NBA G League Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers’ G League Affiliate Gets New Identity

March 28th, 2018 at 10:47am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers’ G League affiliate will have a new name next season, the team announced today in a press release.

The franchise will be called the Delaware Blue Coats in honor of the 1st Delaware Regiment soldiers who fought in the American Revolution. Formerly known as the Delaware 87ers, the team’s uniforms will be the same blue color as Philadelphia’s with red and white trimming. The logo will depict Founding Father Caesar Rodney, who made a famous horseback ride in 1776 to cast a tie-breaking vote for independence.

The Blue Coats will play in a new, state-of-the-art field house located on the Wilmington riverfront. It will open later this year and can hold 2,500 people.

“It really puts the team in a more proper light to Delaware as well as 76ers fans,” Chris Heck, the Sixers’ president of business operations, told Rob Tornoe of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/26/18

March 26th, 2018 at 7:19pm CST by marksuleymanov

Here are Monday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

Lakers‘ rookie big man Thomas Bryant has been recalled from the South Bay Lakers, the team announced today . Bryant, 20, has averaged 19.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 37 G League games this season.
The Pacers assigned center Ike Anigbogu to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team’s G League affiliate, the team announced. Anigbogu has appeared in 10 games with Indiana, averaging 1.3 PPG and 0.9 RPG.

Raptors Open Up Spot On NBA Roster

March 26th, 2018 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Nigel Hayes‘ second 10-day contract with the Raptors expired overnight on Sunday, leaving the team facing a decision on whether or not to re-sign him for the rest of the season. According to Eric Koreen of The Athletic (Twitter link), Hayes is “done as a Raptor” for now, suggesting the club has no immediate plans to re-sign him.

Hayes, who also got a brief look from the Lakers on a 10-day contract this season, has accumulated 30 days of NBA service during his rookie season. However, the young forward only appeared in four total games for L.A. and Toronto, playing very limited minutes (4.3 MPG) in those contests.

Assuming he doesn’t receive another NBA deal from the Raptors or any other team, Hayes would likely return to the Westchester Knicks for the G League playoffs. The former Wisconsin standout has averaged 16.1 PPG and 6.7 RPG with a .451/.454/.744 shooting line in 38 games for New York’s NBAGL affiliate this season.

As for the Raptors, they’ll open up a spot on their 15-man roster, since they only have 14 players on guaranteed contracts. There’s no rush for Toronto to fill that open slot, but I’d expect the team to do so before the postseason gets underway. One option for the Raps would be to sign one of their two-way players – likely Malcolm Miller – to an NBA contract before the end of the regular season, making him playoff-eligible.

NBAGL Player Zeke Upshaw Passes Away After On-Court Collapse

March 26th, 2018 at 12:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Two days after collapsing on the court during a G League game, Zeke Upshaw of the Grand Rapids Drive has passed away, the team announced today (Twitter link). He was 26 years old.

“After continued efforts from the medical team at Spectrum Health, Zeke made his transition at 11:16 am,” Jewel Upshaw, Zeke’s mother, said in a statement. “To family, friends, teammates, coaches, fans & confidants, thank you for your prayers and support during this most difficult time.”

With about 50 seconds remaining in the Drive’s game against the Long Island Nets on Saturday night, Upshaw collapsed onto the court. He lay motionless on his stomach for several minutes before being taken off the floor on a stretcher. Upshaw was immediately transported to nearby Spectrum Hospital and was placed under doctors’ care, but passed away on Monday morning.

Although he never played in an NBA game, Upshaw was a key player for the Pistons’ G League affiliate in Grand Rapids, having appeared in 75 contests for the club over the last two seasons. The 6’6″ swingman had scored 11 points in Saturday’s win to help the Drive secure a playoff spot. Upshaw, who began his professional career in 2014, previously played college ball at Illinois State and Hofstra.

We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Upshaw’s family and friends, as well as to the Pistons organization.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/25/18

March 25th, 2018 at 4:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are Sunday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Rockets have recalled center Zhou Qi from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. The 7’1” center has made 14 brief appearances with the Rockets this season. He’s averaging 11.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 2.3 BPG in G League play.
The Raptors recalled forward Nigel Hayes from their Raptors 905 affiliate, the team’s media relations staff tweets. Hayes has appeared in 43 G League games this season, averaging 15.0 PPG and 6.1 RPG. He’s also made two cameo appearances for Toronto, which signed him to a second 10-day contract on March 16th.
The Timberwolves recalled rookie center Justin Patton from their Iowa affiliate, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The 7-footer averaged 12.7 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 1.4 BPG for the Iowa Wolves, who did not qualify for the G League playoffs. Patton has yet to make his NBA debut.
The Warriors recalled Damian Jones from the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team announced in a press release. The center has averaged 15.0 points and 8.1 boards in 44 games with the affiliate. Also, two-way forward Chris Boucher has also been recalled from Santa Cruz. He appeared in one game with the Warrior.
The Suns recalled veteran big man Alan Williams from their G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, as part of his rehab process in returning from a torn right meniscus, per an official press release.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/24/18

March 24th, 2018 at 8:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Saturday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Knicks have recalled rookie guard Damyean Dotson from their Westchester affiliate, the team tweeted. Dotson has played in 38 games for New York and is averaging 2.9 points per night.
Jaylen Johnson, who signed a contract with the Bulls earlier today, was assigned to Windy City, where he has spent the entire season, tweets K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/23/18

March 23rd, 2018 at 5:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Friday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

5:52pm:

The Kings have assigned former first-round pick Bruno Caboclo to their G League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, tweets James Ham of NBC Sports California. Caboclo, 22, has averaged 14.4 PPG and 6.5 RPG in 34 G League games this season; however, he has yet to suit up for the Bighorns, having been traded from Toronto earlier this season.

3:03pm:

Two young Lakers big men, Thomas Bryant and Ivica Zubac, have been assigned to the G League, according to a press release from the team. Bryant and Zubac are expected to play for the South Bay Lakers on Friday night against the Memphis Hustle.
The Magic have sent Rodney Purvis and Khem Birch to their G League affiliate, the team announced today (via Twitter). The duo figures to suit up on Friday night for the Lakeland Magic.
Rookie forward Damyean Dotson has been assigned to the G League, according to an announcement from the Knicks (via Twitter). Dotson will play for the Westchester Knicks – New York’s affiliate – in the club’s regular season finale on Friday night.
The Thunder have recalled Dakari Johnson from the G League, the team announced today in a press release. Johnson helped the Oklahoma City Blue pick up a victory on Thursday night by posting 23 points, 13 rebounds (11 offensive), and six assists vs. Austin.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/22/18

March 22nd, 2018 at 7:19pm CST by marksuleymanov

Here are Thursday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Thunder assigned rookie big man Dakari Johnson to their G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. Johnson has appeared in 29 games with the Thunder, averaging 1.9 PPG and 1.2 RPG.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/21/18

March 21st, 2018 at 6:18pm CST by marksuleymanov

Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Magic recalled 10-day contract recipient Rodney Purvis to their G League affiliate, the Lakeland Magic, per an official tweet from the team. Purvis, 24, has averaged 20.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 3.6 APG in 37 G League games this season.
Lakers‘ rookie big man Thomas Bryant has been recalled from the South Bay Lakers, the team announced today. Bryant, 20, has averaged 19.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 34 G League games this season.
The Warriors have assigned Damian Jones to the Santa Cruz Warriors, tweets Mark Medina of The Mercury News. The center has averaged 15.0 points and 8.0 boards in 43 games with the affiliate. Also, two-way forward Chris Boucher has also been assigned to Santa Cruz. He appeared in one game with the Warriors.

How End Of G League Season Affects Two-Way Players

March 21st, 2018 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

The 2017/18 league year represents the first time that NBA teams have had the opportunity to carry players on two-way contracts on their rosters. As such, the season has been something of a learning experience — with no history of two-way contracts to refer to, teams are figuring out in real time how to maximize the value of those two-way signings.

As we detailed last year in our glossary entry on two-way contracts, players on two-way deals are limited to 45 days of NBA service per season. That means a team can’t simply carry a two-way player on its active roster all season long — in order to maximize that player’s value, the club will likely transfer him back and forth between the NBA and the G League for much of the season, getting the most out of his days on the NBA squad.

However, there’s one crucial workaround for that 45-day limit. Here’s how it’s written in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement:

“If a player provides one or more NBA Days of Service before the first day of any NBADL training camp or after the final game of the player’s team’s NBADL Regular Season, such day(s) will not count toward the 45-Day Two-Way Service Limit.”

Again, we have no history of past two-way contracts to refer to, so we’re figuring out how those deals work as we go along this year, but the language in the CBA seems pretty clear — after a player’s G League team finishes its regular season schedule, the player is free to rejoin his NBA team without having to worry about the 45-day service limit.

The NBA G League schedule runs through the end of this week, with 22 of the league’s 26 teams playing their final games of the regular season on Saturday. That means that after Saturday, a player like Tyrone Wallace – who used up his 45 NBA days earlier this season – should be free to rejoin the Clippers. Meanwhile, someone like Quinn Cook, who is fast approaching that 45-day limit, will be able to stick with the Warriors without having to worry about that clock continuing to tick beyond Saturday.

Although two-way players should be free to play for NBA teams without service time concerns after this Saturday, they still won’t be eligible to participate in the postseason unless they’re signed to standard NBA contracts before the end of the regular season, as we’ve previously outlined. So if Golden State wants to have Cook on its playoff roster, the team will need to open up a roster spot and convert his contract before April 11.