Chris McCullough Rumors

Central Notes: Cavs, Simmons, Bucks, Pistons

September 23rd, 2021 at 2:12pm CST by Rory Maher

Given how frequently the Cavaliers have been linked to Ben Simmons during the past few months, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com contemplates what it might take for the Cavs to acquire Simmons — and whether they should.

Fedor notes that the Cavaliers, as currently constructed, aren’t an ideal fit for a player with Simmons’ skill set, because they lack the shooters necessary to open the floor for his open-court driving and passing. So even if they did acquire him, they would almost certainly have to make more moves in order to build the team around him.

Fedor speculates that a package of Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, and a pair of protected first-round picks might not entice the 76ers more than other offers they’ve received, or ones they could receive in the weeks ahead. He also adds that while the Cavs have no “untouchables” on the roster, rookie Evan Mobley and improving point guard Darius Garland are the closest bets, and are considered very unlikely to be moved.

Fedor says that there are ultimately more questions than answers to the issue of whether the Cavs should go all-in for Simmons, adding that the team should be patient in its approach to see if the 76ers’ asking price might lessen over time. The article is worth checking out in full.

There’s more from the Central division:

The Bucks recently held a free-agent minicamp for their last remaining training camp spot, per our JD Shaw (Twitter link). Former NBA players Allonzo Trier, Antonio Blakeney, Chris McCullough and Josh Gray were among the participants. The Bucks currently only have 13 players with fully guaranteed contracts, so winning a training camp battle could very well be a viable pathway to making the team.
The Bucks‘ G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd, recently named Chaisson Allen as their new head coach. Allen was a highly regarded college player for Northeastern and spent five seasons playing internationally. He spent last season as an assistant for the Long Island Nets. In the same press release, the Herd also announced that Tony Bollier will serve as the team’s general manager and Arte Culver will be the new assistant general manager.
Keith Langlois of Pistons.com explores what the Pistons should do with their open roster spot. The team currently has 14 players under guaranteed contracts after acquiring and buying out DeAndre Jordan. Langlois posits the team could convert Luka Garza from a two-way contract to the main 15-man roster, though the plan is for him to spend significant time in the G league. Langlois notes that converting Garza would free up a two-way spot for summer league standout Jamorko Pickett, who’s currently on an Exhibit 10 deal. Langlois also says the team could keep the spot open for maximum roster flexibility, perhaps adding a 15th man later in the season.

And-Ones: McCullough, Hayes, Auguste, Udoh, Lofton

July 18th, 2021 at 6:46pm CST by JD Shaw

Former Nets forward Chris McCullough, the 29th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, is eyeing a return to the NBA this year, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. McCullough is currently training for The Basketball Tournament with Boeheim’s Army.

“I’m still athletic and stuff like that. But I do way more than dunk now,” said McCullough, who played 40 games with Brooklyn from 2015-17 and 21 games with Washington from 2017-18. “I can block shots. I can handle the ball. I have range. I can create my own shot now. So it will be very different.”

McCullough’s TBT team is set to start playing on Saturday. The 26-year-old has received interest for the Las Vegas Summer League next month, sources said. He also told the Daily News that he has upcoming workouts scheduled with multiple NBA teams.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

EuroLeague players Nigel Hayes and Zach Auguste will work out for the Celtics this week, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter link). Hayes, a 6’8″ power forward, holds nine games of NBA experience and last played in Lithuania. As for Auguste, a 6’10” big man, he’s spent most of his career overseas and most recently played in Greece.
Free agent center Ekpe Udoh has signed a two-year contract with Virtus Bologna in Italy, the team announced. Udoh, the No. 6 pick in 2010, has appeared in 384 NBA games with four teams. He most recently played in China.
Former Pistons two-way player Zach Lofton has signed in Kuwait with Kazma Sport Club, Nicola Lupo of Sportando tweets. Lofton is a 28-year-old guard who went undrafted in 2018.

And-Ones: White, McCullough, Bolmaro, Orlando Reunions

August 31st, 2020 at 8:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Forward Okaro White has signed with Russia’s BC UNICS Kazan, the team tweets. White played for the Nets’ G League team this season before suffering a season-ending ankle injury. White was waived by the Wizards in December and playing a couple of seasons with the Heat.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Another former NBA forward, Chris McCullough, is finalizing an agreement with Lithuania’s Rytas Vilnius, Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas tweets. The Nets drafted McCullough with a late first-round pick in 2015 and he appeared in 59 games, most recently 10 with the Wizards during the 2017/18 season.
Argentinian shooting guard Leandro Bolmaro, a potential first-round pick, is planning to stay in Barcelona next season, Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays. His overseas contract doesn’t expire until 2023, though it has NBA outs. The 6’7” Bolmaro is currently ranked No. 23 by ESPN. Bolmaro’s decision to remain overseas could make him attractive to cost-conscious clubs as a draft-and-stash prospect.
The NBA is now allowing select family members to enter the Orlando campus during the second round of the playoffs. That’s a cause for celebration and relief for many players, as Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated details.

And-Ones: Warrick, McCullough, Early, Rozier

November 13th, 2018 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Former first-round pick Hakim Warrick has logged 526 regular season NBA games over an eight-year career, but has been out of the Association since the 2012/13 campaign, bouncing around various international leagues since then. In a span of just five years, Warrick played for teams in China, Turkey, Australia, Greece, Puerto Rico, Lebanon, and Israel.

Now, as Adam Zagoria details in a piece for Forbes.com, Warrick is giving the G League a try for the first time as he makes one more push for an NBA roster spot. At age 36, the veteran forward is a long shot to earn a contract offer from an NBA team, but believes he could offer “wisdom and experience” in a locker room — as well as still being able to play a little.

In five games so far this season for the Iowa Wolves, Warrick has recorded 9.2 PPG and 6.4 RPG with a .577 FG% in 18.5 MPG. He’s hoping that his play in the G League will earn him a look, telling Zagoria, “It (the G League) just seems the way to go if you want to try to get back in the NBA.”

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

Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays a pair of international roster moves, tweeting that Chris McCullough‘s one-month deal with Shanxi in China has expired, and writing that Japan’s Tokyo Hachioji Trains have signed Cleanthony Early. McCullough, a 2015 first-round pick, spent time with the Wizards last season, while 2014 second-rounder Early last played in the NBA in 2015/16 for the Knicks.
Preparing for the possibility of the Celtics making Terry Rozier available in trade talks later this season, Frank Urbina of HoopsHype identifies four possible landing spots for the point guard, exploring the potential fit for the Knicks, Suns, Magic, and Spurs.
In an interesting feature for ESPN.com, Kevin Arnovitz explores the ways in which NBA teams have begun to add major revenue streams entirely unrelated to basketball to their operations.

Chris McCullough Expected To Replace Trevor Booker On Chinese Team

October 8th, 2018 at 3:57pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after being waived by the Pistons, former first-round pick Chris McCullough appears to have lined up a new professional opportunity.

According to a pair of reports from Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, McCullough is poised to sign with the Shanxi Brave Dragons in China, replacing veteran NBA forward Trevor Booker, who is said to be parting ways with the club.

Booker, who reached a one-year agreement with Shanxi two months ago, reportedly signed a one-year contract worth $2MM plus incentives. It’s not clear why the union between the two sides is coming to such an early end, but if Booker is officially released and receives FIBA clearance, he’ll be a candidate to join an NBA team at some point this season. He’s said to have received interest from the Cavaliers, Heat, and Timberwolves before signing with Shanxi.

As for McCullough, the former Nets and Wizards forward joined the Pistons for training camp, but was released by Detroit on Sunday. The 23-year-old, who was drafted 29th overall in 2015, has appeared in 59 total regular season games for Brooklyn and Washington, averaging 3.3 PPG and 1.9 RPG in 9.0 minutes per contest.

Assuming he finalizes a deal with Shanxi, McCullough will get an opportunity for more playing time in China. He’ll clear waivers on Tuesday if no NBA team places a claim.

Pistons Waive Chris McCullough

October 7th, 2018 at 5:02pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

The Pistons have announced in a press release that they waived forward Chris McCullough. McCullough was signed to Detroit’s training camp roster on September 25, but did not see any time in the team’s first two preseason games.

After being drafted with the 29th pick in the 2015 draft out of Syracuse University, McCullough has appeared in 59 NBA games with the Nets and Wizards. For his career, the 23-year-old forward has averaged 3.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He’ll now look to find his footing in the NBA on another team or in the G League.

The Pistons entered the preseason with 15 players on guaranteed contracts and two on two-way deals, so McCullough was always a long shot to make the regular season roster. The club is now carrying 19 players in total, including Zach Lofton and Johnny Hamilton on non-guaranteed contracts.

Pistons Sign Chris McCullough To Camp Deal

September 25th, 2018 at 9:33am CST by marksuleymanov

SEPTEMBER 25: The Pistons have officially signed McCullough, the team announced today in a press release.

SEPTEMBER 23: The Pistons are signing power forward Chris McCullough to a training camp deal, according to James Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link).

McCullough, 23, appeared in 19 games with the Wizards last season, averaging 2.4 PPG and 1.3 RPG. He entered unrestricted free agency this summer and played for the Sixers’ Summer League squad.

The Nets drafted McCullough in the first round (29th overall) of the 2015 NBA Draft. The Syracuse product appeared in 38 games over parts of two seasons with Brooklyn before he was traded to Washington — along with Bojan Bogdanovic — in February 2017.

Most of the Syracuse product’s professional time has been spent in the G League as he’s appeared in 55 games over the past two seasons.

FA Rumors: Grant, Scott, George, McCullough

June 29th, 2018 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls, Pacers, and Magic are among the teams expected to push the Thunder for free agent forward Jerami Grant, a source tells Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Grant emerged as a key bench piece for Oklahoma City in 2017/18, averaging 8.4 PPG and 3.9 RPG with a .535 FG%. However, the Thunder may be hard-pressed to retain him if Paul George returns, since the club would be well over the tax line, making a competitive offer for Grant worth exponentially more expensive due to potential tax penalties.

Here are a few more notes and rumors on free agency, with the new NBA league year just two days away:

The Wizards are hoping to re-sign Mike Scott in free agency, but the veteran forward is expected to draw significant interest on the open market, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Hughes suggests that as many as 10 teams are preparing to reach out to Scott’s representatives.
In an interesting piece for ESPN.com, Royce Young takes an in-depth look at the Thunder‘s year-long recruitment of Paul George, explaining how the club has put itself in position to be a serious suitor for the star forward this offseason.
Wizards forward Chris McCullough, who will become an unrestricted free agent on Sunday, has committed to playing for the Sixers‘ Summer League team, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer details.
Coming off a big EuroLeague season, James Nunnally is re-testing the NBA market, according to international basketball reporter David Pick, who tweets that Nunnally worked out for the Trail Blazers and will also get a look from the Timberwolves.
One player agent who spoke to Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype said he’s worried that many agents will be fired this summer as a result of a tight market. “It’s going to be the worst free-agent market in terms of money that I’ve seen since I started working as an agent,” the agent said. “It’s going to be a very, very difficult summer for anyone who isn’t getting a max contract.” ESPN’s Kevin Pelton took a closer look at the team-friendly market and identified a few free agents who might get squeezed.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/14/18

March 14th, 2018 at 9:00pm CST by Luke Adams

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

9:00 pm:

The Pacers have recalled Alex Poythress from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to the team’s website. The Kentucky product has played in seven G League games this season where he averaged 20.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

4:56 pm:

For the second consecutive day, the Jazz sent Dante Exum to the G League and then recalled him later in the day, the team announced in a press release. The former fifth overall pick is preparing for his return from a shoulder injury by practicing with the Salt Lake City Stars.
The Lakers have assigned rookie big man Thomas Bryant to the G League, according to the club (Twitter link). Bryant, who has averaged 19.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 32 G League games this season, is expected to suit up for the South Bay Lakers on Thursday night when they host the Agua Caliente Clippers.
Chris McCullough, who had been playing for the Northern Arizona Suns, was recalled today by the Wizards and then re-assigned to the Erie BayHawks, according to the team. Washington doesn’t have a G League affiliate of its own this season, so McCullough is eligible to play for other G League squads via the flexible assignment rule.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/4/18

March 4th, 2018 at 4:58pm CST by marksuleymanov

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

The Spurs have assigned guard Derrick White to their G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs, the team announced today in a press release. White has averaged 2.5 PPG and 1.4 RPG in 16 games with San Antonio this season.
The Bucks recalled rookie power forward D.J. Wilson from the Wisconsin Herd, the team announced on its Twitter feed. The first-round pick is averaging 14.9 PPG and 5.2 RPG in nine G League games.
The Wizards have assigned third-year forward Chris McCullough to the G League, according to the team. Washington doesn’t have a G League team of its own, so McCullough will join Phoenix’s affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns. He has appeared in 12 games with Northern Arizona this season.