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Yongxi Cui May Sign Two-Way Deal With Nets

September 2nd, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Chinese guard Yongxi Cui appears to be headed to the Nets on a two-way contract covering two seasons, according to Lucas Kaplan and Net Income of NetsDaily. They cite reports out of China over the weekend, but add that Brooklyn officials are refusing to confirm or deny a deal with Cui.

The 6’8″ Cui, who graduated from the NBA Global Academy, was originally expected to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Trail Blazers. Although that arrangement was reported in late June, it has not yet been made official as Cui and his representatives were searching around the league for guaranteed money.

The Nets held a workout with Cui prior to this year’s draft, the authors add, but they didn’t have any picks and he wasn’t selected.

Cui saw limited action while playing for Portland in the Las Vegas Summer League. He appeared in three games and averaged 3.0 PPG in 7.2 minutes per contest.

Cui, 21, has spent the past two years with the Guangzhou Loong Lions, one of the top teams in the CBA, and averaged 15.6 PPG last season while showing an impressive shooting touch from three-point range. He had offers to play college basketball in the U.S., according to the NetsDaily authors, but preferred to remain in his native country.

“He’s got really good feet and plays super hard,” Chris Ebersole, the NBA’s Head of International Basketball Development, told NetsDaily. “Those ingredients, for both on-ball defense and off-ball positioning, serve him well.”

Brooklyn has a pair of two-way slots to fill, with Jaylen Martin the only two-way player currently on the roster. The authors note that Jalen Wilson and Keon Johnson both earned standard contracts last season after starting out on two-way deals.

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Yongxi Cui Intends To Sign Exhibit 10 Contract With Blazers

June 27th, 2024 at 10:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Undrafted rookie free agent Yongxi Cui plans to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Trail Blazers, a source tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).

Also known as “Jacky,” Cui is a 6’8″ wing who graduated from the NBA Global Academy and played for the Guangzhou Loong Lions in the Chinese Basketball Association this past season.

The 21-year-old also suited up for China’s World Cup team last summer before posting solid numbers in the CBA in 2023/24 — he averaged 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in 56 appearances for Guangzhou, with a .520/.365/.783 shooting line.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary contract that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or can put a player in line to earn a bonus if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

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Eastern Notes: Cavs, Atkinson, Bulls, Sixers, Knicks, Hawks

June 21st, 2024 at 8:38pm CST by Luke Adams

After previously reporting that James Borrego was viewed as the frontrunner for the Cavaliers‘ head coaching job, Marc Stein says (via Twitter) he heard multiple times on Friday that Kenny Atkinson‘s candidacy for the job is “gaining steam.”

Atkinson was identified early in the Cavs’ search process as the potential frontrunner, but multiple reporters – including Stein and Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com – have said in recent weeks that Borrego appeared to have the edge. Those two former head coaches have been linked to the job most frequently and it certainly seems like one of them will end up being hired, but that’s not a lock. According to Stein, Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori also remains in the mix for Cleveland.

If the Cavaliers wrap up their search and make a decision soon, it will have an impact on their division rivals in Detroit. Both Borrego and Nori are expected to interview for the Pistons‘ head coaching vacancy.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • The Bulls‘ acquisition of Josh Giddey signals that the team isn’t sold on the idea of a Lonzo Ball comeback, according to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, who adds that director of player development and shooting coach Peter Patton has an “important project on his hands” in Chicago’s new lead guard, a career 31.0% three-point shooter. In his own look at the trade, Jon Greenberg of The Athletic contends that it’s “inexcusable” for the Bulls to make this kind of deal without acquiring any draft picks.
  • USC guard Isaiah Collier visited the Sixers this week for a pre-draft workout, a source tells Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). Once considered a possible top pick in this year’s draft, Collier has slipped to No. 23 on ESPN’s big board, so he could be available for Philadelphia at No. 16.
  • Yongxi Cui (China), David Jones (Memphis), Spencer Jones (Stanford), Ajay Mitchell (UCSB), and Antonio Reeves (Kentucky) were among the players to work out for the Knicks on Friday, tweets Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Bondy adds (via Twitter) that Arizona’s Keshad Johnson worked out for New York earlier this month.
  • The Hawks are hiring Ben Peterson away from the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and will make him their VP of player health and performance, sources tell Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Pelissero’s report on Peterson, who was said to be “well-regarded” in San Francisco, has been confirmed by Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link).
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Draft Workouts: Spurs, Suns, Pacers, Blazers, Lakers, Wolves, Thomas

June 20th, 2024 at 9:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs, who are widely expected to draft at least one guard next Wednesday, recently worked out both Stephon Castle of UConn and Devin Carter of Providence, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

As we relayed on Wednesday, recent mock drafts from ESPN and Bleacher Report both have San Antonio drafting Castle at No. 4, and the team is said to be high on Carter as well. Iko confirms as much, writing that the Spurs have “strong interest” in Carter, Castle, and Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard, with Carter’s private workout “resonating” among the team’s decision-makers.

Here’s more pre-draft workout news from around the NBA:

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Draft Notes: Jelavic, Lewis, De Ridder, Ndiaye, Darlan, Cui, Green Room Invites

June 16th, 2024 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Croatian big man Andrija Jelavic is withdrawing from the draft, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony tweets. He had been considered a fringe second-round prospect, ranked No. 77 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list.

A trio of other international prospects — Timotej Malovec, Luka Bogavac and Bogoljub Markovic — are also pulling their names from draft consideration. The deadline for international prospects to withdraw came on Sunday afternoon.

We have more draft-related news:

  • Trinidad and Tobago wing Malique Lewis, ranked No. 76 by ESPN, has also decided to pass on the draft, Givony tweets.
  • Forward Thijs De Ridder will withdraw from the draft, Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com tweets. He’ll look to build upon a strong ACB and FIBA Europe Cup season with Bilbao Basket and will be automatically eligible for next year’s draft.
  • Senegalese big man Eli Ndiaye and Central African Republic guard Thierry Darlan (G League Ignite) are also pulling out of the draft, according to Givony (Twitter links). Darlan was ranked N0.  84 overall by ESPN.
  • Chinese wing Yongxi Cui kept his name in the draft, Chepkevich tweets. Cui participated in the G League Elite Camp.
  • There have been 21 green room invitations extended to first-round prospects thus far. There will be four more green room invites made this week, according to Givony (Twitter link). The only player to decline an invitation is two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey, who will watch from Purdue with family, friends and coaches.
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Central Notes: Bird, Pacers, Pistons, Portis

June 12th, 2024 at 9:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

Six players who participated in a pre-draft workout for the Pacers on Wednesday were surprised when a Hall of Famer showed up to watch them, writes Zion Brown of The Indianapolis Star. Larry Bird, who was hired as a consultant last June, walked into the gym to observe the prospects, who noticed his presence immediately.

“It’s exciting,” Oakland’s Jack Gohlke said. “Obviously (he’s) an NBA legend, and a guy who has been with the Pacers organization for forever and a legend with the Celtics, too. So I think it’s just really cool. … I would say it’s almost easier to play in front of a sold-out arena than to have these guys sitting courtside, but it’s still a really cool experience.”

Bird has worked for the Pacers in several capacities over the years, starting as head coach in 1997. Tyrese Haliburton and Isaiah Jackson also made an appearance on Wednesday, but the focus was on Bird, even though the players at the workout were all born well after his playing career ended.

“Once he walked in I was like, ‘I recognize him,’” UC-Santa Barbara’s Ajay Mitchell said. “It’s amazing to see him here. Working in front of him, it’s a great opportunity and it’s a blessing to have him around.”

Also participating in the workout were Yongxi Cui of China, Thijs de Ridder of Belgium, TCU’s Emanuel Miller and Michigan State’s Tyson Walker. Indiana owns picks 36, 49 and 50 in this month’s draft.

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Pacers have another workout set for Thursday featuring Baylor’s Jalen Bridges, North Carolina State’s D.J. Burns Jr., West Virginia’s Jesse Edwards, Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves and Morehead State’s Kalil Thomas, the team announced (via Twitter). Indiana’s Xavier Johnson was a late replacement for USC’s Boogie Ellis (Twitter link).
  • New Pistons head of basketball operations Trajan Langdon has a challenge to try to fix an organization that has been sputtering for years, observes Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News. Wojnowski blames owner Tom Gores, whom he accuses of meddling too often, as well as the people he has entrusted to run the franchise. He criticizes former general manager Troy Weaver for his roster construction, particularly his willingness to take on big men who failed elsewhere, and coach Monty Williams for his insistence on playing Killian Hayes and his misuse of Jaden Ivey early in the season.
  • Bobby Portis should be thrilled by the return of Darvin Ham to the Bucks‘ coaching staff, notes Christopher Kuhagen of The Journal-Sentinel. Kuhagen recalls that after Milwaukee was eliminated from the playoffs in 2023, Portis sent out a social media message that read, “Only thing hurt us was D ham leaving. That ain’t talked about enough.”
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Central Notes: Buckner, Giannis, Pacers Workout, Pacers Offseason

June 11th, 2024 at 5:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Greg Buckner is expected to join Doc Rivers’ staff with the Bucks, Marc Stein tweets. Buckner was the Cavaliers‘ associate head coach under J.B. Bickerstaff. He had been on Cleveland’s staff since 2020. Previously, Bucker was an assistant with the Grizzlies (2017-19). Former Lakers coach Darvin Ham has also made a commitment to join Rivers’ staff.

We have more from the Central Division:

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44 Prospects Invited To G League Elite Camp

May 4th, 2024 at 11:57am CST by Tristan Tucker

Forty-four prospects for the 2024 NBA draft were invited to the NBA’s G League Elite Camp, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link).

The list of players is as follows:

The field of draft prospects scrimmage for two days in Chicago starting on May 11 ahead of the NBA’s annual draft combine. If players perform well enough, they’re often promoted to the larger combine immediately following the G League Elite Camp. Typically, at least a half dozen players move on.

While the combine usually focuses on the top-ranked players in each draft class, the G League Elite Camp offers opportunity to prospects further down boards who are more likely to go undrafted. Of the 44 names invited to the G League Elite Camp, only 16 rank among ESPN’s top 100 prospects. No prospect ranks higher than No. 48 (Onyenso) on ESPN’s board.

Nine of ESPN’s top 100 prospects have not been invited to Chicago for either event: Armel Traore (France), Zacharie Perrin (France), Andrija Jelavic (Croatia), Yannick Kraag (Netherlands), Tre Mitchell (Kentucky), Ilias Kamardine (France), Dylan Disu (Texas), Riley Minix (Morehead State) and Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee). According to Givony (Twitter link), the NBA might not announce the official list until Monday, so there’s a chance it’s amended.

The G League Elite Camp will give invitees who declared for the draft as early entrants an opportunity to see where they stand ahead of the draft withdrawal deadline on May 29. Not all of the players who participate in this event will remain in the draft pool.

Last year, future NBA players like Hornets forward Leaky Black, Pistons forward Tosan Evbuomwan, Mavericks forward Alex Fudge, Celtics guard Drew Peterson and Nets guard Jaylen Martin all participated in the event. Other recent notable alums of the event include Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and Clippers guard Terance Mann.

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DaRon Holmes, Zacharie Perrin Among Draft’s Latest Early Entrants

April 26th, 2024 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

After testing the draft waters in 2023, Dayton’s DaRon Holmes II has once again entered the draft this year, according to David Jablonski of The Dayton Daily News, who says the junior forward filed his paperwork earlier this month.

The No. 53 prospect on ESPN’s big board of 2024 prospects, Holmes has built an impressive NCAA résumé with the Flyers. He was named the Atlantic 10’s Defensive Player of the Year and co-Player of the Year in 2024 in addition to making the All-Atlantic 10 first team for a second consecutive season. He was also a consensus second-team All-American.

Holmes averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.1 blocks in 32.5 minutes per game for Dayton in 2023/24, posting an impressive shooting line of .544/.386/.713 in 33 games (all starts).

Another player on ESPN’s big board (at No. 75), French power forward Zacharie Perrin announced on Instagram that he’s entering the 2024 NBA draft after spending the season playing for the Antibes Sharkes in France’s LNB Pro B. Perrin began the 2022/23 season at Illinois, but appeared in just one game for the Fighting Illini before leaving the program.

Here are more updates on the early entrants declaring for the NBA draft:

  • Thierry Darlan, a Central African guard who graduated from the NBA Academy Africa and spent the past season with the G League Ignite, is entering the draft, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link). Once projected by Givony to be a probable second-round pick in 2024, Darlan no longer shows up on ESPN’s top-100 list for this year after playing a modest role on an Ignite team that finished the G League season with a dismal 2-32 record.
  • Miami freshman guard Kyshawn George, who previously announced that he would be entering the 2024 draft, will forgo his remaining NCAA eligibility and go pro, he confirmed to Givony. George currently ranks 24th overall on ESPN’s board.
  • Yongxi Cui, a 6’7″ wing who graduated from the NBA Global Academy and played for Guangzhou in China this past season, has entered the NBA draft, according to Givony (Twitter link). The 20-year-old played for China’s World Cup team in 2023 before posting solid numbers in the CBA this season (15.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.1 APG).
  • A trio of players represented by Misko Raznatovic have declared for the draft, the agent announced in a series of tweets. Slovakian forward Timotej Malovec (Mega Basket), Montenegrin combo guard Luka Bogavac (SC Derby), and Serbian power forward Bogoljub Markovic (Mega Basket) are all putting their names in the 2024 draft pool.
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