And-Ones: G League Expansion, Mayo, Van Gundy
The G League held its expansion draft to accommodate for the association’s four new franchises and Chris Reichert of 2 Ways, 10 Days has broken down the results, recapping the nuances of the developmental league’s various processes.
As Reichert lays out, teams made their bids for each player’s returning rights for a period of two seasons. What that means is that the G League clubs will effectively reserve those players should they ever find themselves back in the league. Many currently ply their trade either for NBA squads or for teams overseas.
The current NBA crop selected in the G League expansion draft is headlined by Sean Kilpatrick and Okaro White. The big league rotation players, however, are unlikely to return to the G League, at least in 2017/18, rendering them ineffective selections.
There’s more from around the NBA:
- Speaking of G League peculiarities, the Oklahoma City Blue (the G League affiliate of the Thunder) made a trade with the SLC Stars (Jazz affiliate) for the rights to Marcus Paige but, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer explains, Paige will actually suit up for the Greensboro Swarm (Hornets affiliate). Earlier this month the Hornets signed Paige to a two-way deal and that supersedes whichever team owns his G League rights.
- With one more year left on his suspension, former Bucks guard O.J. Mayo could consider a gig in the G League, Adam Johnson of 2 Ways, 10 Days opines. There is, however, no guarantee that he would be permitted to do so.
- It’s been a decade since he coached the Rockets, which makes Jeff Van Gundy‘s return to the bench with Team USA all that much more exciting. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN recently spoke with Van Gundy about his role with the USA Basketball World Cup qualifying team.
USA Basketball Announces AmeriCup Roster
After taking 17 players to training camp, USA Basketball has narrowed that group down to 12 players for its official AmeriCup roster, the program announced in a press release. The players representing Team USA in next week’s AmeriCup tournament will be as follows:
- Larry Drew II, PG
- Kendall Marshall, PG
- Xavier Munford, SG
- C.J. Williams, SG
- Billy Baron, G
- Reggie Hearn, G
- Darrun Hilliard, G/F
- Reggie Williams, SF
- Jonathan Holmes, PF
- Jameel Warney, PF
- Alec Brown, C
- Marshall Plumlee, C
The five players who missed the cut for the final roster were Rod Benson, Will Davis II, Ra’Shad James, Darius Morris, and Derek Willis.
“All 17 guys that came to camp in Houston had a strong case that they could have made that they should have been selected, but unfortunately, we could only take 12,” said U.S. coach Jeff Van Gundy. “It was very, very difficult getting down to that number, but we feel very happy with the guys that we have selected. We feel we have positional versatility, we have a good balance between size and quickness, so it will be interesting for us to go to Uruguay and see what we can do.”
As we detailed in an earlier story, FIBA has changed its format for qualifying for marquee events like the World Cup and the Olympics, and many of the qualifier tournaments will now take place during the NBA season. For those events, Team USA intends to primarily use players who have been spending time overseas and in the G League, with the bigger-name players taking over for the main events in 2019 and 2020.
Team USA doesn’t need to win the AmeriCup to qualify for the next World Cup and Olympics, but it’s a tournament the U.S. must participate in to eventually play in more crucial events. Van Gundy’s squad will participate in preliminary round games in Uruguay starting next Monday. If Team USA wins its group – which also includes Panama, the Dominican Republic, and host Uruguay – it would advance to the semifinals in Argentina in early September.
The program won’t face real pressure to win until November, when Team USA need a top-three finish in a pool that includes Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Cuba in order to start advancing to later qualifiers. For more in-depth details on how those qualifiers work, be sure to check out FIBA’s breakdowns for the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics.
17 Players Vying For Spots On USA’s AmeriCup Roster
USA Basketball has begun the process of selecting its roster for the AmeriCup 2017, the first of a series of qualifying tournaments under FIBA’s new format. As Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press details, Team USA doesn’t need to win the AmeriCup to qualify for the next World Cup and Olympics, but it’s a tournament the U.S. must participate in to eventually play in more crucial events.
Because upcoming qualifiers will take place during the NBA season, Team USA is putting together a roster primarily made up of G League players and veterans who have been playing overseas, as we previously learned. With training camp set to begin on Thursday, 17 hopefuls are suiting up for Team USA, with the program poised to eventually pare that group down to a 12-man roster.
Here are Team USA’s training camp participants, via USA Basketball:
- Billy Baron (UCAM Murcia, Spain)
- Rod Benson (Wonju Dongbu Promy, South Korea)
- Alec Brown (Windy City Bulls)
- Will Davis II (Reno Bighorns)
- Larry Drew II (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
- Reggie Hearn (Reno Bighorns)
- Darrun Hilliard (Detroit Pistons)
- Jonathan Holmes (Canton Charge)
- Ra’Shad James (Cedevita Zagreb, Croatia)
- Kendall Marshall (Reno Bighorns)
- Darius Morris (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)
- Xavier Munford (Greensboro Swarm)
- Marshall Plumlee (New York Knicks)
- Jameel Warney (Texas Legends)
- C.J. Williams (Texas Legends)
- Reggie Williams (Oklahoma City Blue)
- Derek Willis (University of Kentucky)
Although there are no high-profile names in this group, several players have some NBA experience. Hilliard is currently a free agent, but appeared in 77 games over the last two seasons for the Pistons. Drew, Munford, and Plumlee have all played in at least a dozen NBA games.
Marshall, Morris, and Reggie Williams are perhaps the most notable names on the list, having played regular rotation roles for various NBA teams in recent years. Marshall was a lottery pick in the 2012 draft, while Williams has appeared in more than 200 NBA games since 2010.
None of the players on Team USA’s training camp roster are currently under contract with an NBA club, but Willis – the only player of the group who has yet to play professional ball – has reportedly agreed to a training camp deal with the Pistons.
The club will be coached by Jeff Van Gundy, an international rookie himself, and will eventually participate in preliminary round games in Uruguay later this month. If Team USA wins its group – which also includes Panama, the Dominican Republic, and host Uruguay – it would advance to the semifinals in Argentina in early September.
As Mahoney outlines in his report, Team USA won’t face real pressure to win until November, when the club need a top-three finish in a pool that includes Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Cuba in order to start advancing to later qualifiers. For more in-depth details on how those qualifiers work, be sure to check out FIBA’s breakdowns for the 2019 World Cup and the 2020 Olympics.
And-Ones: JVG, Award Votes, Singleton, Wanamaker
After a decade of rumors about his possible return to the sidelines, ABC and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy has finally landed a new coaching gig — but it’s not an NBA job. As Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical details, Van Gundy has agreed to coach USA Basketball as Team USA attempts to qualify for the 2019 World Cup.
Last month, we heard that the Team USA roster for the World Cup qualifiers wouldn’t feature NBA players. Instead, USA Basketball will put together a squad primarily made up of G League players. Wojnarowski notes that the roster may also include Americans playing in international leagues. Assuming Team USA qualifies for the 2019 World Cup, which shouldn’t be an issue, NBA players figure to take it from there, while Gregg Popovich will take over for Van Gundy as the club’s coach.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The NBA has published the full voting results for all of its 2016/17 awards, so if you’re dying to know who gave Isaiah Thomas his only All-Defensive vote, you can find out right here.
- EuroLeague star Chris Singleton has interviews lined up with two NBA teams, and is poised to opt out of his contract with Panathinaikos if he receives an NBA opportunity, tweets international reporter David Pick. However, Singleton’s teammate Kenny Gabriel will remain with Panathinaikos, having opted to pass on a non-guaranteed NBA offer, per Pick (Twitter link).
- Pick also provides an update on Brad Wanamaker, reporting (via Twitter) that Brad Wanamaker is putting Euroleague offers on hold in the hopes of securing an NBA deal with the Pelicans or Celtics. Wanamaker, who played for Turkey’s Darussafaka last season, was voted to 2016/17’s All-EuroLeague team.
- Bobby Marks of The Vertical identifies his top 20 free agents for 2017, with a pair of Warriors topping the list.
NBA D-Leaguers To Represent Team USA In Qualifiers
The 2019 Basketball World Cup will serve as a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and players from the NBA’s Developmental League will comprise most of the early Team USA men’s basketball roster leading up to that tournament, according to Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press.
The American team announced a six-member committee on Tuesday to select players — mostly from the D-League — to suit up for the USA team that will fight to qualify for the 2019 Basketball World Cup. If the roster of minor leaguers can get Team USA past that round, a Gregg Popovich-led roster of NBA talent will resume the action in the actual 2019 World Cup.
“This will be an excellent opportunity for NBA D-League players to showcase their talent and experience meaningful and important international competition while representing the United States,” USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said in a statement.
In the past, qualifiers and international events have been held during the NBA offseason, but some of the qualifying games for the World Cup in China will take place during the NBA season, Mahoney notes. With NBA players unavailable during that time, USA Basketball will look to become one of the 32 clubs that qualifies for the World Cup, even without its A-Team.
And-Ones: USA Basketball, Seattle, Rumors, NBL
Earlier this month, USA Basketball announced that Jerry Colangelo was stepping down from his position as USA Basketball Chairman, with Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reporting at the time that retired general Martin Dempsey was on track to replace Colangelo. Dempsey’s election as the new chairman is now official, according to an NBA.com press release. The vote took place at USA Basketball’s annual Board of Directors meeting.
“I am excited to join USA Basketball and to become part of a legacy of excellence both on and off the court,” Dempsey said in a statement. “Playing for USA Basketball is about commitment, sacrifice, and pride. It’s about developing young men and women who are exceptional athletes but also exceptional leaders. It’s about respecting the game and our international competitors. It’s about representing our country with honor, and it’s about winning. I look forward to working with the USA Basketball staff, coaches, players, and families.”
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has partnered with Chris Hansen‘s Seattle arena group, as Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com details. As we heard last month, Hansen’s group is willing to forgo public funding in order to get approval to move forward with a new arena.
- In a helpful piece for SBNation.com, Seth Rosenthal explains the difference between fake NBA rumors and legit ones, and how to tell the difference between the two.
- Top recruit Terrance Ferguson ultimately chose to play this season in Australia’s National Basketball League rather than playing college ball at Arizona. A report from the Australian Associated Press (link via ESPN.com) explores whether Ferguson’s decision, along with the NBA’s one-and-done rule, could be a boon for the NBL.
- Chris Patrick, formerly a member of Relativity Sports, has left the agency to start the Sports Law Group, which will represent athletes, coaches, and schools, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com.
Jerry Colangelo Steps Down As USA Basketball Chairman
3:20pm: According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (via Twitter), retired general Martin Dempsey is on course to replace Colangelo as USA Basketball’s new chairman. Dempsey recently served as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
While Dempsey may seem on the surface to be an odd choice, he wouldn’t be responsible for picking players or coaches, but rather with running USA Basketball as a business enterprise, Wojnarowski explains (via Twitter). Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post adds (via Twitter) that Dempsey is a “massive” basketball fan.
2:17pm: Jerry Colangelo will step down from his position as USA Basketball Chairman, opting not to seek a third term in the position, according to a press release issued today by USA Basketball. While Colangelo will continue to serve as Managing Director for the Men’s National Team, USA Basketball will elect a new chairman at its annual Board of Directors meeting on November 14.
Colangelo’s transition into a lesser role within USA Basketball coincides with the changes being made to the coaching staff for Team USA. Gregg Popovich is set to take over for Mike Krzyzewski as the head coach for the Men’s National Team from 2017 to 2020. During that time, Colangelo will focus on building the player pool for Team USA.
“Given the coaching change and the challenge of assembling a group of players for FIBA’s new competition schedule, this is a good time to devote my full attention to the Men’s National Team,” Colangelo said in a statement. “As Chairman of USA Basketball, I’m proud of what our teams at all levels have accomplished and how our players have embraced the responsibility of representing their country. I look forward to working with the next Chairman to ensure that we continue to honor and build on USA Basketball’s rich tradition.”
The Men’s National Team has won three consecutive Olympic gold medals since Colangelo assumed the role of USA Basketball chairman.
Kevin Durant Unsure About 2020 Olympics
Participating in this year’s Olympic Games and helping Team USA secure the gold medal was therapeutic for Kevin Durant, who is still coming to terms with switching teams from the Thunder to the Warriors this offseason, Michael Lee of The Vertical writes. “It was therapy for me after making a big change in my life,” Durant told Lee. “It made my life easier … I knew [a backlash] was coming. It was definitely different for me, but to come here in an environment where people accepted me and didn’t care about anything except being my buddy, that’s what I needed.”
Durant also moved within 25 points of catching Carmelo Anthony, who is the top all-time Team USA scorer, but he’s not sure if he’ll be a member of of the squad when the next summer Olympics are held, Lee notes. “I can’t say right now,” Durant said. “I’ll be 31, going on 32 … .” However, the forward’s competitive fire may ultimately drive him to participate in 2020, with Durant telling Lee, “I want to pass him, for sure. Just because it’s ‘Melo, I would love to pass him. But I don’t know if I’ll play or not. Who knows? We’ll see. You never know what’s going to happen in four years. I’m just going to enjoy this one right now.”
One person who would love for Durant to participate in the 2020 games is USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo, notes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. With this year’s squad fielding a roster that including 10 first-time Olympians, Colangelo would prefer more continuity moving forward, Stein adds. “We can’t go back again with 10 new players,” Colangelo said. “That’s not going to happen. For me, I’m glad we got past this.”
Do you want to see Durant participate in the 2020 Olympics, or would you prefer an infusion of younger blood on Team USA’s roster? Share your opinions in the comments section below.
Nets Hire Gianluca Pascucci, BJ Johnson
The Nets continue to reshape their front office under general manager Sean Marks, announcing today in a press release that they’ve added two more executives to their current group. Brooklyn has hired Gianluca Pascucci as the club’s director of global scouting, and BJ Johnson as coordinator of player evaluation.
“We are thrilled to add Gianluca and BJ to our front office,” Marks said in a statement. “Collectively, they bring valuable experiences that cross many platforms and their extensive knowledge of both the NBA and the global game will be tremendous assets to our scouting department. Both will be excellent additions to our culture and we are excited about welcoming them to Brooklyn.”
As Marks points out, the Nets’ new additions have basketball experience on a national and international level. Pascucci, who is coming off a stint as the Rockets’ VP of player personnel, and the GM of the D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers, previously spent several years with Italian team Olimpia Milano, acting as the team’s CEO and GM. Pascucci also has a previous stint in Houston as the Rockets’ international scout.
As for Johnson, he has worked for the last several years as USA Basketball’s assistant men’s national team director, and has held a variety of other roles in both the men’s and women’s USA Basketball programs.
Marks has only been on the job in Brooklyn for about six months, having been hired in February as the Nets’ new general manager. However, he has made significant changes to the team’s front office during his time with the franchise. Per NetsDaily (via Twitter), today’s additions bring the total number of new staff members hired by the Nets since Marks’ arrival to 25.
And-Ones: Big Men, Colangelo, Fortson
The emphasis on guard play and the 3-point shot hasn’t depressed salaries for big men, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders notes. High-profile players like Al Horford, Hassan Whiteside and Dwight Howard were paid over $20MM annually in this year’s free agent market but less heralded centers also cashed in, Greene continues. Timofey Mozgov (Lakers) and Ian Mahinmi (Wizards) were both signed to four-year, $64MM deals, even though Mozgov had a diminished role with the Cavs last season, while the Wizards already had an established center in Marcin Gortat. Bismack Biyombo received an even bigger contract from the Magic after playing a limited role with the Raptors much of last season, while the Bucks will pay Miles Plumlee an average of $13MM annually over the next four seasons even through he’s never averaged more than 25 minutes during his career.
In news around the league:
- USA Basketball executive director Jerry Colangelo will not discourage Team USA players from speaking out on social or racial issues, The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears reports. NBA and WNBA players have increasingly taken public stands on hot-button topics, while the league pulled the All-Star Game from Charlotte this week over a controversial North Carolina law. “No, we’re not telling them what to say,” Colangelo told Spears. “We are saying we’re supportive. We’re in fact encouraging and they have to make their own choice. We’re not telling them what to say and what not to say.”
- Courtney Fortson has signed with the Chinese team Zheijiang Guangsha, international journalist David Pick tweets. Fortson played last season with Banvit in Turkey. The point guard appeared in a combined 10 games with the Clippers and Rockets during the 2011/12 season.
- The Warriors’ new trio of Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant played two minutes together during Team USA’s exhibition win over Argentina but more often in pairs, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com writes. Team USA had a lot of success with a smaller lineup featuring Green at center and Durant at small forward, according to Windhorst. “Honestly, if you want me to be quite frank with you, I didn’t even notice me, Klay and KD were out there together,” Green told Windhorst.