- Team Canada’s training camp roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers features a handful of NBA players, including Kelly Olynyk (Heat), Tristan Thompson (Cavaliers), Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies), Cory Joseph (Pacers), and Khem Birch (Magic).
The Grizzlies have signed undrafted rookie Brandon Goodwin to a contract, reports Jon Roser of the Memphis Grizzlies Radio Network (Twitter link). According to Roser, it’s an Exhibit 10 deal for Goodwin, which means he’ll likely end up with the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate.
Goodwin, who began his college career at UCF before transferring to Florida Gulf Coast, was named the Atlantic Sun Conference’s Player of the Year in 2017/18. For the season, the 6’2″ point guard averaged 18.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 4.8 APG to go along with a .470/.275/.750 shooting line.
Goodwin wasn’t viewed as a top-100 prospect heading into the draft by experts like ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, so it didn’t come as a surprise that he went undrafted. Still, Memphis has had its eye on him for a while — the Grizzlies brought Goodwin in for a workout in early June, then added him to their Summer League roster. The 22-year-old averaged 12.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 2.6 APG in seven games with the club in Las Vegas.
It has been a busy week for the Grizzlies in terms of roster moves. In addition to signing Goodwin, the team has also made three other moves since last Tuesday, adding Doral Moore to its camp roster and waiving Dakari Johnson and Kobi Simmons. Memphis has 19 players under contract after signing Goodwin.
The third overall pick from the 2018 NBA Draft, Luka Doncic, will not be part of the Slovenian national team for September’s FIBA World Cup qualifiers, per a Sportando report. Instead, he will remain in the United States to prepare for the upcoming NBA season, Doncic confirmed with a tweet.
Doncic, 19, was drafted by the Hawks with the third pick in the draft but was immediately traded to the Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to Trae Young and a 2019 first-round pick. Given his past success internationally, it was possible that Doncic would have suited up for the Slovenian team before the NBA season started.
With Real Madrid this past season, Doncic racked up several major awards. He became the youngest player to win the EuroLeague Final Four Most Valuable Player award in addition to being named the EuroLeague MVP and Rising Star.
Check out more Southwest Division notes below:
- In an in-depth look at the recently retired Manu Ginobili, Gilbert Garcia of the San Antonio Express-News looked at how his presence around the organization made everyone appreciate him. After 16 seasons with the Spurs, the Argentina product announced he will retire instead of pursuing a 17th season.
- Trevon Bluiett impressed at Summer League, which paved the way for him to ink a two-way contract with the Pelicans. As Scott Kushner of The Advocate writes, Bluiett is excited about the opportunity and is ready to prove himself. “All I know is that it’s a foot in the door,” Bluiett said. “I don’t look at it as, I signed a two-way so I’m good and everything is done. It’s just a foot in the door to get to my ideal goal.”
- The Grizzlies finalized their basketball operations department, the team announced in a press release.
7:05 pm: The team will use the stretch provision on Johnson, creating annual cap hits worth just under $450K per season for the next three years, Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com tweets.
4:39pm: The Grizzlies have waived center Dakari Johnson, according to a team press release.
Johnson never got a chance to play for Memphis, as he was acquired via a trade with the Magic in July. Memphis shipped out Jarell Martin and tossed in cash considerations in that trade. Orlando acquired Johnson a few days earlier from Oklahoma City in exchange for guard Rodney Purvis.
He appeared in 31 games, including six starts, as a rookie with the Thunder last season. The 7-footer was a second-round pick in the 2015 draft and played parts of three seasons in the G League with the Oklahoma City Blue.
The Grizzlies could use the stretch provision on Johnson’s $1.378MM salary to help them create additional room below the luxury tax threshold. The deadline to use the stretch provision on his contract is today, since it’s an expiring deal. By waiving Johnson, Memphis also created a spot on the 15-man roster for point guard Andrew Harrison, whose deal is non-guaranteed.
1:43pm: The Grizzlies have officially signed Moore, the team announced today in a press release.
1:04pm: The Grizzlies have reached an agreement on a training camp deal with undrafted free agent Doral Moore, reports Jon Roser of the Memphis Grizzlies Radio Network (Twitter link). According to Roser, Moore is considered likely to join the Memphis Hustle after spending camp with the Grizzlies.
Moore is coming off a breakout junior year at Wake Forest in which he averaged 11.1 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 2.0 BPG with a .689 FG% in 31 games (25.5 MPG). An early entrant in the 2018 draft, the 7’1″ center decided to forgo his final year of college eligibility to go pro, but wasn’t selected in June.
Moore joined the Wizards for Summer League play, though he didn’t see much action in Las Vegas, averaging just 4.2 minutes per contest. Still, the Grizzlies apparently like him enough to bring him to camp and reportedly plan on making him an affiliate player for the Hustle. If Moore signs an Exhibit 10 contract with Memphis, he’d be in line for a bonus of up to $50K if he spends at least two months with the team’s G League squad.
Assuming the Grizzlies finalize their reported deal with Moore soon, he’ll become the 19th player on the club’s offseason roster, leaving one open spot.
Having traded Ben McLemore to the Kings in a deal for Garrett Temple, the Grizzlies were able to transform their shooting guard spot from an area of concern into a potential strength, contends Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com.
As Wallace notes, eight different players started at the shooting guard position for the Grizzlies last season, but there should be more stability in 2018/19. While the team may still take a committee approach to the two spot, Temple, Dillon Brooks, MarShon Brooks, and Wayne Selden provide a handful of solid options who possess different sets of skills.
Here’s more on the Grizzlies:
- After an unsettled contract situation and an ankle injury hindered JaMychal Green‘s development last fall, he’s healthy entering a contract year in 2018/19. However, it remains to be seen what sort of role he’ll have in a crowded Grizzlies frontcourt, according to Peter Edmiston of The Commercial Appeal, who speculates that trade whispers may follow Green throughout the season.
- The Grizzlies have made a conscious effort this offseason to make roster moves that will help the club recapture its old grit ‘n’ grind mentality. In a separate article for The Commercial Appeal, Edmiston explores whether or not it’s reasonable to expect a defensive-first roster to have on-court success in the modern NBA.
- Former Grizzlies two-way player Kobi Simmons, who was waived by Memphis on Tuesday, is on track to clear waivers today, assuming he goes unclaimed.
- For more notes on the Grizzlies, be sure to check out our team page for the club.
- According to Michael Wallace of Grind City Media, Grizzlies rookie Yuta Watanabe is a perfect developmental prospect for today’s NBA because of his combination of length, shot-blocking and three-point range. Watanabe, 23, is trying to become only the second Japanese player to see action in an NBA game.
The Grizzlies have waived Kobi Simmons, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports (Twitter link). Simmons had been on a two-way contract with Memphis.
Simmons played in 32 games for the Grizzlies last season, averaging 6.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 20.1 minutes of action per contest. He also spent time in the G League, playing for the Memphis Hustle where he saw 30.9 minutes per game during his 26 appearances.
Simmons went undrafted during the 2017 draft after playing just one season at the University of Arizona. He inked a two-way deal with Memphis last summer.
Even though Chandler Parsons is unlikely to ever live up to his contract, he still has value to the Grizzlies as a bench player, writes Peter Edmiston of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Parsons still has two seasons and more than $49.2MM left on the hefty deal he signed in 2016. He has collected nearly $46MM already while appearing in just 70 games.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff moved Parsons into a reserve role for much of last season and he responded with better numbers, including hitting 44% of his 3-point attempts off the bench, compared to only 29% as a starter. Edmiston notes that Parsons can be can be a stretch four in that role, and his passing and shooting make him an effective complement to the Grizzlies’ other big men.
- Deyonta Davis‘ poor performance in this year’s Summer League convinced the Grizzlies he would never be a productive center for them, according to Michael Wallace of NBA.com. Memphis gave Davis a three-year contract after drafting him in the second round in 2016, but he never lived up to the promise the organization saw in him. Davis played 98 games in two seasons, averaging 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per night, before being shipped to the Kings last month. Memphis has transformed its front line since February by parting with Davis, Jarell Martin and Brandan Wright.
- Brad Jones has been named as the new head coach of the Grizzlies‘ G League affiliate, the team announced today. He won a G League title in 2012 as head coach in Austin and led Utah to the finals in 2009. In his last job, Jones served as general manager for the G League Iowa Wolves and as a scout for the Timberwolves.