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2021/22 NBA G League Draft Results

October 23rd, 2021 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League held its draft for the 2021/22 season on Saturday afternoon.

The 28 G League teams affiliated with NBA teams participated in the event, with the G League Ignite and Mexico City Capitanes sitting it out. The Ignite and Capitanes will be taking part in the NBAGL’s Showcase Cup this fall, but won’t be part of the 36-game regular season that tips off in late December.

The first player selected in today’s draft was former St. John’s point guard Shamorie Ponds, who was picked by the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers‘ G League affiliate. Ponds has a little NBA experience, having appeared in four games as a rookie in 2019/20 while on a two-way contract with Toronto.

Among the other notable picks were Nate Darling by the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario at No. 5 and LiAngelo Ball by the Greensboro Swarm at No. 14. Last week, the Clippers and Hornets signed and waived Darling and Ball, respectively, in an effort to secure their affiliate rights, but were unable to get those rights for procedural reasons. The two teams had to use the draft to make sure they landed those players.

The Knicks also signed and waived veteran guard Brandon Knight during the preseason and were unable to get his affiliate rights due to a procedural issue. However, Westchester passed on Knight with the No. 4 overall pick today, and the Heat‘s affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, snatched him up at No. 6. We’ll see if Knight is no longer in the Knicks’ plans or if the Skyforce intend to trade his rights to Westchester.

Lance Stephenson to the Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets) at No. 13 and Dwyane Wade‘s son Zaire Wade to the Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz) at No. 10 were a couple of the other notable picks that played out as expected.

Here are the full 2021/22 G League draft results:

Round One:

Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): Shamorie Ponds
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Tyler Hagedorn
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Gabe York
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Justin Turner
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers): Nate Darling
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Brandon Knight
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Eddie Stansberry
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Jaylen Johnson
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Michael Gbinije
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Zaire Wade
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Loudon Love
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Alan Griffin
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Lance Stephenson
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): LiAngelo Ball
Lakeland Magic (Magic): TJ Haws
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): B.J. Taylor
Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Scottie Lindsey
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Isaiah Ross
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Ruot Monyyong
Lakeland Magic (Magic): Marlon Stewart
Stockton Kings (Kings): Joe Young
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Samir Doughty
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Chudier Bile
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Rodney Pryor
Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Tim Bond
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Tyree White
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Montell McRae
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Cullen Russo

Round Two:

Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Karim Mane
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Kalob Ledoux
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Gerard Tarin
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): Barra Njie
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Tahj Eaddy
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Trevon Duval
Lakeland Magic (Magic): Gary Chivichyan
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Ryan Daly
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Keaton Wallace
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Pedro Bradshaw
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Alexis Wangmene
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Ian DuBose
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Mike Smith
Lakeland Magic (Magic): Jaire Grayer
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Blake Francis
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Jack Pagenkopf
Lakeland Magic (Magic): Devonte Patterson
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Jordan Allen
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Devearl Ramsey
Long Island Nets (Nets): Chris Walker
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Eric Demers
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Derrick Griffin
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): JaQuan Lyle
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Jachai Taylor
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Lydell Elmore
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Ikenna Ndugba
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Tevin King
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers): Kammeon Holsey

Round Three:

South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Elijah Cain
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Landon Taliaferro
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Will Vorhees
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Asante Gist
Stockton Kings (Kings): Princepal Singh
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Trevor John
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Tristan Jarrett
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Devon Baulkman
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Jaylen Bland
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): J.C. Show
Austin Spurs (Spurs): No pick
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): No pick
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Joel Ntambwe
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Lamonte Bearden
Stockton Kings (Kings): No pick
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Lindsey Drew
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Artur Labinowicz
Long Island Nets (Nets): Jaylen Fisher
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers): Randy Onwuasor
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Seth Allen
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Jovan Mooring
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Jermaine Haley
Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Kerwin Roach
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Isaiah Blackmon
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Marlon Taylor
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Jimond Ivey

Teams will fill out their rosters with affiliate players, returning-rights players, tryout players, and players who are assigned to the G League from the NBA roster (including those on two-way contracts).

G League training camps open on Monday, with the Showcase Cup tournament tipping off on November 5.

Vaccaro Examines Toppin's Promising 2021/22 Debut

October 22nd, 2021 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post takes a closer look at Obi Toppin‘s promising sophomore-season debut and what it could mean for the Knicks if Tom Thibodeau becomes comfortable regularly playing the former lottery pick alongside fellow power forward Julius Randle.

Fournier, Randle Shine In Opener

October 21st, 2021 at 6:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks guard Evan Fournier made an impressive debut against his former team, posting 32 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists in a double OT victory over the Celtics on Wednesday. Fournier struggled with his shooting in preseason games, but coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t fazed, according to Zach Brazilier of the New York Post. “I was never worried about him making shots,” he said. “To me, he has proven throughout his career that that is who he is.” Fournier was acquired in a sign-and-trade with his four-year contract worth up to 78MM.

Walker "Just Needed Someone To Believe In Me"

October 20th, 2021 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown, who had been sidelined due to a positive COVID-19 test, will be in the starting lineup against the Knicks tonight, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. Brown said he experienced “some mild symptoms for the most part” and used meditation to recover from the virus. He’ll have an inhaler at the ready if he has any breathing issues. Al Horford, who also recently contracted COVID-19, remains sidelined to start the season, though head coach Ime Udoka said the veteran center is doing well physically.
New York native Kemba Walker is thrilled to be playing for his hometown team at last, Bontemps writes in a separate story. He’s hoping to prove the knee issues that plagued him with Boston won’t be a major factor with the Knicks. “Perfect timing. [I’m] really motivated,” he said. “Super excited that these guys have belief in me. I just need somebody to believe in me.”

Robinson Working His Way Into Shape

October 18th, 2021 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Mitchell Robinson is still working his way back from a foot injury, though the young Knicks center plans to play in the team’s opener, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Robinson played in the Knicks’ preseason finale on Friday. “Once I get my conditioning back — that’s the main thing — so I can play all day, I’ll be all right,” he said.

Knicks Pick Up 2022/23 Options On Barrett, Toppin, Quickley

October 18th, 2021 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have picked up their fourth-year option on wing RJ Barrett, as well as their third-year options on forward Obi Toppin and guard Immanuel Quickley, reports Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link). The three options are for the 2022/23 season.

As a result of the moves, all three players will now have guaranteed salaries for ’22/23. Barrett will make $10.9MM, Toppin will make $5.35MM, and Quickley will earn $2.32MM, as our tracker shows.

Barrett will now become eligible for a rookie scale extension during the 2022 offseason, while the Knicks will have to make decisions on Toppin’s and Quickley’s fourth-year options (for 2023/24) a year from now.

Toppin struggled to make an impact as a rookie last season, averaging just 4.1 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 62 games (11.0 MPG), but Barrett and Quickley played key roles for a Knicks team that ended a seven-year playoff drought.

Barrett put up 17.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 3.0 APG in 72 games (34.9 MPG), while Quickley recorded 11.4 PPG with a .389 3PT% in 64 contests (19.4 MPG).

Knicks Notes: Fournier, Walker, Selden, Knight

October 16th, 2021 at 7:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks were 4-0 in the preseason, but everything didn’t go perfectly, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. One concern is the adjustment of free agent addition Evan Fournier, who is still trying to find his shot. He connected at just 35.5% from the field during the four games and 30% from three-point range.

New York gave Fournier a four-year deal worth up to $78MM to boost the team’s outside shooting. Coach Tom Thibodeau dismissed concerns about his preseason struggles, but said he wants Fournier and new backcourt partner Kemba Walker to be more assertive with the ball.

“(Fournier’s) too good of a shooter,’’ Thibodeau said. “I thought Kemba also was almost a little too unselfish. When the ball is coming to them, I want them to be who they are. I don’t want them trying to fit in and then they get themselves out of rhythm. I know they’re unselfish players by nature. Just be aggressive. Be who you are. When you have your shots, you take them, and that’s the way I want our whole team to play.”

There’s more from New York:

Today’s cuts mean Wayne Selden has a spot on the 15-man roster, but it might not last long, Berman tweets. Selden’s contract is non-guaranteed, and Thibodeau said the Knicks could decide to add someone who gets waived by another team (Twitter link).
After signing and waiving veteran guard Brandon Knight today, the Knicks intend for him to join their G League affiliate in Westchester, according to Ian Begley of SNY.tv. The 29-year-old was out of the league last season after playing a combined 25 games for the Cavaliers and Pistons in 2019/20.
The Knicks will have a different look this year, but expectations haven’t changed, per Steve Popper of Newsday. New York figures to have more firepower on offense with the new backcourt, and Julius Randle is looking forward to playing alongside two high-scoring guards. “Evan and Kemba, those are guys you really have to account for on the offensive end,” Randle said. “They can shoot, score the ball, make plays. Our biggest thing is we’ve got to continue to lock up every night, play defense. I’m excited about it. They’re obviously two experienced, veteran players who have accomplished a lot in this league and I think it will be great for us.”

Knicks Sign Luka Samanic To Two-Way Contract

October 16th, 2021 at 5:23pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 16: The two-way contract is official, the Knicks announced (via Twitter).

OCTOBER 15: The Knicks are filling the open two-way contract slot on their roster by signing former first-round pick Luka Samanic to a two-way deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Samanic, the 19th overall pick in the 2019 draft, had been under contract with the Spurs up until this week, but San Antonio was facing a roster crunch, with 17 players on guaranteed salaries and only 15 roster spots for the regular season. The 6’10” power forward, a victim of that crunch, was waived on Monday.

Samanic appeared in 36 total games in two years as a Spur, averaging 3.8 PPG and 2.2 RPG on .430/.294/.576 shooting in 9.9 MPG. Despite his modest numbers in San Antonio, the Knicks apparently see some untapped potential in the 21-year-old Croatian.

A two-way contract will allow Samanic to play in up to 50 regular season NBA games, so he’ll likely spend some time with the Westchester Knicks in the G League. Jericho Sims is New York’s other two-way player.

Knicks Cut Brandon Knight, Aamir Simms, M.J. Walker

October 16th, 2021 at 4:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have made their end-of-preseason roster cuts, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that the team placed Brandon Knight, Aamir Simms, and M.J. Walker on waivers. All three players are candidates to join the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate.

Having released Knight, Simmons, and Walker, the Knicks are now carrying 16 players, including 15 on standard contracts. Luka Samanic is expected to be signed to a two-way contract to fill out the 17-man regular season roster.

Of those 15 players on standard deals, only Wayne Selden has a non-guaranteed salary. The Knicks will essentially be paying Selden by the day to start the regular season, so they could move on from him at any time, if they so choose. However, head coach Tom Thibodeau has mentioned a couple times this fall that he’s been impressed with the veteran wing behind the scenes, according to Katz (Twitter link).

Knicks Sign Brandon Knight

October 16th, 2021 at 1:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks announced today in a press release that they’ve added free agent guard Brandon Knight to their roster.

Knight, 29, was the eighth overall pick in the 2011 draft and has appeared in 446 regular season games, averaging 14.1 PPG and 4.0 APG in 29.5 minutes per contest over the course of his NBA career. However, he hasn’t played for an NBA team since the 2019/20 season, pre-bubble. He saw action in 25 games for the Cavaliers and Pistons that year, posting 7.3 PPG and 2.8 APG in 18.5 MPG.

While we don’t know exactly what the Knicks’ plan is, most signings this week have been for G League purposes, so it’s possible the veteran will be waived shortly and will report to the Westchester Knicks, New York’s NBAGL affiliate.

Technically, the Knicks are only carrying 14 players on guaranteed contracts, leaving the 15th spot on their regular season roster up for grabs. However, it’d be a surprise if club handed that spot to a player signed this late in the preseason.