reflects on the good fortune that has allowed him to coach another overall No. 1 pick after winning multiple titles with Robinson and Duncan. “Certainly there is enough that’s happened in this organization that makes one wonder why we’ve been the recipients of so much serendipity for sure,” he said. “Of course, there’s no answer to that. I would just relate to you that we’ve mentioned many times in the past couple of decades and a half, I guess, when things weren’t going well and somebody showed some sympathy and empathy. We would just laugh and go, ‘Why? Why do we deserve that?’”
Draft Notes: Bufkin, Wizards, Nets, Jazz, Hornets, Hawks, More
The Wizards recently hosted Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin for a private workout, Michael Scotto reports in his latest aggregate mock draft for HoopsHype.
Bufkin hasn’t worked out for many teams, and his draft status has been somewhat mysterious because of that, though many seem to believe his stock is on the rise. He’s currently ranked No. 18 on ESPN’s best available list, while the Wizards control the No. 8 pick.
Here are a few more notes ahead of the 2023 NBA draft, which kicks off in less than three hours:
- The Nets recently hosted several potential first-round picks for workouts, including Ohio State’s Brice Sensabaugh, South Carolina’s G.G. Jackson, France’s Sidy Cissoko, and Marquette’s Olivier-Maxence Prosper, league sources tell Scotto. Brooklyn currently controls the 21st and 22nd picks in the first round, but the team has reportedly discussed moving up as well.
- The Jazz have had trade discussions involving packaging two of their three first-rounders (Nos. 9 and 16), according to Scotto, but they’ve also discussed the latter pick on its own in separate deals.
- Scotto hears from sources who say the Hornets plan to prioritize retaining restricted free agents Miles Bridges and P.J. Washington as well as unrestricted free agent Dennis Smith Jr. Bridges missed all of last season after pleading no contest to felony domestic violence charges.
- The Hawks have been active in trade discussions, but they’ve also been busy working out prospects. On Tuesday, Atlanta hosted Cason Wallace (Kentucky), Rayan Rupert (New Zealand Breakers), Brandin Podziemski (Santa Clara), Mojave King (G League Ignite), Seth Lundy (Penn State) and Miles Norris (UC Santa Barbara), tweets Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta-Journal Constitution. The Hawks control the Nos. 15 and 46 picks. Incidentally, Wallace is the top-ranked prospect of the group according to ESPN, currently ranked No. 15 on their board.
- Wichita State guard Craig Porter Jr. recently spoke to Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com about a number of topics ahead of the draft.
Western Notes: Zion, Lakers, Dunleavy, Livingston, Towns, Reid
It’s unlikely that Zion Williamson will be dealt by the Pelicans before the draft, according to The Athletic’s William Guillory. While the Pelicans are enamored with G League guard Scoot Henderson, they have not included Williamson in any formal offer to the teams holding the second and third picks (Hornets, Trail Blazers).
However, there is a disconnect between Williamson and the Pelicans organization. Some of that tension, according to Guillory, is due to a frayed relationship between Williamson’s camp and Aaron Nelson, who has been in charge of the medical/training staff. Nelson won’t be leading the medical staff next season.
The Pelicans have recently tried to smooth things over with Williamson. He met with top exec David Griffin and team governor Gayle Benson last week at team headquarters and it apparently went well, Guillory writes.
We have more from the Western Conference:
- The Lakers hosted a pre-draft workout for six prospects on Tuesday, Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times tweets. That group included Ben Sheppard (Belmont), Landers Nolley II (Cincinnati), Patrick Gardner (Marist), Omari Moore (San Jose State), Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite) and K.J. Williams (LSU).
- Mike Dunleavy Jr. was one of the most unpopular players in Warriors’ history, so there’s naturally skepticism from fans about him becoming the top decision-maker in the organization, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes.
- Shaun Livingston has left the Warriors’ organization, Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Livingston spent the last three seasons in the front office as director of players affairs and engagement. He wants to spend more time with his family.
- While Karl-Anthony Towns has been one of the prominent names on the rumor mill, the Timberwolves brass believes improved health from Towns and Rudy Gobert will solve some of the team’s offensive problems, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. Owners Glen Taylor, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez are on board with that approach. The owners are also hoping to re-sign backup big man Naz Reid, who will be an unrestricted free agent. Reid has been hanging around the team’s practice facility since the season ended, a positive sign that he’d like to stay with the club.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Hornets, Butler
The Wizards have been taking a thorough look at a wealth of NBA prospects in recent days. Washington possesses three picks in this year’s draft: the eighth selection in the lottery and the Nos. 42 and 57 picks in the second round.
The team announced (Twitter link) that it was auditioning six prospects in a pre-draft workout on Friday: Texas forward Timmy Allen, North Carolina forward Leaky Black, San Diego State forward Nathan Mensah, Connecticut forward Adama Sanogo, Ohio State forward Justice Sueing, and Indiana forward Race Thompson.
According to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (via Twitter) another five league hopefuls participated in a a pre-draft workout Saturday. Virginia guard Kihei Clark, Missouri guard D’Moi Hodge, North Carolina State guard Jarkel Joiner, University of North Carolina at Greensboro swingman Keondre Kennedy, and Princeton forward Tosan Evbuomwan comprised that group.
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets possess a whopping five selections in this year’s draft, headlined by the second pick in the lottery. Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link) builds out the club’s ideal draft, suggesting Charlotte should select Alabama swingman Brandon Miller over G League Ignite point guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 2 pick. The club also has the No. 27 pick in the first round at its disposal, as well as three second-round selections. Givony suggests those picks would be best used on Santa Clara’s Brandin Podziemski, UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez, Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Missouri’s Kobe Brown.
- The Hornets brought in six NBA hopefuls for their latest pre-draft workout Saturday. Per Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), G League Ignite wing Sidy Cissoko, Detroit Mercy combo guard Antoine Davis, guard Jazian Gortman of Overtime Elite, Oklahoma big man Tanner Groves, Jackson-Davis, and Jaquez participated in the audition.
- Even if Jimmy Butler‘s Heat fall short of a championship, his legendary playoff run deserves to be remembered forever, opines John Hollinger of The Athletic. Hollinger notes that Butler’s regular season accolades pale in comparison to his postseason impact, especially when it comes to clutch scoring and play-making.
Draft Notes: Walker, Pacers, Bates, Pistons
Houston’s Jarace Walker is a projected top-10 pick, currently ranked No. 7 on ESPN’s big board. As Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files writes, Walker’s workout on Wednesday with the Pacers, who control the No. 7 overall pick, was actually his first with an NBA team, but he has upcoming workouts with the Pistons (No. 5) and Jazz (No. 9).
A strong, long-armed forward who is viewed as one of the best defenders in the draft, Walker could fill an immediate need for Indiana at the four if he’s available on draft night, Agness notes. The Pacers are reportedly searching for a starting power forward and need help defensively.
“I think my biggest asset is my defense, just my versatility there,” Walker said, stressing that he wants to show that he’s more than a good defender. “That’s what people focus on, but there’s so many other things on the floor that I can do.”
The 19-year-old cited Luguentz Dort and Jrue Holiday as a couple of burly defenders he looks up to, according to Agness.
Here are a few more notes on the 2023 NBA draft, which will take place June 22:
- The Pacers have been extremely busy hosting prospects for workouts, and that will continue on Thursday, Agness tweets. Tyger Campbell (UCLA), Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite), Markquis Nowell (Kansas State), Ben Sheppard (Belmont), Hunter Tyson (Clemson) and Jalen Wilson (Kansas) will be the six participants. Sheppard is currently the highest-rated of the group on ESPN’s list, coming in at No. 37. In addition to No. 7, Indiana also controls the Nos. 26, 29, 32 and 55 picks
- Eastern Michigan wing Emoni Bates has had a busy schedule leading up to the draft, reportedly working out for nearly half the league already. A source tells Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link) that Bates will be visiting the Bucks on Friday. He’s currently No. 51 on ESPN’s board.
- While much ink has (understandably) been spilled about what the Pistons might do at No. 5, they control the 31st pick in the draft as well. Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscriber link) examines six 3-and-D wings who might be available with the second-rounder, including Xavier’s Colby Jones (No. 28 on ESPN’s board) UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez (No. 30), and Pepperdine’s Maxwell Lewis (No. 32).
NBA Reveals Players Expected At 2023 Draft Combine
The NBA has announced 78 players that are expected to attend this year’s draft combine, scheduled for May 15-21 at in Chicago, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports tweets.
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the G League Elite Camp, which takes place May 13-14 in Chicago, will be invited to participate in the combine.
Players will have interviews with NBA teams and participate in five-on-five scrimmages, as well as shooting, strength and agility drills. Some top prospects opt out of the scrimmages.
Victor Wembanyama, the projected top pick, is not on the list. His French League season is still ongoing.
The list of invitees is as follows:
- Trey Alexander (Creighton)
- Amari Bailey (UCLA)
- Emoni Bates (Eastern Michigan)
- Reece Beekman (Virginia)
- Anthony Black (Arkansas)
- Adem Bona (UCLA)
- Kobe Brown (Missouri)
- Kobe Bufkin (Michigan)
- Toumani Camara (Dayton)
- Sidy Cissoko (G League Ignite)
- Jaylen Clark (UCLA)
- Noah Clowney (Alabama)
- Ricky Council IV (Arkansas)
- Gradey Dick (Kansas)
- Nikola Djurisic (Mega [Serbia])
- Zach Edey (Purdue)
- Adam Flagler (Baylor)
- Keyonte George (Baylor)
- Mouhamed Gueye (Washington State)
- Coleman Hawkins (Illinois)
- Jordan Hawkins (Connecticut)
- Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite)
- Taylor Hendricks (UCF)
- DaRon Holmes II (Dayton)
- Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)
- Jett Howard (Michigan)
- Andre Jackson Jr. (Connecticut)
- GG Jackson II (South Carolina)
- Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
- Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA)
- Keyontae Johnson (Kansas State)
- Colby Jones (Xavier)
- Ryan Kalkbrenner (Creighton)
- Arthur Kaluma (Creighton)
- Mojave King (G League Ignite)
- Bobi Klintman (Wake Forest)
- Maxwell Lewis (Pepperdine)
- Dereck Lively II (Duke)
- Chris Livingston (Kentucky)
- Seth Lundy (Penn State)
- Kevin McCullar (Kansas)
- Mike Miles Jr. (TCU)
- Brandon Miller (Alabama)
- Jordan Miller (Miami)
- Leonard Miller (G League Ignite)
- Judah Mintz (Syracuse)
- Dillon Mitchell (Texas)
- Omari Moore (San Jose State)
- Kris Murray (Iowa)
- Grant Nelson (North Dakota State)
- James Nnaji (Barcelona [Spain])
- Julian Phillips (Tennessee)
- Jalen Pickett (Penn State)
- Brandin Podziemski (Santa Clara)
- Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette)
- Rayan Rupert (New Zealand Breakers [Oceania])
- Adama Sanogo (Connecticut)
- Marcus Sasser (Houston)
- Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State)
- Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois)
- Ben Sheppard (Belmont)
- Jalen Slawson (Furman)
- Nick Smith Jr. (Arkansas)
- Terquavion Smith (North Carolina State)
- Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)
- Amen Thompson (Overtime Elite)
- Ausar Thompson (Overtime Elite)
- Drew Timme (Gonzaga)
- Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky)
- Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona)
- Tristan Vukcevic (Partizan [Serbia])
- Jarace Walker (Houston)
- Cason Wallace (Kentucky)
- Jordan Walsh (Arkansas)
- Dariq Whitehead (Duke)
- Cam Whitmore (Villanova)
- Jalen Wilson (Kansas)
- Isaiah Wong (Miami)
NBA G League Announces 24 Players For Next Up Game
The NBA G League announced today that G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson and Timberwolves/Iowa Wolves forward Luka Garza have been named team captains for the NBAGL Next Up Game, which will take place in Salt Lake City during All-Star weekend.
While the exhibition match isn’t technically being called a G League All-Star Game, that’s essentially what it is. The 24-player pool was selected by a fan vote and by the league itself.
Henderson averaged 21.2 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 4.3 RPG in six Showcase Cup games (28.5 MPG) before missing time with an injury. The guard, widely projected to be the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, has registered 17.7 PPG, 5.7 APG, and 4.5 RPG in 11 regular season games (29.8 MPG) since returning.
Garza, meanwhile, has been dominant at the G League level while playing for the Timberwolves on a two-way contract. He averaged 29.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and 3.2 APG on .628/.500/.794 shooting in nine Showcase Cup games (34.4 MPG) and has been boosted those averages in two regular season games (32.5 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 5.0 APG) for the Iowa Wolves.
Here’s the full list of players who will take part in the G League Next Up Game:
- Charles Bassey (Austin Spurs) *
- Sidy Cissoko (Ignite)
- Sharife Cooper (Cleveland Charge)
- David Duke (Long Island Nets) *
- Luka Garza (Iowa Wolves) *
- Scoot Henderson (Ignite)
- Frank Jackson (Salt Lake City Stars)
- London Johnson (Ignite)
- Carlik Jones (Windy City Bulls) *
- Mojave King (Ignite)
- Saben Lee (Suns) *
- Note: The Suns don’t have a G League affiliate, but Lee has played for the Delaware Blue Coats and Raptors 905 this season.
- Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Memphis Hustle) *
- Mac McClung (Delaware Blue Coats)
- Eric Mika (Ignite)
- Leonard Miller (Ignite)
- Isaiah Mobley (Cleveland Charge) *
- Shareef O’Neal (Ignite)
- Scotty Pippen Jr. (South Bay Lakers) *
- Trevelin Queen (Fort Wayne Mad Ants) *
- Neemias Queta (Stockton Kings) *
- Babacar Sane (Ignite)
- Gui Santos (Santa Cruz Warriors)
- Zavier Simpson (Lakeland Magic)
- Gabe York (Fort Wayne Mad Ants)
(* Players marked with an asterisk are on two-way contracts with NBA teams.)
As is the case with the NBA All-Star Game, the team captains – in this case, Henderson and Garza – will select their 12-man squads in a draft. The draft for the G League Next Up Game will take place on February 14.
NBA Announces Player Pool For Rising Stars Event
The NBA officially unveiled the 28-player pool for this year’s Rising Stars event on Tuesday, making the announcement via the NBA App. The following players made the cut:
Rookies:
- Paolo Banchero (Magic)
- Jalen Duren (Pistons)
- AJ Griffin (Hawks)
- Jaden Ivey (Pistons)
- Walker Kessler (Jazz)
- Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers)
- Keegan Murray (Kings)
- Andrew Nembhard (Pacers)
- Jabari Smith (Rockets)
- Jeremy Sochan (Spurs)
- Jalen Williams (Thunder)
Sophomores:
- Jose Alvarado (Pelicans)
- Scottie Barnes (Raptors)
- Josh Giddey (Thunder)
- Jalen Green (Rockets)
- Quentin Grimes (Knicks)
- Bones Hyland (Nuggets)
- Evan Mobley (Cavaliers)
- Trey Murphy III (Pelicans)
- Alperen Sengun (Rockets)
- Franz Wagner (Magic)
G League players:
- Sidy Cissoko (Ignite)
- Mojave King (Ignite)
- Scoot Henderson (Ignite)
- Kenneth Lofton Jr. (Grizzlies/Hustle)
- Mac McClung (Blue Coats)
- Leonard Miller (Ignite)
- Scotty Pippen Jr. (Lakers)
As was the case last season, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, coached by longtime NBA guard Jason Terry. The other 21 players will be drafted to three squads coached by former NBA stars Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, and Deron Williams.
The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.
All three contests will take place on Friday, February 17 as part of All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City. The NBA’s full press release with more information on the event can be found right here.