Freddie Gillespie Rumors

International Notes: Bazley, Gillespie, Fall, Thomas, Dotson

November 18th, 2024 at 10:44am CST by Tristan Tucker

Former first-round pick Darius Bazley has joined Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (Twitter link). Bazley began this year playing for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball Association, but has returned stateside.

Bazley played a large role for the Blue Coats last season, appearing in 28 total games for the team, starting in 27 and averaging 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.4 blocks per contest. He wound up parlaying that performance into a 10-day contract with the Sixers. He appeared in three games for Philadelphia, but didn’t score.

Soon after the conclusion of his 10-day contract, Bazley signed a multiyear, non-guaranteed deal with the Jazz. He averaged 8.0 PPG and 4.5 RPG with Utah and played in seven games with their G League affiliate, but was waived this offseason, leading to his deal overseas.

Now, Bazley is back in the Sixers‘ developmental system. In his first game back with the Blue Coats, he recorded 11 points and five rebounds.

The 23rd overall pick in 2019, Bazley spent the first three-and-a-half years of his career with the Thunder. He was a big part of Mark Daigneault‘s earliest Thunder iterations, appearing in 221 games with the team and starting in 118. In Daigneault’s first two years in the league, Bazley averaged 12.1 PPG and 6.7 RPG in started in 108 games. He also had a brief stint with the Suns.

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Italian club Olimpia Milano agreed to a deal with former NBA forward Freddie Gillespie, according to Sportando’s Alessandro Luigi Maggi (Twitter link). Gillespie had been playing for the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL, averaging 6.8 PPG and 5.0 RPG. Gillespie took a step toward officially joining Olimpia Milano when the Breakers granted him his release from his contract on Sunday night, per ESPN’s Olgun Uluc (Twitter link). “Freddie approached us and requested a release. While bittersweet, it was an opportunity that Freddie wanted to pursue and we support him. We look forward to watching his success in the future,” Breakers CEO Lisa Edser said in the statement, per Sportando. Gillespie played two years in the NBA with the Raptors and Magic from 2020-22. He holds career averages of 4.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG and 1.0 BPG.
Fellow former NBA player Tacko Fall will take Gillespie’s place on the Breakers’ roster, Uluc tweets. Fall has been recovering from injury with the team but is expected to be healthy soon. The 7’6″ center has 31 games of NBA experience with the Celtics and Cavaliers, averaging 2.2 PPG and 2.4 RPG.
Former NBAer Brodric Thomas agreed to a deal with Manisa Basket in Turkey, according to Scotto (Twitter link). Thomas went undrafted in 2020 before spending time on a two-way contract with three different franchises. Thomas averaged 3.3 PPG and 1.4 RPG across 44 games with the Rockets, Cavaliers and Celtics from 2020-22. This marks Thomas’ first time playing overseas, as he spent the last year in the G League.
Former NBA guard Damyean Dotson signed with Petkim Spor in Turkey, the team announced (per Eurohoops.net). The 44th overall pick in 2017, Dotson appeared in 213 NBA games (49 starts) from 2017-22. He holds career averages of 7.5 points and 2.5 rebounds. He had a big role with the Knicks under David Fizdale, averaging 10.7 PPG in 40 starts in the 2018/19 season. Dotson began his overseas career in ’22/23 and has had stints in both Turkey and China. He began this season with Nanjing Tongxi Monkey King, appearing in five games before departing.

International Notes: Vezenkov, Anderson, Gillespie, Brazdeikis, Jokubaitis, Moneke

July 25th, 2024 at 9:37am CST by Dana Gauruder

Sasha Vezenkov is thrilled to be back in Europe, Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net writes. He signed a five-year contract with Olympiacos after getting waived by the Raptors.

“The goal is to reach the top. With a few words and a lot of work. I am happy to be back with all of you, to rejoin my old teammates and the new players,” Vezenkov said in a press conference.

The Greek team is equally as excited to have Vezenkov back in the fold. “Vezenkov is the best player in Europe. He went to the NBA as the best player in Europe. He has won and will continue winning championships with Olympiacos for the next five years,” team co-owner Panagiotis Angelopoulos said.

Vezenkov was so eager to return that he reportedly gave up his entire $6,658,536 NBA salary for 2024/25 in a buyout agreement with Toronto. According to Aris Barkas of Eurohoops, the forward’s new deal with Olympiacos is worth 18.5 million Euros across five years, post-taxes.

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Former NBA wing Justin Anderson has joined FC Barcelona on a one-year deal, Sportando relays. Anderson played last season for Valencia Basket. Anderson appeared in 242 NBA games after being a 2015 first-round pick, most recently with Cleveland and Indiana during the 2021/22 season.
Freddie Gillespie has signed a one-year deal with the New Zealand Breakers, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc tweets. The American forward last played for KK Crvena Zvesda. He appeared in 29 games for Toronto and Orlando from 2020-22.
Forward Ignas Brazdeikis is returning to Zalgiris Kaunas, according to a press release. The University of Michigan product appeared in 64 NBA games, mostly with Orlando, from 2019-22.
Rokas Jokubaitis has officially signed his three-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, according to a team press release. His former team, Barcelona, announced this week that it has officially parted ways with him. Jokubaitis played for the Knicks during the Summer League and his NBA rights continue to be held by New York.
After a report surfaced this week claiming that he had agreed to sign with Partisan Belgrade, former NBA big man Chima Moneke declared on his social media account (Twitter link) that he is committed to playing for Baskonia next season. “I genuinely don’t know who is making up all these rumors but they’re getting tiring. I’m a Baskonia player and I’m really excited for this season,” he wrote. Moneke appeared in two games with Sacramento in 2022/23.

Freddie Gillespie Signs Two-Year Deal With Bayern Munich

July 25th, 2022 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent big man Freddie Gillespie is headed overseas for the coming season, having signed a two-year contract with Bayern Munich in Germany, according to a press release.

Gillespie said in a statement that he’s looking forward to making the move to Munich and intends to bring rebounding, defense, rim protection, and strong screen-setting to the German team, which competes in the EuroLeague.

After going undrafted out of Baylor in 2020, Gillespie has spent the last two seasons bouncing back and forth between the NBA and the G League. He has appeared in 29 total games at the NBA level for Toronto and Orlando, averaging 4.6 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 17.6 minutes per contest.

Gillespie has also played in 37 G League regular season games for the Memphis Hustle – the Grizzlies’ NBAGL affiliate – across the last two years, putting up 9.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.6 BPG in 23.6 MPG.

Assuming Gillespie plays out his new contract with Bayern Munich, he’ll return to the free agent market in 2024.

Rockets Notes: Frontcourt, Tate, Gordon, Martin

July 7th, 2022 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Whether or not they hang onto Boban Marjanovic, the Rockets would like to add one more big man to their roster, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, who says the club may use a two-way contract slot to add more depth up front. Trevor Hudgins currently occupies one of Houston’s two-way slots, but the other is empty.

Iko names Moses Brown, Freddie Gillespie, Bruno Fernando, and Mfiondu Kabengele as players who could be of interest to the Rockets as they look to add another frontcourt player.

According to Iko, Houston had some interest in Isaiah Roby after he was waived by Oklahoma City, but the Spurs ultimately claimed him off waivers. The Rockets were ahead of San Antonio in the waiver order and had a trade exception available to claim Roby, but they already have 18 players on guaranteed contracts for 15 spots, so they likely weren’t eager to bring in another.

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The $500K annual bonus in Jae’Sean Tate‘s new three-year contract are tied to the Rockets winning at least 35 games, Iko reports. So Tate would earn an extra $1.5MM if Houston wins 35 or more games in each of the next three seasons.
The Rockets were close to trading Eric Gordon on draft night, possibly to the Sixers, but the deal fell apart, according to Iko, who says the Heat, Bucks, and Suns also pursued Gordon before the draft. Sources tell The Athletic that Philadelphia re-engaged Houston on the veteran shooting guard at the start of free agency, but there’s certainly no guarantee he’ll be moved before the season begins.
The Rockets aren’t in any rush to trade Kenyon Martin Jr. either, says Iko, noting that Martin may “need to mend some internal relationships” if a trade doesn’t materialize and he remains in Houston.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Magic, Wagner, Bryant

January 5th, 2022 at 10:05pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

After a remarkable 2021 postseason run that saw them reach the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks have staggered out of the gate in 2021/22. The team is off to a 16-20 start and currently occupies the conference’s No. 12 seed. Chris Kirschner and John Hollinger of The Athletic discuss several potential trades for Atlanta. Kirschner and Hollinger identify a defensive upgrade on the wing as the ideal priority for the club.

Hollinger pinpoints the expiring mid-sized deals of Lou Williams, Gorgui Dieng and Delon Wright, as well as intriguing young players such as Cam Reddish, Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson, as possible trade chips that team president Travis Schlenk could look to move. Kirschner considers the Pacers and Celtics to be amenable to making deals that could suit the Hawks’ needs.

The Hawks would be open to offloading some of their depth to add a high-impact player in a two-for-one deal, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic in another piece. Amick suggests that forwards Danilo Gallinari and Reddish may be the most likely players to be moved.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Several Magic players signed to 10-day hardship exception deals will soon discover their fates with the club, writes Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel. Hassani Gravett, Admiral Schofield, Tim Frazier and Freddie Gillespie are the team’s four current hardship exception signings. The contracts of Gravett and Schofield, who signed their second 10-day deals with Orlando in late December, expire today. “The one thing is these guys understand what we’re asking them to do,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Their ability to move the basketball, sit down and defend the right way — no matter who’s out there, they’re coming in and doing their jobs.”
Rookie Magic small forward Franz Wagner, selected with the eighth pick out of Michigan, has emerged as one of the prime bright spots for the 7-32 team this season, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.
Wizards head coach Wes Unseld Jr. has revealed that center Thomas Bryant, still recuperating from ACL surgery, could rejoin Washington within the next two weeks, per Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link).

Magic Re-Sign Freddie Gillespie, Tim Frazier

December 31st, 2021 at 6:11pm CST by Luke Adams

6:11pm: The Magic have re-signed both Gillespie and Frazier to their second 10-day contracts via a hardship exception, the team’s PR department tweets. Frazier has averaged 4.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 3.4 APG in five games with the club (20 MPG).

7:02am: The Magic intend to sign Freddie Gillespie to a second 10-day contract using a hardship exception, our JD Shaw reports (via Twitter). Gillespie’s first 10-day deal with the club expired overnight.

Playing a part-time role for an Orlando squad hit hard by COVID-19, Gillespie averaged 3.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in five games (12.8 MPG) this month. It was the 24-year-old’s second stint in the NBA, as he appeared in 20 games with the Raptors as a rookie during the 2020/21 season.

The Magic’s COVID situation remains fluid — the team still has five players in the health and safety protocols, but one (Mychal Mulder) entered the protocols on December 22 and another (Mohamed Bamba) went in on Dec. 17, so hopefully they’ll be cleared soon.

There are currently two players – Hassani Gravett and Admiral Schofield – on active 10-day deals with the Magic. Gabe York reportedly reached an agreement to sign with the club, but it hasn’t been finalized yet. Tim Frazier‘s 10-day hardship contract, like Gillespie’s, expired overnight.

Magic Sign Freddie Gillespie, Tim Frazier To 10-Day Contracts

December 21st, 2021 at 10:16am CST by JD Shaw

DECEMBER 21: The Magic have officially signed Gillespie to his 10-day deal and also announced that veteran guard Tim Frazier has been added on a 10-day contract of his own. Hardship exceptions were used to complete both moves.

Frazier, who has 277 NBA regular season games under his belt, last played for the Grizzlies during the 2020/21 season. The 31-year-old has averaged 5.0 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 2.3 RPG on .404/.322/.728 shooting in 17.6 minutes per game across his NBA career.

DECEMBER 19: The Magic are planning to sign big man Freddie Gillespie to a 10-day contract, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Orlando will use a hardship exception to sign him.

Gillespie has been playing with the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate, averaging 11.4 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. This is his second straight G League campaign with Memphis.

Gillespie also played 20 games with the Raptors last year, but he was waived this past fall. The 24-year-old went undrafted in 2020 after playing for Carleton and Baylor.

Orlando recently signed B.J. Johnson, Hassani Gravett, Admiral Schofield and Aleem Ford to 10-day contracts. The team is missing several players due to health and safety protocols.

Southwest Notes: Kidd, Gillespie, Valanciunas, Pelicans Vaccinations

October 23rd, 2021 at 9:27am CST by Dana Gauruder

The Mavericks’ Jason Kidd calls himself a “different coach” than the one who flamed out in Brooklyn and Milwaukee, Joe Vardon of The Athletic writes. Kidd says he’s more relaxed and a better communicator than he was in his previous stops. He also knows a big part of his current job is to get the best out of franchise player Luka Doncic.

“I think there’s trust and respect from Day 1, because I played that position,” Kidd said. “I am not as good as he is, but I can help him. My job is to help him. He’s 22 years old, he has been a pro for a long time, but again I am trying to make the game as easy as possible for him.”

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Former Raptors big man Freddie Gillespie is rejoining the Grizzlies’ G League team, Darren Wolfson of KSTP tweets. The Raptors waived Gillespie 10 days ago. Gillespie, who went undrafted out of Baylor in 2020, averaged a double-double (10.5 PPG, 10.3 RPG) with 2.3 BPG in 15 games (27.8 MPG) for the Memphis Hustle in the G League’s Orlando bubble.
Jonas Valanciunas got the maximum amount possible in his extension with the Pelicans and it also includes a trade kicker, Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets. He’ll receive $14.7MM next season and $15.435MM in 2023/24 with no options or incentives. The trade bonus is the lesser of $1MM or 15%.
A couple of the Pelicans are not fully vaccinated but that will change soon, Andrew Lopez of ESPN tweets. Coach Willie Green says every player has received at least one shot and they will be fully vaccinated in a week or two when two players receive their second dose.

Raptors Waive Freddie Gillespie, Reggie Perry

October 13th, 2021 at 8:16am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have made a pair of roster cuts, announcing today in a press release that they’ve waived big men Freddie Gillespie and Reggie Perry.

Gillespie, who went undrafted out of Baylor in 2020, averaged a double-double (10.5 PPG, 10.3 RPG) with 2.3 BPG in 15 games (27.8 MPG) for the Memphis Hustle in the G League’s Orlando bubble. That performance earned him a pair of 10-day contracts, then a multiyear deal, with the Raptors. He appeared in 20 games for Toronto down the stretch, recording 5.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 19.6 MPG.

Because Gillespie’s contract wasn’t fully guaranteed beyond the 2020/21 season, the Raptors will only be on the hook for his modest partial guarantee ($50K).

Perry, who was on a non-guaranteed deal, was added to Toronto’s camp roster last month after being let go by Brooklyn earlier in the offseason. Perry spent his rookie year in 2020/21 on a two-way contract with the Nets, averaging 3.0 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 26 games (8.1 MPG) at the NBA level and putting up 18.1 PPG and 8.9 RPG in 15 games (28.8 MPG) for the Long Island Nets in the G League.

Perry initially received a qualifying offer, but didn’t accept it, and Brooklyn ultimately took it off the table in mid-August, making the forward/center an unrestricted free agent.

The Raptors will still need to make at least one more cut before opening night next week, since four players – Yuta Watanabe, Sam Dekker, Isaac Bonga, and Ishmail Wainright – remain in the mix for three spots on the 15-man roster. Watanabe is considered a good bet to make the team, so the other players three may be competing for two spots, assuming Toronto carries a full 15-man squad into the regular season.

Atlantic Notes: Watanabe, Gillespie, Birch, Achiuwa, Simmons, Millsap

October 11th, 2021 at 6:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Despite dealing with a calf strain, Yuta Watanabe is a safe bet to make the Raptors’ opening-night roster, according to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca. Watanabe is a multi-position defender and the coaching staff is looking for him to play a bigger offensive role. His partially guaranteed contract becomes fully guaranteed if he’s on the 15-man after training camp.

Freddie Gillespie, whose partially-guaranteed deal also becomes fully guaranteed on opening night, may be playing his way off the Raptors’ roster, Murphy writes. Gillespie struggled in summer league games and hasn’t looked any better in preseason action.

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Raptors center Khem Birch was cleared to make his preseason debut on Monday after a bout with COVID-19, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca tweets. Birch, along with his wife and daughter, caught the virus and he experienced symptoms despite being fully vaccinated. Birch re-signed with Toronto on a three-year deal this summer.
Birch and Precious Achiuwa will split the minutes at the center spot on an almost even platoon when the regular season commences, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. It’s not certain who will start but the Raptors will ease Birch back into action. Chris Boucher will be out at least another 2-3 weeks as he recovers from finger surgery.
Amid reports that the possibility of Ben Simmons reporting to the Sixers is growing, coach Doc Rivers said on Monday that “we would love to get him back,” Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Rivers has spoken with Simmons’ agent, Rich Paul, adding that “our position hasn’t changed at all.”
Nets forward Paul Millsap was also sidelined briefly by the league’s health and safety protocols during camp but he was cleared to play in Monday’s preseason game, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Millsap only missed one preseason contest.