Eugene Omoruyi Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Raptors Notes: Barnes, Brown, Walter, Olynyk, Poeltl, More

November 20th, 2024 at 1:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Raptors star Scottie Barnes, who has been out since October due to an orbital bone fracture, appears to be nearing a return. The All-Star forward has been cleared for contact and was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link), who says it sounds like Barnes will be listed as questionable to play vs. Minnesota on Thursday.

Although Barnes’ right eye is still red, he told reporters that he’s no longer feeling pain in the eye like he was in the days after the injury. His plan is to wear protective goggles as a precaution, which he admitted is “going to take some getting used to” (Twitter link via Lewenberg).

Two more injured Raptors players fully participated in practice on Wednesday too, according to Lewenberg (Twitter link), though he says Bruce Brown (knee) and Ja’Kobe Walter (shoulder) will require longer ramp-up periods than Barnes. That’s especially true for Brown, who has been on the shelf since undergoing knee surgery in September.

Kelly Olynyk (back) and Immanuel Quickley (elbow) remain sidelined for Toronto, but Olynyk was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday, Lewenberg adds.

We have more on the Raptors:

While Toronto’s decision to trade a lightly protected 2024 first-round pick in a package for Jakob Poeltl at the 2023 deadline looks like a mistake in retrospect, that’s certainly no fault of the veteran center, who has been playing some of the best basketball of his career as of late, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Poeltl is averaging career highs in points (17.1) and rebounds (11.9) per game this season and has been more of a threat on offense than he showed in his first eight NBA seasons. “I mean, maybe there’s a little bit of a mindset change with me personally, but I think, more than anything, the reason why I feel like I’m getting more opportunities is just within the flow of our offense, our guys are finding me,” he said. “There are situations when I’m catching in rhythm because I’m getting a couple of easy ones.”
Within the same Sportsnet.ca story, Grange notes that Poeltl’s strong play this fall could boost his value as a trade chip, but suggests the Raptors might be better off keeping the big man. As Grange explains, a healthy version of the current roster, perhaps with another prospect added via the 2025 draft lottery, has a chance to be competitive sooner rather than later.
Despite their 3-12 start, the Raptors can’t be too upset about how the first month of the season has played out, as Grange and Lewenberg detail in a pair of stories. The vibes in the locker room are still positive, individual players – including 2023 lottery pick Gradey Dick – are making positive strides, the team has been competitive in most of its losses, and they seem to be buying into the way that head coach Darko Rajakovic wants to play.
While RJ Barrett‘s shooting percentages are down so far this season (.422 FG%, .338 3PT%), the forward’s passing ability has been a pleasant surprise, writes Eric Koreen of The Athletic. With primary play-makers Quickley and Barnes battling injuries, Barrett is averaging 6.5 assists, well above his career rate coming into this season (2.9 APG).
Eugene Omoruyi, who appeared in 87 total NBA games for four teams from 2021-24, has signed a G League contract and has been acquired off waivers by the Raptors 905, Toronto’s NBAGL affiliate. As Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca tweets, Omoruyi – who grew up near Toronto – opted to join the G League in the hopes that he could land with his hometown team. The 6’7″ forward has averaged 5.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game with the Mavericks, Thunder, Pistons, and Wizards since going undrafted out of Oregon in 2021.

Wolves’ Omoruyi, Lakers’ Goodwin Among Latest Players Waived

October 18th, 2024 at 4:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have waived forward Eugene Omoruyi, the team announced today (via Twitter). Omoruyi had been in training camp with Minnesota on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract.

While it initially looked like there might be a path for Omoruyi to compete for a roster spot, that became a more uphill battle following the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, which added two extra players on guaranteed contracts to Minnesota’s roster. The team now has 15 players with fully guaranteed salaries, plus PJ Dozier on a partially guaranteed deal, leaving no room for Omoruyi, who only got into one preseason game.

Omoruyi, 27, has played for the Mavericks, Thunder, Pistons, and Wizards since making his NBA debut in the fall of 2021. The 6’7″ forward made a career-high 43 appearances for Washington last season, averaging 4.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 0.8 APG in 9.1 MPG. His contract with the Wizards covered the 2024/25 season, but his salary was non-guaranteed and Washington opted to waive him in August.

Since Omoruyi had an Exhibit 10 clause in his contract, he’d be able to earn a $77.5K bonus if he ends up spending at least 60 days with the Iowa Wolves, Minnesota’s G League affiliate. He also still has one year of two-way eligibility remaining, so he could get a look from teams with an open two-way slot.

Here are a few more of the latest minor moves from around the NBA:

The Lakers announced on Friday that they have waived guard Jordan Goodwin and center Kylor Kelley and signed Grayson Murphy to an Exhibit 10 deal (Twitter link via Dave McMenamin of ESPN). All three players will likely be headed to the South Bay Lakers to open 2024/25.
The Cavaliers have placed Darius Brown II and Elijah Hughes on waivers, according to NBA.com’s official transaction log. Both players will likely report to the Cleveland Charge, the Cavs’ G League affiliate, where their Exhibit 10 contracts will allow them to earn bonuses worth up to $77.5K apiece. Brown is eligible to be designated as an “affiliate player,” while Hughes’ returning rights were acquired by the Charge earlier this month.
About 24 hours after signing him to an Exhibit 10 contract, the Trail Blazers have waived center Nick Muszynski, per NBA.com. His next stop figures to be with the Rip City Remix, Portland’s NBAGL team.
The Kings have signed free agent forward Shareef O’Neal to a training camp deal and plan to waive him on Saturday, according to Jake Gadon of CBS Sacramento (Twitter link). O’Neal, the son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, will head to the Stockton Kings and will be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with Stockton.

Rory Maher contributed to this post.

Timberwolves Sign Eugene Omoruyi, Skylar Mays

September 17th, 2024 at 8:33am CST by Luke Adams

SEPTEMBER 17: Both deals are official, per RealGM’s transaction log. Both Omoruyi and Mays signed Exhibit 10 contracts, as expected, Hoops Rumors has confirmed.

SEPTEMBER 16: The Timberwolves have agreed to sign free agents Eugene Omoruyi and Skylar Mays, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

While Scotto doesn’t specify the terms of the agreements, Omoruyi and Mays seem likely to sign non-guaranteed contracts that include Exhibit 9 and/or Exhibit 10 language. The Exhibit 9 clause protects teams in the event of a preseason injury, while the Exhibit 10 clause allows for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if the player is waived by his NBA team and then spends at least 60 days with the club’s G League affiliate.

Omoruyi, 27, has played for the Mavericks, Thunder, Pistons, and Wizards since making his NBA debut in the fall of 2021. The 6’7″ forward made a career-high 43 appearances for Washington last season, averaging 4.8 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 0.8 APG in 9.1 MPG. His contract with the Wizards covered the 2024/25 season, but his salary was non-guaranteed and Washington opted to waive him in August.

Mays, the 50th overall pick in the 2020 draft, has appeared in 105 games across four seasons for the Hawks, Trail Blazers, and Lakers. The 27-year-old guard, who played his college ball at LSU, split his time between Portland and L.A. last season, appearing in 38 total NBA games and averaging 4.1 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.1 rebounds in 11.4 minutes per contest. He owns a career shooting line of .445/.345/.859.

Mays was rumored last month to be drawing interest from Italian team Olimpia Milano, but it appears he’ll be remaining stateside at least for the time being. He’s no longer eligible for a two-way contract, whereas Omoruyi – who has three years of NBA service – has one more season of two-way eligibility.

The Wolves currently have 17 players under contract. Once they complete reported deals with Omoruyi, Mays, and Chasson Randle, they’ll be one away from the 21-player preseason limit.

Wizards Waive Eugene Omoruyi

August 21st, 2024 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

12:00pm: The Wizards have officially waived Omoruyi, the team announced today (via Twitter).

10:48am: The Wizards are expected to place forward Eugene Omoruyi on waivers on Wednesday, reports Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Omoruyi is currently on an expiring $2,196,970 contract. However, his salary is fully non-guaranteed, so Washington wouldn’t be on the hook for any of that money once he’s been officially released.

Omoruyi signed a two-way contract with the Wizards last July after being waived by the Pistons. The former Oregon standout, who previously spent time with Dallas, Oklahoma City, and Detroit from 2021-23, appeared in a career-high 43 games last season for Washington, averaging 4.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 9.1 minutes per night.

The Wizards converted Omoruyi’s two-way deal to a standard two-year contract in March.

If he’s claimed off waivers, Omoruyi’s new team would be responsible for his $2.2MM salary for 2024/25, which becomes partially guaranteed for $1MM if he remains under contract through the start of the regular season. Should the 27-year-old go unclaimed, he’d become an unrestricted free agent and would be able to sign with any club.

Waiving Omoruyi is the first step for the Wizards to address their roster crunch ahead of the regular season. Entering the day, the team was carrying 17 players on standard contracts, including 15 players with guaranteed salaries.

Besides Omoruyi, Jared Butler is the other player without a fully guaranteed deal, so Washington could set its 15-man regular season roster by cutting Butler — or by waiving or trading a player on a guaranteed contract.

Southeast Notes: Hornets, Adebayo, Jovic, Gill, Wizards

July 29th, 2024 at 10:40pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Hornets have largely done well for themselves this offseason, retaining some players, drafting Tidjane Salaun , and adding Josh Green for cheap.

They still have one standard roster spot open and Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer predicts that spot will remain open until closer to the start of the season. It would make sense for the Hornets to wait for roster cuts if there’s no one on the market they wish to reward with a standard deal and see if they can claim a talented young player on waivers. Boone thought summer league standout Mouhamadou Gueye might compete for a two-way deal, but the Hornets are reportedly filling their final such deal with Moussa Diabate.

Boone’s mailbag also checks in on the rest of the team, including the health of center Mark Williams. Boone opines that adding a power forward/center would be a wise option if Williams isn’t ready to go for the start of the season, since Nick Richards is the only true backup there, while Taj Gibson could fill in in an emergency.

As for Green, Boone says he’s currently penciled in to play two-guard position, but coach Charles Lee doesn’t want to pigeonhole him into a specific role until he’s spent more time with the roster.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Heat‘s Bam Adebayo is participating in his second Olympics after winning gold in Tokyo in 2021. He played 20 minutes off the bench and recorded four points, two rebounds and two assists on Sunday vs. Serbia, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald observes. While he didn’t score much, Adebayo held the task of guarding Nikola Jokic in the team’s first Olympic outing. Adebayo’s found success off the bench alongside Anthony Davis for Team USA.
The Heat had a second player in the Olympic opener, with Nikola Jovic suiting up for Serbia. The 21-year-old had five points and two rebounds in his first Olympic experience of his career, Chiang writes. He took a starting role for Miami and is expected to be a big part of their future moving forward. In his matchup against Team USA, his primary assignment was LeBron James on both ends.
The Wizards signed Anthony Gill to a two-year, minimum-salary ($4.78MM) contract, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. The deal is fully guaranteed for 2024/25 and is non-guaranteed for ’25/26. Gill has appeared in 179 games with the Wizards since 2020 but only averages 9.9 minutes for the only team he’s called home in the league. The Wizards like Gill, signing Virginia product to three standard deals so far.
Following the addition of Gill, it’s even more clear the Wizards aren’t done making moves this offseason. As Spotrac’s Keith Smith observes (Twitter link), the team has 17 players on standard contracts, with only Jared Butler and Eugene Omoruyi on non-guaranteed deals. While their decision-making could be as simple as waiving both players, they have a need at point guard, where Butler showed flashes last season and they value Omoruyi. Other players could be on the move as the offseason wears on.

Contract Details: Omoruyi, Wilson, Freeman-Liberty, Bolden

March 5th, 2024 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

Eugene Omoruyi‘s new two-year standard contract with the Wizards will pay him $900K for the rest of this season, Hoops Rumors has learned. Washington dipped into its mid-level exception in order to give Omoruyi that $900K, since using the minimum salary exception would have resulted in a rest-of-season salary worth approximately $522K.

Omoryui’s 2024/25 salary is worth the minimum and is non-guaranteed for the time being. If he remains under contract until the start of the ’24/25 regular season in the fall, he’ll earn a partial guarantee of $1MM. He’d receive his full guarantee for next season if he’s not cut on or before January 7, 2025.

Here are a few more details on recently signed contracts from around the NBA:

Jalen Wilson‘s three-year contract with the Nets is worth approximately $4.96MM in total, with a $850K rest-of-season salary for 2023/24 and minimum salaries for the following two years. Brooklyn used its mid-level exception to give him a contract that covers three seasons and a starting salary well above the prorated rookie minimum. Wilson is also assured of a $75K partial guarantee next season, which will increase to $325K if he makes the opening-night roster.
The standard contract that Javon Freeman-Liberty received from the Raptors is a two-year, minimum-salary deal that includes a $100K partial guarantee for next season and multiple trigger dates for his 2024/25 salary. Freeman-Liberty’s partial guarantee would increase to $150K if he’s not waived by July 23 and to $800K if he’s still under contract at the start of the ’24/25 regular season.
Marques Bolden‘s two-way contract with the Hornets is a two-year agreement, so it will cover next season in addition to the rest of 2023/24.

Wizards Notes: Poole, Jones, Losing Streak, Omoruyi, Coulibaly

March 2nd, 2024 at 5:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jordan Poole‘s recent move to a sixth-man role may not be in the Wizards‘ best long-term interests, writes David Aldridge of The Athletic. Aldridge admits that the inefficiencies in Poole’s game have been glaring since Golden State traded him last summer to a Washington team where he’s expected to be the best player. Poole is the Wizards’ most explosive scorer and has an ability to create his own shot when the offense bogs down, but he’s shooting just 40.1% from the field and 31% from three-point range this season while turning the ball over 2.2 times per game.

Point guard Tyus Jones is extremely efficient with the ball, but Aldridge notes that pairing him with Poole wasn’t working because they’re too small to play together and neither is a good defender. With Poole in the first season of a four-year, $123MM extension, Aldridge doesn’t expect the Wizards to be able to trade him any time soon. Jones is headed toward free agency this summer, which is why Aldridge believes the organization should commit to Poole as its starting point guard despite the flaws in his game.

Explaining the move, interim coach Brian Keefe said he’s a “huge believer” in Poole and expects him to have more offensive freedom coming off the bench.

“I want Jordan to be himself. And that was my message when I first took over,” Keefe said. “I want him to play in attack mode. And I think this is more of an opportunity for him to do that, because of the amount of time he puts into it. And what he can mean for our team when he does that.”

There’s more on the Wizards:

Players are doing their best to stay positive amid a losing streak that reached 14 games Friday night, per Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. They’re two losses away from the franchise record, but the locker room emphasis is on continued growth. “Right now, we understand a lot of things we’re doing … halfway through the year. Changing coaches, we’re also changing a lot of philosophies, we’re also changing to do a lot of things that these young guys, they haven’t necessarily been taught,” Kyle Kuzma said. “We have a learning curve right now. We understand that. It’s always tough to lose, especially when you’re a competitor, and everybody in this locker room is a competitor. But we understand that we’re searching and we’re fighting for growth every single day.”
Interim coach Brian Keefe said Eugene Omoruyi‘s effort level helped him earn a standard contract after he was a two-way player for most of the season, Wallace adds. “This is someone who has worked his tail off behind the scenes, and then you guys get to see it occasionally when he plays,” Keefe said. “Every time we put him out there, we’ve done well. I think it’s also a credit to our development program and the use of the Go-Go in the G League and their staff. But mostly, Gene deserves it. He’s a guy that represents stuff that we’re about as a culture and want to build. Thrilled for him.”
In an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, rookie forward Bilal Coulibaly talks about the challenges of his first NBA season.

Wizards Convert Eugene Omoruyi To Standard Contract

March 1st, 2024 at 5:21pm CST by Rory Maher

The Wizards have officially converted Eugene Omoruyi‘s two-way deal into a standard contract, the team announced in a press release. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report the news, indicating that it’s a two-year pact (Twitter link).

Ava Wallace of The Washington Post suggested last week that Omoruyi looked like a strong candidate to be promoted to a standard deal, and now that has come to fruition.

A 6’7″ forward who went undrafted out of Oregon in 2021, Omoruyi holds three seasons of NBA experience, having made previous stops with Dallas, Oklahoma City and Detroit before catching on with Washington last summer. The 27-year-old has appeared in 27 games for the Wizards in 2023/24, averaging 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per night.

In addition to his NBA minutes, Omoruyi has also played 12 total games for Washington’s G League affiliate, the Capital City Go-Go, averaging 20.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals.

Omoruyi will technically be the Wizards’ 15th player on a standard deal, at least for one day — Justin Champagnie‘s 10-day contract expires on Saturday night. If they don’t re-sign Champagnie, they’ll be back down to 14 players on standard contracts at that point, with one two-way opening.

Southeast Notes: Miller, Curry, Wizards, Young

February 24th, 2024 at 5:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rookie forward Brandon Miller is the main reason for optimism in Charlotte, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who suggests the Hornets should trade LaMelo Ball and build for the future around Miller.

Although Ball has better stats, Jones views Miller as having more overall impact because of his superior shooting combined with an ability to dribble and pass, along with his impact on defense. Jones sees Miller as a younger version of Paul George, which is a comparison that was made frequently when Miller was in college.

As Jones notes, injuries are the main concern for Ball, who signed a five-year extension last summer that will take effect in 2024/25. He has appeared in just 22 of Charlotte’s 56 games this season after being limited to 36 last year. Even so, Jones believes Ball has enough trade value to provide a nice return for the Hornets, who are also likely to land a top five pick in this year’s draft.

Jones believes Charlotte is headed in the right direction after bringing in Grant Williams, Seth Curry, Vasilije Micić and Tre Mann at the trade deadline. Each of those players brings something valuable to the roster, Jones adds, and Mann has excelled since becoming the team’s starting point guard.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Curry was thrilled to be traded to his hometown Hornets, and have his father, Dell, as one of the team’s broadcasters, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The whole family was together Friday night in San Francisco as Charlotte faced Stephen Curry‘s Warriors. “It’s special,” Seth Curry said. “When we are in the game, we are locked into the game, so it’s kind of like no different. But just to see him on the floor about to call the game and to see him afterwards it’s special. Because usually we only see him twice a year, four times a year or something like that. And for all three of us to be involved in one game, that’s history.”
Interim coach Brian Keefe is experimenting with rotations for the Wizards, who dropped their 10th straight game Friday night, per Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. During the final part of the season, she expects the team to see what it has in Patrick Baldwin Jr., who was acquired from Golden State last summer, Johnny Davis, a 2022 lottery pick who has never been able to earn consistent playing time, and Eugene Omoruyi, who’s currently on a two-way contract but may be a strong candidate for a standard deal.
Hawks guard Trae Young is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against Orlando due to an injured finger on his left hand, tweets Lauren Williams of The Journal-Constitution.

Wizards Notes: Coulibaly, Gill, Avdija, Omoruyi, Lineup

October 13th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

It raised some eyebrows around the NBA when the Wizards traded up to No. 7 in June’s draft to nab French forward Bilal Coulibaly, who played second fiddle to Victor Wembanyama for the Metropolitans 92 last season. But Coulibaly, the NBA’s third-youngest player, has impressed the team with his poise and maturity so far this fall, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic.

“I think that’s unique for a teenager,” head coach Wes Unseld Jr. said of Coulibaly’s mindset. “It doesn’t seem like he gets rattled. He’s not overly demonstrative in any way, but I think he’s got the right approach.”

Third-year wing Corey Kispert said that Coulibaly has had to learn a lot in his first NBA training camp and preseason, joking that the rookie has been forced to “drink out of a fire hose” in taking in all the information the Wizards are throwing at him. However, Kispert added that he has been “nothing but impressed” with Coulibaly so far.

According to Ava Wallace of The Washington Post, Unseld said this week that the plan for Coulibaly this season is to give him a “steady diet” of meaningful minutes in games. That might happen in the NBA with the Wizards or in the G League with the Capital City Go-Go. The franchise doesn’t want to rush the developmental process with the 19-year-old, and he’s on board with that plan.

“I know I’m young,” Coulibaly said. “I’ll take the time that it will take.”

Here’s more out of D.C.:

The Wizards announced on Thursday that forward Anthony Gill has suffered a strained left hamstring and will be sidelined for the next two or three weeks, tweets Wallace. That means Gill likely won’t be available when the club’s regular season begins on October 25.
Deni Avdija, who has missed the Wizards’ first two preseason games due to back tightness, was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and could’ve played on Thursday if needed, tweets Robbins. It’s sounds like Avdija will be good to go for the start of the regular season, barring a setback.
Wallace shares some takeaways from the Wizards’ first two preseason games, singling out two-way player Eugene Omoruyi as an under-the-radar standout and observing that the club’s starting lineup is beginning to take shape. Tyus Jones, Jordan Poole, Coulibaly, Kyle Kuzma, and Daniel Gafford have started both preseason contests for Washington, though Wallace suspects Avdija may supplant Coulibaly in that five-man group once he returns.
With Bradley Beal no longer in Washington, which player or players might emerge as the locker room leader(s) in 2023/24? Candace Buckner of The Washington Post explores that topic, writing that those leadership roles will come down to stature and won’t simply fall to the highest-paid players by default.