NBA G League Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mojave King Signs With G League Ignite

August 8th, 2022 at 5:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mojave King has signed with the G League Ignite, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony tweets.

King, 20, averaged 18.0 PPG and 3.3 APG in the New Zealand NBL for the Zerofees Southland Sharks this summer. He’s also played for Adelaide and Cairns in the Australian NBL.

King, who was born in New Zealand, is an NBA Academy alumnus looking to improve his draft prospects by joining the Ignite.

Projected 2023 No. 2 overall pick Scoot Henderson has committed to play for the Ignite, as well as French wing Sidy Cissoko, 6’10” Canadian forward Leonard Miller and Nigerian Efe Abogidi.

At the NBA Academy Games in Atlanta in July 2019, King averaged a tournament-high 19.2 PPG. He turned down several Division I schools before signing with the NBL.

And-Ones: McCormack, Luxury Tax, OKC Blue, Harrison

August 2nd, 2022 at 10:03pm CST by Dana Gauruder

David McCormack has signed with Besiktas in Turkey, according to a team press release. McCormack was reportedly signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Timberwolves but apparently chose to begin his pro career in Europe.

The undrafted big man out of Kansas was a prominent member of the Jayhawks’ national championship team. He spent all four of his college seasons at Kansas, starting 96 of 132 total games. In 2021/22, he averaged 10.6 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 40 contests (21.9 MPG).

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A total of 10 teams are currently projected to collectively spend $650MM in luxury tax payments next season, according to Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. That would an NBA record for tax penalties. The Warriors, Nets, Clippers, Bucks, Lakers, Sixers, Celtics, Suns, Nuggets and Mavericks all project as taxpayer teams for the time being.
The G League’s Oklahoma City Blue will continue to play the Thunder’s Paycom Center next season, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman reports. The Blue also played there last season, having been the only G League team to host their games in an NBA arena. They often had to play late morning or early afternoon games with the Thunder playing there on the same night.
Former NBA swingman Andrew Harrison has signed with Yukatel Merkezefendi Belediyesi in Turkey, as JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors relays (Twitter link). Harrison has suited up with the Grizzlies, Cavaliers and Pelicans during his NBA career. In his last NBA season, he played a combined 16 games with Cleveland and New Orleans in 2018/19.

Central Notes: Bulls, Bucks, A. Antetokounmpo

July 28th, 2022 at 12:42pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls recently announced that they have promoted a number of members of their basketball operations department (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago). Those promotions and new titles are as follows:

Pat Connelly – Assistant GM
Faizan Hasnany – Manager of basketball strategy and analytics
Josh Malone – Assistant GM of Windy City Bulls (G League affiliate)
Steve Pankow – Head equipment manager and travel coordinator
Chigozie Umeadi – Director of basketball operations and GM of Windy City Bulls
Steve Weinman – VP of basketball strategy and analytics

Chicago has also added Shaquin Albrow to serve as senior manager of team services and player development.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic gives the Bulls a “B” grade for their relatively quiet offseason. Mayberry notes that the team was able to re-sign Zach LaVine, Andre Drummond was a solid and affordable bench upgrade at center, and Goran Dragic will be an insurance policy in case Lonzo Ball is still dealing with his knee injury when the season rolls around. Dalen Terry, the No. 18 overall pick of last month’s draft, also looks like a solid addition, but Mayberry expects him to spend a good amount of time in the G League as he works on adding muscle and improving his shot.
Eric Nehm of The Athletic covers a number of Bucks-related topics in his latest mailbag column. Nehm doesn’t believe Milwaukee will give veteran extensions to either Khris Middleton or Brook Lopez before the season starts — Lopez is entering the last year of his contract at $13.9MM, while Middleton has a $40.4MM player option for 2023/24. The 2023 offseason will be a crucial one for the Bucks, Nehm notes, because if Milwaukee fails to win the Finals, ownership might choose to dodge the luxury tax and retool the roster with the salary cap flexibility created by Lopez and possibly Middleton becoming free agents.
The Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks‘ G League affiliate, have acquired the rights to Alex Antetokounmpo and a second-round pick in the 2023 G League draft from the Raptors 905, Toronto’s affiliate, in exchange for the rights to Jalen Lecque, the Herd announced in a press release. The youngest Antetokounmpo brother appeared in a total of 23 G League games last season, but didn’t receive much playing time.

Central Notes: Sexton, Nwora, Turner, Hield, Sykes

July 25th, 2022 at 8:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Collin Sexton‘s foray into restricted free agency could drag on into training camp or even the regular season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Talks between the Cavaliers and Sexton’s representatives have reportedly reached a standstill after the Cavs offered close to $40MM over three seasons.

Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, Sexton’s agent, has shown no interest in settling for anything less than a “starting guard salary” in negotiations, Charania adds. Sexton, who missed last season after knee surgery, could sign his $7.2MM qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

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Bucks GM Jon Horst hopes that Jordan Nwora‘s restricted free agency works out for both parties, Eric Nehm of The Athletic writes. Nwora must first figure out if he has a market around the league. Then, he can either sign an offer sheet that would force the Bucks to match or inform the Bucks of that interest and see if a trade is feasible.
The Pacers will inevitably trade both Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, as they’ve embraced a full rebuild, according to Bob Kravitz of The Athletic. Team president Kevin Pritchard isn’t in a rush to deal either player, but the Pacers are serious about opening up cap space and accumulating assets.
The Pacers’ G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, traded Keifer Sykes‘ rights to the Pistons’ affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, in exchange for the rights to Derrick Walton and Deividas Sirvydis, along with a 2023 second-round pick, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files tweets. Sirvydis was a second-round pick by Detroit in 2019. The inclusion of the Cruise’s 2023 second-rounder signals that the Pistons and their affiliate expect Sykes to play in the G League in 2022/23. The 28-year-old appeared in 32 games with Indiana last season, averaging 5.6 PPG and 1.9 APG in 17.7 MPG.

Shareef O’Neal To Join G League Ignite

July 25th, 2022 at 5:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Shareef O’Neal, Shaquille O’Neal‘s son, is signing a six-figure contract with the G League Ignite, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.

The younger O’Neal went undrafted out of LSU, then played on the Lakers‘ Summer League squad. Just before the draft, Shareef said his Hall of Fame father was opposed to him leaving school early.

Shareef O’Neal played one season for UCLA, then joined the Tigers for two seasons. A 6’10” forward/center, he averaged just 2.9 PPG and 2.1 RPG in 9.4 MPG in 14 appearances with LSU last season.

In six Summer League contests, O’Neal averaged 4.7 PPG and 3.7 RPG in 10.9 MPG.

The Ignite is mainly designed for draft prospects who want to hone their skills on a professional level. O’Neal will try to improve his game at that level with the hope of catching on with an NBA team.

Sidy Cissoko Joins Ignite, Looks To Emulate Daniels

July 19th, 2022 at 10:54pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Potential 2023 first-round pick Sidy Cissoko has signed with the NBA’s G League Ignite, Jonathan Givony of ESPN reports.

Cissoko, a 6’7” wing, is currently ranked No. 25 in ESPN’s 2023 mock draft.

“We explored several options with my agents and I was convinced G League Ignite was the best opportunity to achieve my goals,” Cissoko said. “The ability of this program to maximize the potential of its players on and off the court convinced me. Even more, the tailor-made development program and opportunity to start my transition to the US game style, 3-point line and off-court life is a key asset. I felt during our conversations with the staff that I was a priority.”

Cissoko, 18, is the third-ranked prospect in his class in Europe beyond projected 2023 top pick Victor Wembanyama and Rayan Rupert, Givony says.

Cissoko was encouraged by the ascension of Australian Dyson Daniels in this year’s draft. Daniels boosting his draft stock dramatically during his season with Ignite and was selected No. 8 overall by the Pelicans.

“Dyson shows the ability of the G League to get international players drafted high,” Cissoko said.

Cissoko joins projected 2023 No. 2 pick Scoot Henderson on the Ignite’s roster, as well as 6’10” Canadian forward Leonard Miller and Nigerian Efe Abogidi, who was recruited out of the NCAA transfer portal from Washington State. The Ignite are eyeing several more international prospects.

Cissoko played this past season for Baskonia’s second team in LEB Gold and participated in the Nike Hoop Summit at Portland in April. He is currently practicing with the French under-18 national team in preparation for the FIBA U18 European Championship, which starts on July 30 in Izmir, Turkey. He’ll join the Ignite after the tournament.

G League Ignite Moving To New Arena In Nevada

July 15th, 2022 at 12:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

The G League Ignite franchise will move its operations to Henderson, Nevada, for the 2022/23 season, the league announced in a press release.

The franchise will play its home games in the Dollar Loan Center, a multi-purpose facility that opened in March and can hold more than 5,000 fans. The building also serves as the home arena for teams in the American Hockey League and the Indoor Football League.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Foley Entertainment Group, The Dollar Loan Center and the City of Henderson to create a new home for Ignite in a first-class facility near one of the world’s premiere and entertainment destinations,” said G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim. “With avid sports fans in the Las Vegas area who have quickly embraced their hockey, football and WNBA teams, we can’t wait for NBA G League Ignite to showcase its future NBA stars and exciting brand of basketball.”

G League Ignite was launched in 2018 as an alternative to college for young basketball players. The franchise played its first season in 2020/21 and has produced three top-10 draft picks in two years: Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Dyson Daniels.

The Ignite team now has a permanent location after training in Walnut Creek, California, last season and playing its home games in Las Vegas.

“NBA G League Ignite is another elite professional sports organization that we are thrilled to bring to the Henderson community and The Dollar Loan Center,” said Foley Entertainment Group CEO Kerry Bubolz. “These future NBA stars will get a first-class home and we know our fans will enjoy seeing such talented players in an intimate, family-friendly arena.”

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NBA G League

And-Ones: Walton Jr., Yat, FA Winners/Losers, GL Ignite

July 5th, 2022 at 8:50pm CST by Rory Maher

The Sydney Kings of the Australian NBL have signed guard Derrick Walton Jr. to a one-year deal that includes NBA outs, the team announced in a press release.

After going undrafted out of Michigan in 2017, Walton signed a two-way deal with Miami and appeared in 16 games. He’s bounced around a bit in subsequent years, appearing in a total of 45 NBA games with the Heat, Clippers and Pistons, holding career averages of 2.2 PPG and 1.4 APG in 11.2 MPG.

Walton, 27, spent the majority of last season with Detroit’s G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise, averaging 16.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 9.5 APG and 1.5 SPG on .505/.386/.813 shooting in 25 regular season games (36 MPG). He also had a brief 10-day hardship stint with his hometown Pistons, averaging 6.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 7.3 APG and 2.3 SPG on .231/.231/1.000 shooting in three games.

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Kok Yat, who wasn’t selected in the 2022 draft a couple of weeks ago and became an unrestricted free agent, plans to return to Overtime Elite next season, a source tells ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link). Yat’s deal with OTE includes a free out that can be used at any time to sign a two-way or 10-day contract with NBA teams, per Givony. Yat is ranked No. 36 on ESPN’s list of the best undrafted prospects.
Cydney Henderson and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (subscriber link) list their early winners and losers of free agency thus far. According to Henderson and Zillgitt, the Warriors and Nets are among the early losers, while the Timberwolves and Sixers are among the early winners.
Sources tell Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link) that the G League Ignite could be on the move. The Ignite squad is currently headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, but “are likely” relocating to Henderson, Nevada, a suburb of Las Vegas, says Spears.

Clippers Rename G League Affiliate

July 5th, 2022 at 1:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers have renamed their G League affiliate, formerly known as the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, to the Ontario Clippers, the team announced today in a press release.

According to the club, Los Angeles’ G League affiliate will continue to play its home games at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California through at least the 2023/24 season.

As Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times notes (via Twitter), the L.A. Clippers’ new Inglewood arena is scheduled to open in 2024, and while the main venue would probably be too big for a G League team, there will be other courts in the facility.

Given that the franchise’s basketball and business departments will operate out of the new Intuit Dome and the Ontario Clippers are only locked into playing in Toyota Arena through ’23/24, Greif wonders if the G League squad could eventually be relocated to Inglewood.

And-Ones: Gasol, Trade Cash, 2023 Draft, Ignite, Zizic

June 25th, 2022 at 7:03am CST by Luke Adams

It doesn’t appear that veteran center Marc Gasol will be making an NBA comeback this fall. As Johnny Askounis of Eurhoops.net relays, multiple reports out of Spain have indicated that Gasol intends to remain a member of Girona, the Spanish team he owns and plays for.

Girona competed this past season in Spain’s second-division Liga Española de Baloncesto, but has received a promotion to the top Spanish league, Liga Endesa, for the 2022/23 season. Having helped his team earn that promotion by averaging 14.5 PPG and 8.2 RPG this season, Gasol’s goal is now to actually play for Girona in Liga Endesa competition, according to Askounis.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (all Twitter links) has the details on the cash that changed hands in a few draft-night trades, reporting that the Magic received $2.15MM from the Lakers as part of the deal for the No. 35 pick; the Grizzlies sent $1MM to the Spurs as part of the swap for Kennedy Chandler‘s draft rights; and the Pacers got $1MM from the Bucks for selling the final pick in the draft (No. 58 pick Hugo Besson). That $2.15MM was the most Orlando could have acquired in a deal, as our cash tracker shows.
With the 2022 draft in the books, Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link) has already turned his attention to 2023, publishing an initial mock draft for next year. As Givony and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic write, the 2023 NBA draft looks like it’ll be the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
The NBA G League announced in a press release that Washington State center Efe Abogidi has officially signed with the G League Ignite, as expected. Meanwhile, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, five-star recruit Matas Buzelis, one of the top prospects in the class of 2023, has committed to the Ignite for the 2023/24 season.
Former NBA first-round pick Ante Zizic has officially signed with Turkish team Anadolu Efes following his departure from Maccabi Tel Aviv. Zizc, who received a two-year deal with a third-year option, appeared in 113 NBA games for Boston and Cleveland from 2017-20.