Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Vince Edwards

Rockets Sign Pair, Waive Aaron Jackson

July 5th, 2018 at 4:28pm CST by Austin Kent

The Rockets have signed undrafted rookie Gary Clark and second-round pick Vince Edwards, the team announced in a press release. Shortly thereafter, Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweeted that the franchise had parted ways with Aaron Jackson, whom they inked at the end of the 2017/18 campaign.

Although terms of the signings have not yet been revealed, it was reported last month that the club had come to terms on a two-way deal with at least Clark. There’s no mention of a two-way contract in Houston’s announcement, so it’s possible Clark received a standard NBA contract, perhaps with an Exhibit 10 attachments. A team can convert an Exhibit 10 contract into to a two-way deal prior to the start of the regular season.

Clark, a renowned rebounding threat out of Cincinnati, spent four seasons with the Bearcats before going undrafted last month. Edwards, similarly, just played out his senior season with Purdue before Houston made him a second-round pick in June.

Jackson, the 32-year-old guard who played a single regular season game for the Rockets last April and played sparingly for the club in the postseason, is expected to pursue a new deal in China, perhaps returning to the Beijing Ducks, Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania reports. His salary for 2018/19 was non-guaranteed.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Jazz Trade No. 52 Pick To Rockets

June 21st, 2018 at 11:00pm CST by Austin Kent

11:00pm: Houston bought the No. 52 pick from Utah, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle tweets, so there will be no future draft picks changing hands.

10:49pm: The Jazz will trade the No. 52 pick to the Rockets, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets. Houston will select Purdue swingman Vince Edwards with the pick.

It’s not currently known what they’ll be giving up to buy back into the second round.

Edwards thrived in four seasons with the Boilermakers and could step into Houston’s rotation as a reliable, battled tested wing option. The 22-year-old shot .392 beyond the arc in four collegiate seasons.

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Draft Updates: Bamba, Jackson Jr., Sexton, Knox

June 10th, 2018 at 11:47am CST by Arthur Hill

Texas center Mo Bamba got high praise from the Suns after working out for the team Saturday, relays Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic. Phoenix is very likely to take another center, Arizona’s DeAndre Ayton, with the top pick, but GM Ryan McDonough believes Bamba has a bright NBA future, comparing him with Defensive Player of the Year finalist Rudy Gobert.

“At 20 years old, I think he’s ahead of where Rudy was,” McDonough said. “Now Rudy has made tremendous strides over the last three or four years. I think the question for Mo will be, can he build out his body like Rudy has? But in terms of measurements, they’re similar and in terms of willingness and desire to anchor a defense and protect the rim, they’re similar. It’s a great comp for Mo.”

There’s more draft news to pass along:

  • Bamba is part of a series of top prospects the Suns are working out this week. Michigan State’s Jaren Jackson Jr. is in town today, the team announced on its website, following appearances by Ayton and Marvin Bagley III.
  • Bamba looks like the definition of a modern NBA center and could wind up being the best player in the draft, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Bamba provides size, a draft combine record 7’10” wingspan, mobility and intelligence, Givony notes, but there are questions about his physical frame after putting on 30 pounds in three years and his uneven performance in college. “Although there’s no one I really pattern my game after, I am a firm believer in stealing stuff from other people,” Bamba said. “When I sat down with [ player development specialist Drew Hanlen], we watched a lot of Jo-Jo [Joel Embiid], we watched a lot of AD [Anthony Davis]. Guys who can step out and move their feet and create their own shot offensively as a 7-footer.”
  • Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert called Collin Sexton a “very interesting prospect” after getting an up-close look at the Alabama guard during a workout Saturday, relays Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.
  • Kentucky’s Kevin Knox and Michigan State’s Miles Bridges worked out for the Knicks on Saturday, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I’m the second-youngest player in the draft this year, but that doesn’t mean anything,’’ said Knox, who is still 18. “It’s not an excuse. I’m in the NBA and I put my name in the draft for a reason — because I think I’m ready. My age has nothing to do with it.’’ Also participating in the workout were SMU’s Shake Milton, Miami’s Bruce Brown , Texas Tech’s Zhaire Smith and Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo.
  • The Jazz are hosting six players for a session today, the team announced on Twitter. Attending will be Utah’s Justin Bibbins, Purdue’s Vince Edwards, Australia’s William McDowell-White, France’s Amine Noua, Marshall’s Ajdin Penava and Lincoln Memorial’s Emanuel Terry.
  • Duke’s Grayson Allen had to pull out of today’s workout with the Hawks after suffering a minor injury during warmups, tweets Michael Cunningham of The Journal-Constitution. Also at today’s session were Creighton’s Marcus Foster, Louisville’s Anas Mahmoud, Rhode Island’s E.C. Matthews, UNLV’s Brandon McCoy and Boston College’s Jerome Robinson.
  • The Hornets will host their sixth pre-draft workout Monday with Southeastern Louisiana’s Jordan Capps, Notre Dame’s Matt Farrell, Mercer’s Ria’n Holland, Xavier’s J.P. Macura, Illinois-Chicago’s Tai Odiase and Queens College’s Todd Winters scheduled to attend.
Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Draft Notes: Bradley, Swanigan, Deadline Decisions

May 24th, 2017 at 9:10am CST by Arthur Hill

North Carolina center Tony Bradley will hire an agent and remain in the NBA draft, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. After helping the Tar Heels capture the national championship, Bradley faces conflicting opinions about his draft status, with DraftExpress placing him 41st on its list of top 100 prospects but ESPN’s Chad Ford projecting him as a first-rounder at No. 22. The 6’10” freshman averaged 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds during his lone season at North Carolina.

Bradley is among several dominoes that will fall as the deadline for withdrawing from the draft looms tonight. Here’s a roundup of some other prospects:

Here are several players have made a final decision to forgo the draft and head back to school:

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Central Notes: Butler, Pistons, George

May 19th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Austin Kent

While his name has come up in trade rumors all year, K.C Johnson of the Chicago Tribune says a Jimmy Butler trade is unlikely for the Bulls. The scribe recently answered questions about the swingman in a weekly mailbag post.

Of note is that Johnson reaffirms a reader suggestion that even if a deal did get made, it likely wouldn’t involve the oft-rumored Celtics. Ultimately, however, Johnson doesn’t see enough on any particular roster that would entice the Bulls to part with their best player.

Throughout the comprehensive piece, Johnson weighs in on all aspects of a possible Butler deal and how it would impact the organization. In 76 games for the Bulls this season, the 27-year-old posted career highs of 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Bulls find themselves in a familiar place as last year, a CSN Chicago panel concluded. They contemplate trading Jimmy Butler but hesitate to pull the trigger on an underwhelming package.
  • The Pistons will draft 12th in this summer’s NBA Draft, so Keith Langlois of the team’s official site has put together a rundown of the types of players who will likely be selected prior and thus not be available when Detroit is on the clock.
  • The Pacers will work out Bryce Alford, Ike Anigbogu, Trevon Bluiett, Vince Edwards, Davon Reed and Trevor Thompson on Monday, the team announced on its official website.
  • The Lakers aren’t likely to give up a lottery pick for a one-year Paul George rental, says Sam Smith of the Bulls official website, but the Pacers could potentially net Julius Randle, D’Angelo Russell and a matching salary should they decide to pull the trigger. Smith adds that Larry Bird‘s exit indicates that the franchise is eager to fully embrace a rebuild.
Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Purdue’s Vince Edwards Tests Draft Waters

April 7th, 2017 at 2:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Purdue small forward Vince Edwards has decided to enter his name in the 2017 NBA draft pool, according to an announcement from the school. Edwards won’t hire an agent immediately, giving him the opportunity to withdraw his name before the May 24 deadline and return to the Boilermakers for his senior year.

Edwards, who also tested the draft waters a year ago before eventually heading back to Purdue, enjoyed a solid junior season in 2016/17, averaging 12.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 3.2 APG, with career-high shooting percentages of .486/.423/.820. Although he was somewhat overshadowed by teammate Caleb Swanigan, who declared for the draft this week too, Edwards is considered a solid prospect in his own right.

Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and Chad Ford of ESPN.com both have Edwards on their top 100 lists, with the 21-year-old coming in at No. 87 on DraftExpress and No. 98 on ESPN. According to Ford, Edwards will be on the second-round bubble if he remains in the draft, with a solid showing in this year’s NCAA tournament helping to boost his stock a little.

Our full list of early entrants for the 2017 NBA draft can be found right here.

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Draft Decisions: Ndiaye, Edwards, Cooke, Brown

May 24th, 2016 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

Underclassmen who submitted their names for draft consideration have until tomorrow –  May 25th – to decide whether or not to remain in the draft. If those players don’t withdraw from consideration by Wednesday’s deadline, they’ll forgo their remaining NCAA eligibility and will be available to NBA teams in June.

For many prospects projected to come off the board early, that decision is a no-brainer, but we’ll see plenty of lower-level prospects announce today and tomorrow that they’ll be returning to school for at least one more year. Here are some of the latest draft decisions made by early entrants:

  • Junior center Mamadou Ndiaye tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that he plans to remain in the NBA draft, forgoing his final year of college eligibility at UC Irvine. Despite the decision, Ndiaye isn’t a lock to be drafted.
  • Purdue’s athletics department has announced that 6’8″ forward Vince Edwards will return to the Boilermakers for the upcoming season, removing his name from draft consideration. “We are excited that Vince is returning for his junior year. The feedback he received in his workouts will only help him continue to improve and become one of the best players in the Big Ten in the upcoming season,” head coach Matt Painter said in a statement.
  • Dayton guard Charles Cooke has elected to return to school rather than staying in the draft, coach Archie Miller tells Goodman (Twitter link). The Flyers’ leading scorer has one year of eligibility left.
  • New Mexico guard Elijah Brown will head back to school for his junior season, according to Goodman (Twitter link).
  • Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan and Kentucky’s Marcus Lee are among the players who are still undecided on whether or not to withdraw from the draft, according to Scott Agness of VigilantSports.com and Goodman, respectively (Twitter links).
Retweet 4 Share 2 Send via email0

Northwest Notes: Olshey, Jazz, Hield

May 20th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey acknowledged that the organization has traditionally had difficulty landing upper-tier free agents, Jen Beyrle of The Oregonian relays. “It’s absolutely a hurdle. Whenever we get that first guy to come, it will be unprecedented when you look at the history,” said Olshey. “I think we’ve gotten good free agents. We’ve gotten guys but they’ve had the right sensibility and we knew that they would work in this market place and would fit with the team.” Olshey noted that last year’s free agent crop elected to join playoff teams, which hurt Portland’s recruiting efforts, but pointed to the team reaching the second round of the 2015/16 postseason as a boon heading into the offseason.

The executive isn’t letting frustrations of the past color his attitude this offseason, noting that the franchise will be extremely aggressive in the free agent market this summer, the team relayed (on Twitter). Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

  • The Jazz have a workout scheduled on Saturday for Ryan Arcidiacono (Villanova), Nathan Boothe (Toledo), Michael Carrera (South Carolina), Vince Edwards (Purdue), Retin Obasohan (Alabama) and Malik Pope (San Diego State), the team announced.
  • New Wolves coach/executive Tom Thibodeau has offered Travelle Gaines, who is Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler’s personal trainer, a post as the team’s strength and conditioning coach, Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago tweets.
  • The Timberwolves hold the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft and Jim Souhan of The Star Tribune makes the case for the team to select former Oklahoma shooting guard Buddy Hield. The scribe opines that Hield is the best available combination of talent, maturity and polish available where the team’s pick falls.
Retweet 7 Share 2 Send via email0

Draft Notes: Purvis, Edwards, Jacobs, Bluiett

May 6th, 2016 at 10:17pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Here are the latest news and notes regarding the 2016 NBA Draft, which will be held on June 23rd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York:

  • Purdue sophomore small forward Vince Edwards worked out for the Wolves on Wednesday, has scheduled a workout with the Celtics for next Friday and is expected to work out for the Grizzlies in the near future, Nathan Baird of The Lafayette Journal & Courier reports. Edwards is the ranked as the 24th-best sophomore by Jonathan Givony of Draft Express.
  • Xavier small forward Trevon Bluiett has a workout scheduled with the Pacers, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays (on Twitter). The 20-year-old is the No. 19 overall sophomore in his class according to Givony.
  • UNLV freshman swingman Derrick Jones, who is ranked No. 99 overall according to Givony, has a workout scheduled with the Nets on May 18th and another with the Celtics on May 20th, Zagoria reports (Twitter link).
  • USC junior point guard Julian Jacobs intends to hire an agent and will forgo his remaining year of NCAA eligibility, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com tweets. The 22-year-old is certainly taking a risk, since he is no lock to be selected in June’s draft. Jacobs is the 75th best junior overall per Givony’s rankings.
  • UConn junior point guard Rodney Purvis is withdrawing from the NBA Draft and will return to school for his senior campaign, Goodman reports (via Twitter). Purvis, who is ranked No. 79 among juniors, averaged 12.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists this past season for the Huskies.
Retweet 9 Share 3 Send via email0

Purdue SF Vince Edwards To Test Draft Waters

April 5th, 2016 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Purdue sophomore small forward Vince Edwards will enter this year’s draft without hiring an agent, the school announced. He’ll be able to withdraw anytime before May 25th and retain his college eligibility as long as he doesn’t sign with an agent. Edwards has only long-shot hopes of getting drafted in June as the 219th-best prospect in Chad Ford’s ESPN Insider rankings. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress doesn’t go beyond 100 in his overall rankings, but he tabs the 6’8″ 20-year-old as the 24th-best sophomore.

Edwards made his mark as a 3-point shooter, nailing 40.7% of his attempts this year. He otherwise put up mostly pedestrian numbers, averaging 11.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per game, though he saved his best for last, delivering 24 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in Purdue’s first-round tournament loss to Arkansas-Little Rock.

He entered college outside the top 100 in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index, but he was an integral part of the Boilermakers from the beginning, failing to start only three times in his college career. The Ohio native improved across several categories this season compared to his freshman year even though he saw a similar number of minutes.

Retweet 1 Share 1 Send via email0