NBA G League Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: G League Ignite, Henderson, Wembanyama, Thornwell

December 27th, 2022 at 2:08pm CST by Luke Adams

After attending the G League’s Winter Showcase in Las Vegas last week, John Hollinger of The Athletic came away curious about the long-term future of the G League Ignite.

A handful of top prospects – like Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and Dyson Daniels – have played for the Ignite before entering the NBA draft in recent years, and current Ignite guard Scoot Henderson may end up being the best of the bunch. But many of the prospects on the Ignite’s roster only project to be borderline NBA players, as Hollinger observes.

“Why are we paying almost half a million (dollars) for a two-way guy?” one league source said to Hollinger.

Even if the Ignite were attracting only elite prospects, people around the NBA have questioned why the league is paying significant salaries to develop prospects who would simply develop elsewhere if the Ignite didn’t exist, Hollinger writes. The Ignite aren’t playing in front of packed houses and haven’t become must-see television relative to college basketball, where NIL money has helped the NCAA maintain a recruiting edge.

Hollinger adds that most people he has spoken to don’t believe the Ignite are particularly well coached or well run, with prospects like Jaden Hardy looking much better once he left the program.

For what it’s worth, Henderson told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype that he thinks his year with the Ignite has been good for him and that it has helped him develop “as a person” in addition to helping him develop as a player.

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

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Insider link) has updated his 2023 mock draft and provided fresh scouting reports for a handful of his non-lottery prospects, including UCF’s Taylor Hendricks, Ohio State’s Brice Sensabaugh, and Pepperdine’s Maxwell Lewis.
According to Givony, a number of NBA executives who attended last week’s G League Winter Showcase said they wouldn’t be surprised if Scoot Henderson, who is out with a nasal fracture, doesn’t play another game this season, since his spot near the top of the 2023 draft is already assured. However, Givony says G League Ignite officials “emphatically” shot down that line of thinking and said Henderson should be back on the court relatively soon.
Henderson is the consensus No. 2 prospect in the 2023 class behind Victor Wembanyama, who continues to impress fans and evaluators with his two-way talent. The young French star racked up 26 points and 18 rebounds for Metropolitans 92 in his last game of the calendar year on Monday (link via ESPN).
After signing in October with Frutti Extra Bursaspor, veteran guard Sindarius Thornwell has mutually parted ways with the Turkish team two months later, the club announced (via Twitter). Thornwell has appeared in 160 total NBA games, but hasn’t been in the league since 2020/21, when he played for New Orleans and Atlanta.

And-Ones: Suns’ Sale, Expansion, Udoh, Ignite, Warkentien

December 24th, 2022 at 10:47am CST by Luke Adams

There wasn’t a ton of trade chatter at the G League Winter Showcase in Las Vegas this past week, but the news of the Suns‘ sale to Mat Ishbia generated plenty of discussion, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. Specifically, the franchise’s $4 billion valuation raised eyebrows, given how far above recent projections it was.

As Hollinger explains, that eye-popping sale price led to speculation on two fronts. For one, there were conversations about whether other franchises could find their way onto the market — for instance, Paul Allen‘s estate appears content to exercise patience before eventually opening the bidding on the Trail Blazers, but it’s possible the Suns’ valuation could help expedite that process. Hollinger adds that there have also been whispers over the years about whether Michael Jordan will sell the Hornets.

Perhaps more importantly, the Suns’ high sale price could be good news for the prospect of NBA expansion. As Hollinger observes, the existing 30 team owners are more likely to agree to bring in two new partners if their cut of the expansion fee high enough to offset their losses from splitting the NBA’s TV deal and other sources of revenue 32 ways instead of 30 ways. The Suns selling for $4 billion increases the odds of expansion fees for teams in cities like Seattle and Las Vegas reaching the neighborhood of $4-5 billion, says Hollinger.

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

Former NBA lottery pick Ekpe Udoh is resuming his playing career in Japan, according to Alessandro Maggi of Sportando, who relays that the big man has signed with the Shimane Susanoo Magic. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Udoh appeared in 384 total NBA games, but hasn’t played in the league since the 2018/19 season.
Scoot Henderson wasn’t available for the G League Ignite during the league’s Winter Showcase event in Las Vegas this past week, but Jeremy Woo of SI.com got a chance to scout several other Ignite players, including London Johnson, Leonard Miller, Sidy Cissoko, and Mojave King. Woo shares several of his key takeaways on the Ignite’s non-Henderson prospects, identifying Miller and Cissoko as players who have a chance to be selected in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft (Johnson will be draft-eligible in 2024).
Veteran NBA executive Mark Warkentien, who won an Executive of the Year award in 2009 as the Nuggets‘ head of basketball operations, has passed away at age 69 (Twitter link via the Nuggets). Warkentien most recently worked in the league as a special assignment evaluator for the Thunder. We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to his family and friends.

And-Ones: OT Target Score, G League, Korkmaz, Bitadze

December 21st, 2022 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League has been experimenting this fall with its overtime period by using a variation of the “Elam Ending,” as Kevin Pelton writes for ESPN. Instead of following up regulation with a two-minute overtime period, G League teams have played to a target score — the first team to score seven points in overtime wins the game.

The NBA has used the Elam Ending in its All-Star Game in recent years and could explore the idea of adjusting its own overtime periods if the G League experiment gets positive feedback. As Pelton notes, the idea of playing to a target score in OT holds appeal because beginning from a tie makes the concept simpler, and it could help avoid prolonged double- or triple-overtime games that result in players logging heavier minutes than teams would like.

If the NBA were to adopt an Elam Ending for overtime, it would likely have to increase its target score to about 11 points to better approximate its five-minute overtime period, Pelton adds.

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

Alex Kenendy of BasketballNews.com spoke to NBA G League commissioner Shareef Abdur-Rahim about several topics, including whether the league plans to experiment with any other rule changes and whether expansion to international markets besides Toronto and Mexico City is in the cards.
Following an investigation into a confrontation between Turkish and Georgian players at a EuroBasket game earlier this year, FIBA announced discipline for a handful of the players involved, including Sixers guard Furkan Korkmaz and Pacers center Goga Bitadze. Both players were fined and have been placed on a three-year probation period for international competition. If they commit a similar offense during that probation period, Bitadze would be suspended five games and Korkmaz would be suspended for three.
In an Insider-only feature for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks takes a look at the trade restrictions, trade assets, and trade targets for all 30 NBA teams.

Nwaba’s G League Rights Acquired By Pistons’ Affiliate

December 18th, 2022 at 6:53pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ G League affiliate, have acquired veteran guard David Nwaba from the Lakeland Magic in exchange for Micah Potter and a second-round pick in the 2023 NBAGL draft, Marc Stein tweets.

Stein reported on Friday that Nwaba was signing a G League contract. Lakeland claimed him off waivers, then dealt him to the Cruise.

Nwaba spent the past couple seasons with Houston, but he was traded to Oklahoma City in September and subsequently waived before the season started. However, his contract for 2022/23 was fully guaranteed at just over $5MM, so the Thunder are paying his salary.

Nwaba is still free to sign with any NBA team. The G League Showcase takes place this week in Las Vegas, so the six-year veteran will be looking to make a strong impression with the Cruise ahead of January 5, when NBA teams can start signing players to 10-day contracts.

Potter is on a two-way contract with the Jazz. His G League rights were technically held by the Cruise, though he has been playing for the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s affiliate. If Potter gets waived by the Jazz or his contract expires, Utah loses any G League rights to Potter and Lakeland would control them.

Potter has appeared in two games for the Jazz. He has started 12 games for the Stars, averaging 14.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per night.

Shabazz Muhammad Signs G League Contract

December 17th, 2022 at 3:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent swingman Shabazz Muhammad, the No. 14 pick of the 2013 draft, has signed a contract to play in the NBA G League, sources tell Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).

Muhammad holds five seasons of NBA experience, primarily with the Timberwolves. He was released by Minnesota towards the end of 2017/18 and finished out the season with Milwaukee, but has been out of the league ever since.

Muhammad has been attempting an NBA comeback since at least March, if not earlier. He worked out for the Kings, Lakers and Warriors in the offseason, but was unable to land a contract.

The 30-year-old holds career averages of 9.0 PPG and 2.8 RPG on .473/.319/.751 shooting in 278 games (17.2 MPG). He played in China for a couple seasons after his NBA departure, and last season appeared in a pair of G League games during the Showcase Cup before joining a team in the Philippines.

As was the case with David Nwaba and Sterling Brown — a couple of veterans who recently signed their own G League deals — Muhammad is still free to sign with any NBA team — the move was made to try to impress teams and get another shot.

David Nwaba Signing G League Contract

December 16th, 2022 at 5:39pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent swingman David Nwaba is signing a contract to play in the NBA G League, sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link).

As was the case with Sterling Brown, who just signed his own G League deal, Nwaba is still free to sign with any NBA team — the move was made to prove to teams that he deserves another shot. The G League Showcase takes place next week in Las Vegas, so the six-year veteran will be looking to make a strong impression ahead of January 5, when NBA teams can start signing players to 10-day contracts.

Nwaba, who turns 30 next month, is known as a strong, athletic player who plays solid defense, but is fairly limited on offense. Across 237 career games with the Lakers, Bulls, Cavaliers, Nets and Rockets, he holds averages of 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds on .490/.320/.673 shooting in 19.3 minutes per contest.

The 6’5″ guard/forward spent the past couple seasons with Houston, but he was traded to Oklahoma City in September and subsequently waived before the season started. However, his contract for 2022/23 was fully guaranteed at just over $5MM, so the Thunder are paying his salary.

Sterling Brown Signs G League Contract

December 15th, 2022 at 7:44pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent wing Sterling Brown has signed a contract to play in the NBA G League, league sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link).

Brown is still free to sign with any NBA team after signing a G League deal — the move was made to prove to teams that he deserves another shot. As Stein notes, the heavily scouted G League Showcase takes place next week in Las Vegas, so the former second-round pick will be looking to make a strong impression ahead of January 5, when NBA teams can start signing players to 10-day contracts.

A five-year NBA veteran, Brown spent his first three seasons with Milwaukee. In the 2020 offseason, he signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Rockets and had a career year, averaging 8.2 PPG and 4.4 RPG on .448/.423/.806 shooting in 51 games (24.1 MPG).

His strong performance in 2020/21 led to a two-year, $6MM contract with the Mavericks, but he struggled to produce last season, averaging 3.3 PPG and 3.0 RPG on .381/.304/.933 shooting in 49 games (12.8 MPG).

Dallas traded Brown back to Houston in the offseason as part of the Christian Wood deal, and then he was rerouted to Oklahoma City at the end of September. The Thunder wound up waiving him before the 2022/23 season started, but his contract was fully guaranteed, so they’re paying his $3MM salary.

Central Notes: Love, Mitchell, Bulls, Ingles

December 10th, 2022 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Don’t expect Kevin Love to be on the move before this season’s trade deadline, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes in a subscriber-only mailbag. While the Cavaliers will likely peruse the trade market in search of a small forward upgrade, Love’s cap hit of nearly $29MM makes him unlikely to be dealt, according to Fedor, who points to Cedi Osman and Caris LeVert as more logical trade candidates for the team.

The Cavaliers and Love actually have mutual interest in extending their relationship beyond 2022/23, sources tell Fedor. Love will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, and Fedor wouldn’t be surprised if the veteran power forward ends up re-signing with Cleveland at that point on a “more reasonable number that works for both sides.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

The Cavaliers will be without Donovan Mitchell for a second consecutive night on Saturday due to right lower leg soreness, per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). Love, who is battling low back soreness, will also miss his second straight game.
The Bulls have no interest in acquiring Russell Westbrook from the Lakers, even if it means adding multiple draft picks, a source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times. While Cowley doesn’t explicitly say so, this report appears to be a response to the rumor about the Lakers internally discussing whether Chicago might become open to the idea of moving DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic for Westbrook and draft assets. Cowley acknowledges that the Bulls’ thinking could change before the February trade deadline, but says the focus for now is getting Lonzo Ball back and pushing for a playoff spot.
Bucks forward Joe Ingles, who continues to work his way back from an ACL tear, has been assigned to the Wisconsin Herd for a second time for practice reps, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Jordan Nwora and rookie MarJon Beauchamp were also sent to the Herd, Nehm notes.

Trey Burke Joining Kings’ G League Affiliate

December 9th, 2022 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent guard Trey Burke is headed to the G League, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who says (via Twitter) that Burke is joining the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s NBAGL affiliate. The move shows up in the NBAGL’s official transaction log.

Burke, 30, appeared in 42 games for the Mavericks last season, averaging 5.1 PPG and 1.4 APG in 10.5 minutes per contest while shooting a career-worst 31.7% on three-pointers. He was traded from Dallas to Houston in the Christian Wood trade, then flipped to Oklahoma City in an eight-player deal during training camp. The Thunder subsequently waived him, making him an unrestricted free agent.

A former ninth overall pick who has appeared in nearly 500 regular season games since making his NBA debut in 2013, Burke has some G League experience. He averaged 26.6 PPG and 5.3 APG on .489/.418/.831 shooting in 26 games (37.0 MPG) while on an assignment with the Westchester Knicks in 2017/18.

However, Burke was on an NBA contract with New York during that time, so this will be the first time he plays on a G League contract. His NBA rights won’t be held by the Kings — he’ll remain free to sign with any NBA team at any time if an offer comes along.

Burke is the second former lottery pick this week to enter the G League this week. Stanley Johnson has been acquired by the Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s affiliate.

Stanley Johnson Joins Heat’s G League Affiliate

December 9th, 2022 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

Free agent forward Stanley Johnson has signed a contract to return to the G League and has officially joined a new team. The Sioux Falls Skyforce, Miami’s affiliate, announced in a press release that they’ve acquired Johnson from the NBAGL’s available player pool, waiving former South Dakota standout Tyler Hagedorn to complete the transaction.

The eighth overall pick in the 2015 draft, Johnson appeared in 48 games for the Lakers last season, starting 27 of them. He averaged 6.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 1.7 APG on .466/.314/.716 shooting in 22.8 minutes per contest.

Johnson’s contract included a minimum-salary team option for 2022/23, which the Lakers picked up, but he was flipped to Utah along with Talen Horton-Tucker later in the offseason in the trade that sent Patrick Beverley to Los Angeles. Johnson then became a victim of a roster crunch in Utah — the Jazz waived him at the end of the preseason when they had to reduce their roster to 15 players on standard contracts.

With no NBA opportunities presenting themselves since Johnson became an unrestricted free agent in October, he’ll head back to the G League to try to prove that he deserves another shot at the NBA level.

The 26-year-old began last season with the South Bay Lakers before earning a call-up. This time around, he’ll play for the Heat‘s G League affiliate. Although Sioux Falls now holds Johnson’s NBAGL rights, he remains an NBA free agent with the ability to sign with any team at any time.