And-Ones: Warney, Head Coaches, Wolters

Jameel Warney, who spent the 2016/17 season with the Texas Legends in the G League, was a key player for USA Basketball in last week’s AmeriCup tournament. Earning MVP honors for the FIBA event and helping lead Team USA to a gold medal, Warney averaged 12.8 PPG and 8.6 RPG to go along with a .649 FG%.

In the wake of that performance, Warney spoke to HoopsHype and expressed hope that he’ll get a chance to make his NBA debut this season, as Bryan Kalbrosky details. While there has been no word yet of a contract agreement for Warney, he seems like a good bet to land a training camp deal or a two-way contract. In the days since Team USA’s win, his teammates Larry Drew II and C.J. Williams have landed camp deals with the Heat and Clippers respectively, so we’ll see if Warney is next.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

• In a piece for Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler examines some head coaches around the NBA who may find themselves on the hot seat if their teams struggle out of the gate in 2017/18. Kyler identifies Dwane Casey (Raptors), Mike Budenholzer (Hawks), Steve Clifford (Hornets), Doc Rivers (Clippers), and Brett Brown (Sixers) as coaches who fit that bill.
• Nate Wolters, who has played overseas for the last two seasons, was close to joining Brose Bamberg in Germany, but is now leaning toward signing an NBA deal, according to Sportando (Twitter link). It’s not yet clear which NBA team might have interest in adding Wolters, who previously spent two seasons with the Bucks and Pelicans after being selected 38th in the 2013 draft.
• Brad Botkin of CBSSports.com singles out five praiseworthy roster moves that flew under the radar this offseason, starting with the Thunder‘s signing of Patrick Patterson.
• Second round picks who become All-Star players are rare — Isaiah Thomas, Draymond Green, and DeAndre Jordan are the only ones to achieve the feat since 2008. Nonetheless, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders believes there are several candidates to do so in 2017/18 and compiles a list of his top picks.