David Stockton

Team USA Roster Announced For AmeriCup Qualifying Tournament

Twelve players have been selected to represent Team USA in the next phase of the AmeriCup Qualifying Tournament, USA Basketball announced in a press release. All 12 have at least some NBA experience, and seven have represented the U.S. in the past.

One of the most notable names is Robert Covington, an 11-year veteran who remains a free agent after spending last season with the Clippers and Sixers. This is the first USA Basketball experience for the 33-year-old forward.

Also on the team is big man Frank Kaminsky, who was with the Suns during training camp but was waived before the start of the season. Kaminsky was hoping to return to the NBA after playing for Partizan Belgrade in Serbia last season.

Veteran forward Keita Bates-Diop, who was waived by the Timberwolves before the season began, is another prominent name on the roster. Bates-Diop divided last season between the Suns and Nets.

Rounding out the team are Henry Ellenson, Dusty Hannahs, Nate Hinton, Jahmi’us Ramsey, Chasson Randle, Javonte Smart, David Stockton, Paul Watson and Malik Williams.

Team USA will play two games in Washington, D.C., hosting Puerto Rico on November 22 and the Bahamas on November 25. Training camp will begin Friday and will run through November 21.

Former Rockets head coach Stephen Silas will coach the team during competition windows in November and February. His assistants will include Patrick Ewing and Keith Smart.

The Americans went 1-1 in the first window, splitting their games with Cuba. They will travel to Puerto Rico and the Bahamas in February.

The qualifying rounds involve 16 teams that are divided into four groups of four teams each. Each team plays the other members of its group twice, with the top three from each group qualifying for the FIBA Men’s AmeriCup tournament, which will take place August 23-31 2025, in Managua, Nicaragua.

The qualifying games can be viewed for free by setting up an account on Courtside 1891.

Suns Sign, Waive David Stockton

SEPTEMBER 30: The Suns have waived Stockton, according to NBA.com’s official transaction log. His next stop is expected to be with the Valley Suns later this fall.


SEPTEMBER 28: David Stockton has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Suns, a league source tells Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link).

Phoenix’s new G League team acquired the 33-year-old point guard’s returning player rights in a trade on Friday, so the Valley Suns will likely be his next stop. If he spends at least 60 days with the G League club, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K.

Stockton has played extensively in the G League since his college career with Gonzaga ended in 2014. His NBA experience consists of three games with Sacramento during the 2014/15 season and three games with Utah in 2017/18. He has also played in Croatia, New Zealand, Germany and Puerto Rico.

Stockton’s last NBA opportunity came two years ago when he signed an offseason contract with Indiana.

The Suns had 20 players on their offseason roster, so no corresponding move was necessary to make room for Stockton.

And-Ones: G League Trade, Brissett, Future Power Rankings, Lowe

The Suns‘ and Pacers‘ G League affiliates have completed a trade involving a former No. 3 overall NBA draft pick, per a press release from the Valley Suns. Phoenix’s new affiliate acquired the returning rights to guard David Stockton from the Indiana Mad Ants in exchange for the returning rights to forward Garrison Brooks and former lottery pick Jahlil Okafor.

Brooks and Okafor were among the Suns’ picks in June’s expansion draft, but it’s unclear if either one intends to play in the G League at all in 2024/25 — they both competed overseas last season.

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

  • Free agent swingman Oshae Brissett is believed to be drawing interest from a EuroLeague team, according to a report from Sportske.net. As Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays, the Serbian outlet says that the Belgrade-based club Crvena Zvezda has its eye on Brissett as a potential target. The five-year NBA veteran, who won a title last season with the Celtics, has been on the lookout for a new home since he turned down his player option with Boston in June.
  • ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, and Tim Bontemps (Insider link) have published the latest installment of their annual “future power rankings,” which are based on each team’s projected on-court success for the next three seasons. The Thunder top this year’s version of the list, while the Celtics drop from No. 1 to No. 2 despite their 2024 championship, since their salary cap situation may get untenable in the near future. The Knicks (third) Sixers (fourth), Mavericks (fifth), Rockets (seventh), Timberwolves (eighth), and Spurs (10th) each rose five or more spots to claim a place in ESPN’s top 10.
  • Howard Beck of The Ringer sorts the NBA’s 30 teams into six separate tiers based on how clear their plans are going forward. The Nets and Wizards, in full-on rebuilds, are among the teams in the “ever-clear” top tier along with championship hopefuls like the Mavericks and Sixers, while clubs with less obvious goals, like the Hawks, Bulls, and Raptors, find themselves in the lowest “fun-house mirror” tier.
  • ESPN has laid off senior writer Zach Lowe, sources tell Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Lowe is the second noteworthy NBA reporter to depart the network in recent weeks, joining Adrian Wojnarowski, who unexpectedly announced his retirement from the news industry last week.

And-Ones: Lewis, Ignite, Best Draft Assets, RSNs

Veteran NBA referee Eric Lewis has retired, the league announced today in a brief press release (Twitter link). Lewis officiated more than 1,000 regular season NBA games over the course of his career and has worked several NBA Finals contests since 2019.

Back in May, the NBA opened an investigation into a possible Twitter burner account run by Lewis. The Twitter account, which has since been deleted, responded to many posts about NBA officiating to defend Lewis and other referees. League rules prohibit referees from publicly commenting on the officiating without authorization.

According to today’s announcement, since Lewis has decided to retire, the NBA has closed its investigation into his social media activity.

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

  • Having previously announced the prospects that are joining the program for the 2023/24 season, the G League Ignite issued a press release revealing the veteran players who will serve as mentors. John Jenkins and Eric Mika will be returning to the team and will be joined by former NBA guards Jeremy Pargo and David Stockton, as well as guard Admon Gilder, who has played in a handful of international leagues since going undrafted out of Gonzaga in 2020.
  • Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report ranked all 30 NBA teams based on their future draft assets, from the Thunder (No. 1) and Spurs (No. 2) to the Timberwolves (No. 29) and Suns (No. 30).
  • Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic takes a look at where things stand with the NBA and the Bally Sports regional sports networks after parent company Diamond Sports Group filed for bankruptcy. The league has been informed, according to Vorkunov, that Diamond Sports Group has the capital to honor its NBA commitments for the upcoming season, though one industry source told The Athletic that it’s a “very fluid situation.”

Pacers Sign Langston Galloway, Two Others

The Pacers have made some changes to their training camp roster, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed free agent guard Langston Galloway, forward Justin Anderson, and center Norvel Pelle.

Indiana previously had a full 20-man roster, so the team waived three players to make room for the new additions. Forward Bennie Boatwright and guards David Stockton and Gabe York have been cut and are on track to clear waivers on Sunday.

All three of the newly-added Pacers have NBA experience. Galloway, in particular, has appeared in over 450 regular season games, spending time with the Knicks, Pelicans, Kings, Pistons, Suns, Nets, and Bucks since entering the league in 2014. He has averaged 8.1 PPG on .397/.368/.816 shooting during that time, though he hasn’t played significant minutes since his last season in Detroit in 2019/20.

Anderson, meanwhile, has averaged 5.3 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 242 NBA games (13.6 MPG) for six teams, while Pelle has appeared in 40 total contests for five teams. Anderson last played for the Pacers on a pair of 10-day contracts near the end of the 2021/22 season; Pelle was released by Portland earlier this month.

Galloway’s contract is non-guaranteed, reports Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link). He may have an opportunity to compete with James Johnson for a spot on Indiana’s regular season roster. The team currently has 13 players on guaranteed salaries, plus Oshae Brissett on a non-guaranteed contract.

It seems safe to assume Anderson’s and Pelle’s deals are non-guaranteed too, though Agness suggests they’ll probably end up playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers’ G League affiliate. Boatwright, Stockton, and York are likely headed to Fort Wayne as well.

Central Notes: Bagley, Knox, Hayes, Pacers, Ball, Pistons

Breakout seasons from Marvin Bagley III, Kevin Knox and Killian Hayes would go a long way toward a much improved season for the Pistons, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. All three lottery picks have yet to fulfill their promise but could become part of the team’s core group if they establish a firm foothold in the NBA this season.

Bagley was re-signed on a three-year, $37MM deal this summer, while Knox received a two-year, $6MM contract after passing through two organizations. Hayes is entering his third year with the Pistons and projects as the second-unit floor leader.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • The Pacers announced the signing of forwards James Johnson and Bennie Boatwright and guards David Stockton and Gabe York on Friday. Hoops Rumors has learned Johnson was signed to an Exhibit 9 contract while Boatwright, Stockton and York signed Exhibit 10 deals. An Exhibit 9 contract must be for one season and for a minimum salary. Generally speaking, if a player only receives an Exhibit 9 clause and not an Exhibit 10, it signals he won’t be joining the team’s G League affiliate if he’s waived before the season begins. Johnson spent most of last season in Brooklyn, averaging 5.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 62 appearances (19.2 MPG).
  • Lonzo Ball‘s recovery from his persistent knee issues remains fluid, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago writes. The reason the Bulls haven’t officially put a timeline on Ball’s return is that they don’t really know when he’ll be back. Some days when Ball works out, everything seems fine. Other times, the knee flares up again. Ball, who hasn’t played since January, is doubtful for the start of the season.
  • The Athletic’s Zach Harper gives the Pistons a B-plus grade for their offseason maneuvers. Adding point guard Jaden Ivey with their lottery pick, then trading for another to snare center Jalen Duren were the highlights of their offseason moves, with only the Knox addition ranking as a head-scratcher, according to Harper.

Pacers Sign Kendall Brown, James Johnson, Three Others

The Pacers have officially announced a series of signings, confirming in a press release that they’ve signed second-round pick Kendall Brown to a two-way contract. Additionally, forwards James Johnson and Bennie Boatwright and guards David Stockton and Gabe York have signed with the club.

Brown, a 6’8″ forward who was selected with the No. 48 overall pick in this year’s draft, was one of the only remaining unsigned players in the 2022 class, besides those who will spend the 2022/23 overseas. The 19-year-old spent his first and only college season at Baylor in 2021/22, averaging 9.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.9 APG on .584/.341/.689 shooting in 34 games (27.0 MPG) for the Bears.

The Pacers were the NBA’s only team that had yet to fill one of its two-way contract slots, so even after signing Brown, the club has another two-way opening available.

Of the four veteran free agents to sign with Indiana, Johnson is the most notable. The 35-year-old spent most of last season in Brooklyn, registering 5.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 2.1 APG in 62 appearances (19.2 MPG) for the Nets. A 13-year NBA veteran, Johnson has a somewhat limited offensive game, but is considered a versatile, athletic defender. He was waived by the Nets just days before the regular season ended and should have an opportunity to make the Pacers’ regular season roster.

Boatwright and York played for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants – the Pacers’ G League affiliate – last season and look like good candidates to return to Fort Wayne in 2022/23. Stockton played in the G League last season for the Memphis Hustle, but his rights were acquired by the Mad Ants last month, so he’s also a good bet to play in Fort Wayne this season.

The Pacers now have a full 20-man roster. Assuming Johnson, Boatwright, York, and Stockton didn’t receive guaranteed contracts, the team has 13 players on fully guaranteed salaries, six on non-guaranteed deals, and Brown on a two-way pact. We can probably expect more roster turnover in Indiana in the coming weeks, since the club has reportedly reached Exhibit 10 agreements with several other players.

And-Ones: Antetokounmpo, COVID Policy, Wembanyama, D. Stockton

Giannis Antetokounmpo was a runaway winner as the NBA’s best player in an ESPN poll of 15 coaches, scouts and executives. The Bucks star collected 11 votes, with three going to NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry and one to LeBron James. Antetokounmpo tied with Kevin Durant for the top spot in the survey last year.

“He’s healthy, you can put the ball in his hands or play off the ball as a screen-and-roll guy, and his defensive effectiveness,” a Western Conference scout in choosing Antetokounmpo. “I think Durant is the most talented guy because of his shooting and scoring ability, [but] Giannis’ will, the human, the winner, the mentality, the everyday effort, raising the effort of guys around him … it’s hard to top that.”

The 27-year-old Antetokounmpo was also projected to be the league’s best player in five years, narrowly edging Luka Doncic, and he won a tight race to be named MVP for the upcoming season. In other significant categories, Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren tied as the best rookie in five years, Donovan Mitchell is almost unanimously expected to be with the Knicks by the trade deadline, the Celtics were picked as the team that had the best offseason and the Mavericks were tabbed as having the worst offseason.

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

  • The NBA has revised its health and safety protocols relating to COVID-19 for the 2022/23 season, tweets Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. Unvaccinated players will have to undergo coronavirus testing once each week, while vaccinated players will be tested only when they show symptoms. Isolation measures will be implemented immediately following a positive test, and face masks won’t be required in team settings.
  • French center Victor Wembanyama and G League guard Scoot Henderson top the projected 2023 draft class, according to Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype“Wembanyama is a physical freak who plays like a guard that can hit step-back shots and handle the ball,” a general manager told Scotto. “His durability is a concern. He’s not Kristaps Porzingis. I think he’s more talented. Defensively, he’s like Evan Mobley. Offensively, he’s like Porzingis.”
  • The Fort Wayne Mad Ants – the Pacers‘ G League affiliate – announced in a press release that they have picked up the returning player rights to David Stockton in a G League trade with the Memphis Hustle.

Team USA Sets Roster For August World Cup Qualifiers

Team USA will play a pair of qualifying games for the 2023 World Cup this month, squaring off against Uruguay on August 25 in Las Vegas and then facing Colombia on August 29 in Barranquilla, Colombia.

USA Basketball issued a press release today announcing its 12-man roster for those qualifying games. The following players will be representing the U.S. on a club led by head coach Jim Boylen:

McClung is the only member of the 12-man group who is currently under contract with an NBA team, having signed a training camp contract with the Warriors last month. However, everyone on the roster except for Ellison has appeared in at least one NBA regular season game.

Galloway and Jenkins are the most experienced NBA veterans on the roster. Galloway has 452 regular season games for seven teams under his belt, while Jenkins has made 171 appearances for five clubs.

Team USA has a 5-1 record through the first three qualifying windows, putting the squad in a tie for first place with Brazil atop Group F. After this month’s games, the remaining two qualifying windows are scheduled for November and February — teams will end up playing a total of 12 qualifying contests apiece.

The 2023 World Cup will take place in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia from August 25 to September 10 next year. Assuming its team qualifies – which looks like a pretty safe bet – USA Basketball is expected to send a roster of more accomplished NBA veterans to the event.

Joe Johnson, Langston Galloway Among Team USA Players For World Cup Qualifiers

USA Basketball has announced its 12-man roster for the next two qualifying games for the 2023 FIBA World Cup. The team, coached by Jim Boylen, will be made up of G League players and current free agents. Here’s the roster:

With the exception of Ryan, all of the players on Team USA have some NBA experience, though some are certainly more accomplished than others. Johnson has earned seven All-Star berths and has appeared in 1,277 career regular season games. Bell, Black, and Galloway have also each played in more than 160 career regular season contests.

The 2023 World Cup will take place in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia next August and September. Teams play 12 qualifying games before then — those contests take place across six windows, with World Cup hopefuls playing twice during each window.

Team USA went 1-1 in its first two qualifying games in November, defeating Cuba but losing to Mexico. Boylen coached that team and Bowen played for it, but the other 11 roster spots have since been turned over, with Isaiah Thomas among the players who aren’t back this time around. The new-look squad will face Puerto Rico on February 24 and Mexico again on February 27.

After this month’s games, the remaining four qualifying windows are scheduled for June, August, November, and next February. While the next two windows fall outside of the NBA season, the expectation is that USA Basketball will continue using G-Leaguers for the qualifiers before recruiting NBA stars for the event itself next summer.

As our JD Shaw reports (via Twitter), forward DaQuan Jeffries had been expected to be part of Team USA’s roster for this month’s qualifiers, but had to de-commit due to an injury.