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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.

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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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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.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • 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.
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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.

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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.
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Draft Decisions: Dieng, Jovic, Besson, Kamagate, L. Miller, More

June 13th, 2022 at 12:52pm CST by Luke Adams

The players who declared as early entrants for the 2022 NBA draft have until 5:00 pm Eastern time on Monday to decide whether or not to keep their names in this year’s draft pool.

Since the NCAA’s own withdrawal deadline passed earlier this month, today’s deadline doesn’t have a real impact on most college players — if they were going to withdraw, they’ve probably done so already to avoid forgoing their remaining NCAA eligibility. However, today’s deadline is an important one for non-college prospects, including those who are playing in professional leagues in Europe and around the world.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has provided a series of updates on top international prospects who are finalizing their early entry decisions today. Let’s round them up…

(Note: The country listed for each prospect is where he has been playing, not necessarily where he’s from.)

Staying in the draft:

Dieng, the No. 12 player on ESPN’s big board, and Jovic, ESPN’s No. 24 prospect, are considered good bets to be first-round picks, so it comes as no surprise that they’ll remain in the draft. The other players in this list may not be first-rounders, but most of them have a good chance to be drafted.

Besson comes in at No. 38 on ESPN’s board, while Kamagate is No. 40. Procida is the 52nd on player on ESPN’s list, but has received “strong reviews” during the pre-draft process, according to Givony.

Samar, the No. 61 player on ESPN’s board, has also gained traction recently due to his strong workouts for teams and the fact that his NBA buyout is flexible and inexpensive, making him an appealing draft-and-stash option, Givony explains.

Santos is the No. 76 player on ESPN’s top 100.

Withdrawing from the draft:

Miller, the No. 43 prospect on ESPN’s big board for 2022, will sign with the G League Ignite, he tells Givony.

“My decision to withdraw from this year’s draft is based on what’s best for my long-term development,” Miller said. “With another year of development both on and off the court, I will put myself in an even better position for the 2023 draft. Going through the pre-draft process, I learned about what it takes to be a successful professional. Whether it’s the daily on-court work, off-court work, diet, or recovery, I have gained a much greater understanding of the habits it takes to get to the top of this field.”

Givony is bullish on Miller’s chances of boosting his draft stock for next year, tweeting that the young forward will likely be a top-20 pick in ESPN’s next 2023 mock draft.

Matkovic was the No. 60 prospect on ESPN’s board, while Ivisic was No. 63, which made them borderline candidates to be drafted. Strazel was unranked.

A total of 37 international prospects declared for the draft as early entrants and typically no more than about 10 or 15 of those players keep their names in the pool. In other words, it’s a safe bet that many more players on our list of international early entrants will withdraw by today’s deadline, even if it those decisions aren’t reported immediately.

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And-Ones: Henderson, Sessions, Point Guards, EuroLeague

June 13th, 2022 at 11:19am CST by Luke Adams

G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson has agreed to a multiyear endorsement deal with Puma that will be worth at least seven figures annually, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. It’s believed to be the most lucrative endorsement contract ever for a basketball player who is not yet eligible for the draft, Charania adds.

Henderson will play for the Ignite again next season before becoming draft-eligible in 2023 — he was the No. 2 pick in ESPN’s most recent ’23 mock draft, behind only French big man Victor Wembanyama.

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

  • Former NBA guard Ramon Sessions, who became an NBPA-certified player agent earlier this year, tells Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic that his experience working with the players’ union during his 11-year player career helped push him toward his new path. “It just made too much sense. I always was intrigued my whole career — being a union guy — wanting to know how a contract worked,” Sessions said. “Just wanted another challenge. Me doing this is no different than me being picked 56 (in the 2007 draft).”
  • Kyrie Irving and Jalen Brunson are the headliners of this year’s free agent point guards, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who believes point guard may be the strongest position in free agency this summer. Ricky Rubio, Delon Wright, Tyus Jones, Anfernee Simons, and Patty Mills are some of the other names near the top of Hollinger’s list.
  • Alex Madrid of Eurohoops.net names 10 current NBA players he believes are candidates to join EuroLeague teams for the 2022/23 season. Madrid’s list includes players originally from Europe, such as Ignas Brazdeikis and Vlatko Cancar, as well as U.S.-born players who have previous EuroLeague experience, like Matt Thomas and Anthony Gill.
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And-Ones: Gobert, Ibaka, Wembanyama, Ataman, Abogidi

June 1st, 2022 at 9:57pm CST by Rory Maher

Utah center Rudy Gobert, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, will compete for France in the FIBA EuroBasket tournament this summer, writes Yann Ohnona of French outlet L’Equipe (hat tip to BasketNews.com). Gobert said he had some concerns about his knee, but his MRI was clear so he’ll be ready to go in a few months (the event runs from September 1-18).

“It’s been a few days that it’s been clear in my head,” he said, per L’Equipe. “The process took some time. If I listened to myself, I would still be 200 percent to go, but in recent years I’ve had a few breaks because of knee pain.

“Once I had an MRI to ensure there was no problem, I was able to organize my summer. It was important that everything was clear in my head before I committed. The fact that Evan [Fournier] is there is a factor, I love going to war with him.”

Gobert helped guide France to a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

  • Veteran center Serge Ibaka, who’s an unrestricted free agent this summer, hopes to play for Spain at EuroBasket, as reported by Spanish journalist Marc Mundet (hat tip to BasketNews.com). Ibaka hasn’t played for Spain in international competition since 2014 at the FIBA World Cup. After undergoing back surgery last June, Ibaka struggled to regain his old form this season, averaging just 6.8 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 54 games (16.2 MPG) for the Clippers and Bucks.
  • French phenom Victor Wembanyama is the reason why NBA teams are already eyeing the 2023 draft, according to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, who says Wembanyama is the most hyped prospect since LeBron James and “would likely have rated as the top prospect in any draft in the past decade,” including 2022, were he eligible. The 7’3″ big man possesses a 7’9″ wingspan and a tantalizing combination of mobility and skill, Woo notes. Rival teams believe the Thunder will continue their losing ways for at least one more season to keep their hat in the ring for a chance to select the 18-year-old in ’23, Woo writes.
  • Turkish National Team head coach Ergin Ataman, who has led Anadolu Efes to two consecutive EuroLeague titles, has emerged as a candidate for an NBA assistant coaching job, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Ataman joked about joining Gregg Popovich‘s staff in San Antonio earlier this month after the long-time coach came to watch the EuroLeague Final Four, per Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.com. “Maybe after three consecutive final appearances, he (Popovich) thinks that let’s take one European coach to the NBA and help me go to the NBA,” Ataman laughed. “He’s a good friend of mine. He helped me a lot four years ago when I went to San Antonio. I stayed ten days with him. He’s an amazing person.”
  • Former Washington State center Efe Abogidi, who withdrew from the ’22 draft earlier today, is expected to sign with G League Ignite, reports Jeff Goodman of Stadium (via Twitter). The big man averaged 8.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.8 BPG in 37 games (20.9 MPG) for the Cougars as a sophomore last season.
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Atlantic Notes: Smart, Williams, Diop, Nets, White

May 26th, 2022 at 5:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics starters Marcus Smart and Robert Williams are listed as questionable for Game 6 on Friday, the team tweets. It’s the same injury designation they had for Game 5.

Smart wound up playing 24 minutes on Wednesday despite his right ankle sprain and Williams made it through 27 minutes on his sore left knee.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

  • DeSagana Diop is the new head coach of the G League’s Westchester Knicks, Marc Stein tweets. Diop was represented by Knicks president Leon Rose when Rose was a player agent. Diop has assistant coaching experience with the Jazz and, most recently, the Rockets.
  • It has been reported that the Nets will likely defer the first-rounder owed by the Sixers from this year to next summer. However, that doesn’t mean the Nets will hold onto it and draft a rookie next summer, according to Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney. They might instead use it to facilitate an in-season trade next season to address injuries or roster shortcomings.
  • The deadline deal that sent Derrick White from San Antonio to Boston has proven to be crucial to the Celtics in their postseason run, Brian Windhorst of ESPN notes. They have registered blowout wins in two of the three games Smart has missed during the playoffs and having White at their disposal was a key to those successes. The Spurs acquired Josh Richardson, Romeo Langford, the Celtics’ 2022 first-round pick, and the conditional right to swap first-round picks with Boston in 2028 in exchange for White.
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44 Prospects Announced For 2022 NBA G League Elite Camp

May 9th, 2022 at 2:40pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA G League has formally announced its field of 44 draft prospects for the 2022 NBA G League Elite Camp.

The event, which will take place May 16 and 17 in Chicago, “gives draft prospects an opportunity to display their skills in front of NBA and NBA G League scouts, coaches and front-office executives over the course of the camp by playing in five-on-five games and participating in strength and agility drills.”

The top performers from the camp will be invited to the NBA Draft Combine, which will take place from May 18-22 in Chicago. Some NBA players who have participated in past G League Elite Camps include Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, Pacers forward Oshae Brissett, Clippers wing Terance Mann, and Heat wing Max Strus.

Here’s the list of 44 draft-eligible attendees:

The list of attendees features 13 players on ESPN’s big board, notes Jonathan Givony of ESPN (via Twitter), so some players have a chance to be drafted.

The top-ranked prospect at the camp is Scheierman (No. 69), who averaged 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals on .508/.469/.802 shooting this season for South Dakota State (35 games, 33.3 minutes per contest).

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