Tyson Etienne

Hawks Sign Tyson Etienne To Exhibit 10 Contract

The Hawks have signed rookie guard Tyson Etienne, according to a team press release.

Atlanta’s decision to give Etienne an Exhibit 10 contract was reported one day after the June draft and it’s finally official.

Etienne joined the Hawks’ Summer League team after the agreement and he averaged 10.2 PPG and 1.6 RPG  in 16.7 MPG over five games in Las Vegas.

Etienne went undrafted after playing three seasons for Wichita State. The American Conference Player of the Year in 2021, he averaged 14.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 2.0 APG in 27 appearances (34.3 MPG) as a junior in 2021/22 before declaring for the draft as an early entrant.

Etienne is a talented three-point shooter, making 2.2 three-pointers per game at a 41.1% rate last season, though he was far less effective from inside the arc, converting just 32.6% of his two-point attempts.

Etienne is the nephew of former NBA player Marcus Camby and a cousin of Nuggets center DeAndre Jordan.

An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, minimum-salary contract that counts toward a team’s 20-man offseason roster limit, but doesn’t count against the cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. Etienne can earn a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins the College Park SkyHawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate.

The Hawks now have 17 players on their camp roster, including two-way players. They can add three more players before camp.

Hawks To Sign Tyson Etienne To Exhibit 10 Contract

The Hawks are signing undrafted Wichita State guard Tyson Etienne to an Exhibit 10 contract, sources tell Dave McMenamin of ESPN (Twitter link).

Etienne, who spent three years with the Shockers, averaged 14.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game in 27 appearances (34.3 MPG) as a junior in 2021/22 before declaring for the draft as an early entrant.

Etienne is a talented three-point shooter, making 2.2 three-pointers per game at a 41.1% rate last season, though he was far less effective from inside the arc, converting just 32.6% of his two-point attempts.

An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, minimum-salary contract that counts toward a team’s 20-man offseason roster limit, but doesn’t count against the cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. Although it’s not guaranteed, a player on an Exhibit 10 contract can earn a bonus of up to $50K if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate.

Etienne’s deal can be officially finalized once the new league year begins next week.

Draft Notes: Wesley, Sotto, Rockets, Timberwolves

Notre Dame shooting guard Blake Wesley has upcoming workouts scheduled with the Grizzlies, Heat and Bulls, Josh Robbins of The Athletic tweets. Wesley told Robbins he had already worked out for the Spurs, Cavaliers, Bucks and Pistons.

A potential first-round selection, the 6’5” Wesley is ranked No. 27 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list.

We have more draft-related news:

  • International center prospect Kai Sotto will return to NBA team workouts this week on the West Coast after nursing a sprained ankle, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com tweets. He already worked out for the Knicks, Magic and Hawks, among others. The 7’3” big man from the Philippines spent last season in Australia’s National Basketball League, averaging 7.5 PPG and 4.5 RPG for the Adelaide 36ers.
  • The Rockets are sitting at the No. 3 spot and will presumably take the remaining big man in the trio of Jabari Smith, Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero, unless there’s a draft-day surprise. The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen picks the brains of some NBA executives and a college coach to get a handle on how the trio’s skills will translate to the NBA.
  • The Timberwolves brought in six prospects on Monday, Andrew Slater tweets. That group included Tyson Etienne (Wichita State), Jermaine Samuels (Villanova), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown,) Justin Lewis (Marquette), Fanbo Zeng (G League Ignite) and Kalob Ledoux (Louisiana Tech).

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Workouts, Wizards, Russell, Magic

The Hornets hold three picks in the 2022 NBA draft (Nos. 13, 15, and 45) and are keeping busy in the weeks leading up to June 23, bringing in a handful of prospects on a daily basis for a closer look.

On Tuesday, the Hornets worked out Tyson Etienne (Wichita State), Jordan Goldwire (Oklahoma), John Meeks (College of Charleston), Orlando Robinson (Fresno State), D’Shawn Schwartz (George Mason), and Bryson Williams (Texas Tech), according to the team (Twitter link). All six of those players rank outside of the top 75 on ESPN’s big board, so they figure to receive consideration as possible second-round or UDFA targets.

On Wednesday, Hugo Besson (New Zealand Breakers), Khalifa Diop (Gran Canaria), Hyunjung Lee (Davidson), Javante McCoy (Boston University), Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga), and Yannick Nzosa (Unicaja) make up the Hornets’ workout group (Twitter link). Several of those prospects are more highly regarded by draft experts — ESPN ranks Nembhard, Besson, and Diop 35th, 38th, and 39th respectively.

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

  • The Wizards will be in the market for a starting point guard this offseason, but don’t expect them to pursue D’Angelo Russell. Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News said on his podcast (The Scoop w/ Doogie) that he has heard Washington has no interest in the Timberwolves guard (hat tip to HoopsHype).
  • The Wizards‘ pre-draft workout on Wednesday will feature Kenny Baptiste (France), Garrison Brooks (Mississippi State), Kyle Foster (Howard), Justin Kier (Arizona), Aminu Mohammed (Georgetown), and Gabe Osabuohien (West Virginia), as Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington relays (via Twitter).
  • Murray State guard Tevin Brown was in Orlando on Tuesday, presumably to work out for the Magic, tweets Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. The Murray State guard is the No. 74 on ESPN’s big board, so the Magic could consider him in the second round or as an undrafted free agent.

Knicks Notes: Brunson, Etienne, Harper, Draft

Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, who was hired in 2020, wanted Rick Brunson on his staff from the beginning, one source tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. However, some members of upper management had concerns about the circumstances of Brunson’s departure from Minnesota, Berman’s source said. The former Timberwolves assistant resigned after being accused of improper conduct toward women, though he and his lawyer denied any wrongdoing.

Although Brunson is now set to join Thibodeau’s staff in New York, it doesn’t sound like he intends to put the full-court press on his son Jalen Brunson, an unrestricted free agent this summer, to join him. According to Berman, Rick recently told a confidant that he just wants his son to sign the best deal he can, one representative of his market value.

Marc Stein reported today on Substack that there’s “no grave concern bubbling” in Dallas about the Knicks’ hiring of Rick Brunson, and Berman essentially says the same thing in his story. According to Berman, a source who recently spoke to Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he’d be “shocked” if Dallas doesn’t re-sign Jalen Brunson.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Northwest Notes: Taylor, Lore, A-Rod, Kroenke, Jazz

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has forged a sound working relationship with minority owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, proven by their successful recruitment of Denver’s Tim Connelly to head up their front office, The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski writes. Taylor, who allowed the duo to design an offer that would be very difficult for the Nuggets to match, enjoys the ambition and energy of Lore and A-Rod and has gained confidence in their ability to complete a major transaction.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

  • The press conference involving Nuggets president/governor Josh Kroenke has been postponed after he recently tested positive for COVID-19. He is one of several members of the organization to test positive this week, according to the team. The press conference, scheduled for today, has been tentatively moved to Tuesday, according to the Denver Post’s Mike Singer (Twitter links).
  • What are the Jazz seeking to upgrade their roster? A long, rangy wing player who is solid offensively and can defend on the perimeter and switch 1-to-5, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. However, those players are in high demand throughout the league, which makes the Jazz’s task of finding such a player quite difficult.
  • The Jazz’s draft workout on Thursday included R.J. Cole (UConn), Tyson Etienne (Wichita State), Johnny Juzang (UCLA), Jared Rhoden (Seton Hall), Akoldah Gak (Australia) and Trevion Williams (Purdue), Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune tweets. Williams (No. 50 on ESPN’s Best Available list) is the highest-rated among that group of second-round prospects.

Pacific Notes: Batum, Ayton, Payton, Kings, Lakers

Appearing on the French online show First Team, veteran forward Nicolas Batum was asked about his future and suggested that he plans to remain with the Clippers for the foreseeable future, as Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints relays. Batum, speaking in French, said what translates to Tyronn Lue saved my life,” heaping praise on the Clippers’ head coach.

Batum, who has a $3.33MM player option for the 2022/23 season, was waived by Charlotte during the 2020 offseason and signed a minimum-salary contract days later with the Clippers. He has revitalized his career in the last two years in Los Angeles, starting 92 of 126 games and averaging 26.2 MPG.

“Whenever you have a player speak on you like that, it’s a great feeling because that’s what it’s all about,” Lue told Azarly when asked about Batum’s comments. “It’s about the players and trying to get the best out of players. A lot of times, the players bring the best out of a coach as well. For Nico, a guy who has been in this league for a long time and a great veteran player, just to have him say those words, that means a lot.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) considers it extremely unlikely that the Suns will let restricted free agent Deandre Ayton walk for nothing or that Ayton will accept his one-year qualifying offer. In Gambadoro’s view, a new deal between Ayton and the Suns, a sign-and-trade agreement, or an offer sheet that the Suns match are the only realistic outcomes.
  • Gary Payton II (fractured left elbow) is beginning to increase his on-court activity, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, who posted a Twitter video of Payton going through a workout on Tuesday. Assuming the Warriors finish off Dallas, it still seems possible Payton could return at some point in the NBA Finals, Slater adds.
  • Trevion Williams (Purdue), JD Notae (Arkansas), Tyson Etienne (Wichita State), and David McCormack (Kansas) are among the prospects that worked out for the Kings on Monday and Tuesday this week, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Anderson wonders if the Kings could end up drafting two Boilermakers, with Jaden Ivey in play at No. 4 and Williams a potential target in the second round.
  • Dan Woike and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times take a closer look at Darvin Ham, Terry Stotts, and Kenny Atkinson, breaking down the pros and cons of each of the Lakers’ reported head coaching finalists.

Draft Decisions: Nembhard, Tshiebwe, Juzang, Etienne, Procida

Gonzaga senior point guard Andrew Nembhard is entering the 2022 NBA draft and forgoing his final year of college eligibility, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Nembhard is ranked No. 50 overall on ESPN’s top-100 prospect list and is considered a probable second-round pick.

As Givony details, Nembhard has good size (6’5″) for a point guard and improved his outside shot over the course of his four years with the Zags. The 22-year-old told ESPN that he’d love to be a first-round pick, but his top priority would be to land in a spot where he can have a role and make an impact.

“Initially I can bring backup point guard minutes to a team. A player like Tyus Jones — I can emulate his role, bring a high assist-to-turnover ratio, get guys open shots, hit open threes and understand the game,” Nembhard said. “I can see myself in a similar role. I can give a team a different look off the bench, pushing the pace in transition, getting guys open shots. With the way the NBA spacing is, that’s only going to help me.”

Here are more of the latest updates on this year’s draft pool:

  • Kentucky junior forward Oscar Tshiebwe, who has been the No. 44 prospect on ESPN’s top-100 list, has opted to stick with the Wildcats rather than entering the draft, he announced on Sportscenter on Wednesday (Twitter link via Givony). Tshiebwe, the consensus National Player of the Year and the NCAA’s leading rebounder (15.2 RPG), has been a major beneficiary of players’ NIL rights — a source tells Jeff Goodman of Stadium (Twitter link) that the 22-year-old will likely earn about $2MM this season through NIL.
  • UCLA junior guard Johnny Juzang, the No. 80 prospect on ESPN’s big board, has entered the draft and sounds prepared to go pro, announcing his decision on Instagram. After beginning his college career with Kentucky, Juzang transferred to UCLA in 2020 and averaged 15.8 PPG on .436/.356/.854 shooting in 57 games (32.1 MPG) across two seasons for the Bruins.
  • Wichita State junior guard Tyson Etienne is entering the draft and forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, he tells Givony (Twitter link). After being named the AAC Player of the Year in 2021, Etienne saw his production dip a little in 2021/22, as he averaged 14.9 PPG on .359/.326/.768 shooting in 27 games (34.3 MPG).
  • Italian wing Gabriele Procida has entered the 2022 draft, his agency Sigma Sports announced (via Twitter). The No. 53 prospect on ESPN’s board, Procida has averaged 7.1 PPG and 3.1 RPG on .533/.411/.800 shooting for Fortitudo Bologna in Italian League play this season at age 19.
  • Two more international prospects – French guard Matthew Strazel and Italian center Leonardo Okeke – have declared for the draft. Strazel’s decision was announced by agent Olivier Mazet (Twitter link), while Orazio Cauchi of BasketNews.com (Twitter link) relayed the news on Okeke.

Draft Notes: Juzang, Abmas, Last-Minute Decisions

After leading UCLA to the Final Four, Johnny Juzang will withdraw from the NBA draft and return for his junior season. Juzang announced his decision on Twitter about an hour before the NCAA’s Wednesday deadline of midnight Eastern Time for early entrants to pull out of the draft and retain their eligibility.

“Going through the draft process has been an amazing experience,” he wrote. “I was blessed to connect with great people, learn and grow, and get a feel for life at the next level. I want to thank everyone who has helped me in this process including my family, trainers, school and especially my dad who helped me for countless hours!”

There was talk that Juzang might be a first-round pick after an outstanding performance in the NCAA tournament, but a disappointing showing at the combine hurt his status, according to Chad Ford (Twitter link), who speculates that he could be back in first-round consideration next year.

There’s more on last-minute draft decisions:

Draft Notes: Griffin, Robinson, Stevenson, More

Syracuse swingman Alan Griffin won’t be returning to the Orange for his senior year, having opted to go pro and forgo his remaining college eligibility. Griffin announced the decision in a video on Twitter, as Mike Waters of Syracuse.com relays.

After spending two years at Illinois, Griffin transferred to Syracuse for his junior season and emerged as a starter, averaging 13.3 PPG 5.8 RPG, and 1.6 BPG in 28 games (29.3 MPG).

Here are a few more draft-related updates: