Isaac Hamilton

2019 NBA G League Expansion Draft Results

The NBA G League conducted its 2019 expansion draft on Wednesday, allowing the latest iteration of the Erie BayHawks to acquire the rights to up to 14 players.

Erie has been a G League mainstay in recent years. However, after serving as the affiliate for the Atlanta Hawks last season, the BayHawks were relocated to College Park and renamed the Skyhawks. As such, the Erie BayHawks team that participated in today’s expansion draft is technically a new G League franchise — it’ll be the affiliate for the Pelicans in 2019/20.

[RELATED: NBA G League Affiliations For 2019/20 Season]

As Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days recently outlined, each of the G League’s other 27 teams were permitted to protect the rights for up to 12 players. Although the BayHawks could select up to 14 players in the expansion draft, they weren’t permitted to acquire more than two players from any one team.

Here are the 14 players whose rights were acquired by New Orleans’ G League affiliate, with each player’s previous NBAGL team noted in parentheses:

  1. Taylor Braun (South Bay Lakers)
  2. Trey Burke (Westchester Knicks)
  3. Quinton Chievous (Capital City Go-Go)
  4. Xavier Gibson (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
  5. Isaac Hamilton (Canton Charge)
  6. Isaiah Hartenstein (Grande Valley Vipers)
  7. Derrick Jones Jr. (Northern Arizona Suns)
  8. Scottie Lindsey (Grand Rapids Drive)
  9. Erik McCree (Lakeland Magic)
  10. Codi Miller-McIntyre (College Park Skyhawks)
  11. Xavier Silas (Iowa Wolves)
  12. Matt Williams Jr. (Grand Rapids Drive)
  13. Kyle Wiltjer (Canton Charge)
  14. Michael Young (Northern Arizona Suns)

Not all of the players whose rights the BayHawks acquired today will actually suit up for the team. In fact, many won’t.

Multiple players selected by Erie – Burke, Hartenstein, and Jones – are currently under contract with NBA teams and won’t be available to the BayHawks as long as they remain on those NBA deals. Other players will spend the 2019/20 season playing overseas.

However, if any of the players selected in today’s expansion draft sign contracts to play in the G League in ’19/20, the BayHawks will have their rights. Erie will hold each of these 14 players’ NBAGL rights for the next two seasons.

Cavaliers Sign Forward JaCorey Williams

Forward JaCorey Williams has signed a contract with the Cavaliers, according to the RealGM transactions log.

Terms were not disclosed but it’s almost certainly a training camp deal. Williams participated briefly in Cleveland’s training camp last season but was waived to make room for Dwyane Wade. Williams eventually wound up playing 49 games for their G League affiliate, the Canton Charge, where he averaged 15.4 PPG and 7.5 RPG. Williams went on to play for Israel’s Hapoel Gilboa Galil during the spring.

Williams, a 6’8″ forward, played his first three college seasons at Arkansas, then transferred to Middle Tennessee State for his senior year. He enjoyed a breakout season there, averaging 17.3 PPG and 7.3 RPG. Williams, who was named the Conference USA Player of the Year for 2016/17, joined the Warriors’ summer league team before his short stay in Cleveland’s training camp.

The Cavaliers have waived guards Isaac Hamilton and Scoochie Smith, whom they signed to Exhibit 10 contracts on Thursday, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. That duo will join the team’s G League camp.

The Cavs have also reportedly reached an agreement with point guard Kobi Simmons and also added forward Bonzie Colson, though neither have officially signed. If they do become official, Cleveland will reach the 20-player training camp roster limit.

Cavaliers Sign Pair To Training Camp Contracts

The Cavaliers have reached training camp deals with guards Isaac Hamilton and Scoochie Smith, tweets Keith Smith of Real GM. Both players will receive Exhibit 10 contracts, which provide bonuses up to $50K if the players spend at least two months with the team’s G League affiliate.

Hamilton was in camp with the Cavs last year before spending the season with the Canton Charge. The UCLA product posted a 7.4/2.5/1.2 line in 42 G League games.

Smith played part of last season in Australia before joining the Charge in March and averaging 14.3/4.3/8.1 in eight games. The former Dayton standout played for Cleveland’s entry in this year’s Las Vegas Summer League.

Cavaliers Cut Kendrick Perkins, Isaac Hamilton

The Cavaliers have waived veteran center Kendrick Perkins, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

Perkins, 32, showed up to training camp in great shape, appearing in three preseason games with Cleveland. He racked up 12 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in 25 total minutes played.

Perkins — who missed the 2016/17 season — tells Wojnarowski that he wants to continue playing but will consider coaching if he decides to retire (via Twitter). Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters, including Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon, that the organization has discussed bringing Perkins to the coaching staff if he cannot find an on-court role.

“We’ve already talked about that,” Lue said. “I think Perk was great because he holds everybody accountable. He plays the right way, tries to do the right thing every single day.”

Perkins started his career in 2004 with the Celtics and proceeded to spend parts of the following eight seasons in Boston. The 6’10”, 270-pound Perkins was a key player on the Celtics’ 2008 NBA championship team. After he was traded from Boston, Perkins spent parts of five seasons with the Thunder and, in recent years, made cameos with the Cavaliers and Pelicans. For his career, Perkins boasts averages of 5.4 PPG and 5.8 RPG in 781 career games.

“I definitely want to coach when I hang them up,” Perkins said this week, per Cleveland.com. “Right now my mind is on trying to play. Not only can I be a voice in the locker room, but I feel I can go out and contribute 8-to-12 minutes a night.”

The Cavaliers also waived Isaac Hamilton, ensuring that the roster is ready to go for the regular season. Hamilton is a good bet to join the franchise’s G League affiliate, the Canton Charge.

Cavaliers Sign Isaac Hamilton

Shortly after opening up a spot on their roster by waiving Edy Tavares, the Cavaliers have filled that spot again, announcing today in a press release that they’ve signed undrafted rookie guard Isaac Hamilton. Cleveland’s roster is now back up to 20 players.

Hamilton, 23, played his college ball at UCLA, averaging 14.1 PPG with a shooting line of .453/.366/.825 during his final year with the Bruins. He was one of the squad’s top threats from outside, making 2.1 three-pointers per game.

Hamilton figures to get a non-guaranteed deal from the Cavs, and won’t be on the club’s regular season roster. By signing him to an NBA contract now, Cleveland will have the opportunity to have him join the Canton Charge in the G League as an affiliate player.

Central Notes: George, Pistons, Cavs, Bucks

With reports that Paul George intends to explore free agency after next season, with his hometown Lakers as his preferred destination, concerns over possible tampering have surfaced. However, Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star writes that the Pacers are unlikely to pursue any tampering charges against the Lakers.

Team president Magic Johnson alluded to George’s situation during a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel, and cryptically tweeted “God is so good!” this week shortly after the George’s plans to leave Indiana were reported. However, the Pacers are more concerned with getting value for their All-Star rather than stirring up issues in Los Angeles, according to Taylor.

Taylor adds that new Pacers president Kevin Pritchard hopes to have a trade for George in place ahead of Thursday’s draft.

Below are additional notes from the Central Division:

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Mason, Clippers, Reed

A Lakers backcourt of D’Angelo Russell and Lonzo Ball might be potent offensively but a liability defensively, as Eric Pincus examines in a Bleacher Report piece. Russell could run pick-and-rolls, while Ball would excel in transition and ball movement, though neither tends to attack off the dribble, Pincus continues. The biggest concern would be on the defensive end because of quickness issues, which would require the Lakers to have a speedy, defensive-minded guard to rotate with both players, Pincus adds.

In other developments around the Pacific Division:
  • Kansas point guard Frank Mason III will work out for the Kings for a second time on Wednesday, according to the team’s website. Mason is considered a second-round prospect — he’s currently ranked No. 45 on Chad Ford’s Big Board. Sacramento, which has the No. 34 overall pick in the second round, will also bring in Kentucky point guard Isaiah Briscoe, UCLA shooting guard Isaac Hamilton, Florida shooting guard Canyon Barry, Indiana center Thomas Bryant and Miami forward Kamari Murphy.
  • The Clippers will bring in FIBA small forward Howard Sant-Roos for workouts later this week, international journalist David Pick tweets. The Cuban-born Sant-Roos, 26, has been playing for CEZ Nymburk in the Czech league, where he averaged 13.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 3.4 APG in 40 games this season.
  • Kansas State shooting guard Wesley Iwundu and Vanderbilt big man Luke Kornet headed the list of six draft hopeful that the Lakers brought in on Monday, the team’s website reported. Iwundu is ranked No. 53 overall by Draft Express, while Kornet comes in at No. 67. The Lakers do not have a second-round pick.
  • Miami shooting guard Davon Reed headlined a group of six players that the Clippers worked out on Monday, Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders tweets. Reed is pegged as the No. 76 prospect by Draft Express. Murphy also participated in the workout.

Eastern Notes: Hornets, Bulls, Knicks, Nets

The Hornets have six players on the roster who will make $12MM or more next year and that leaves the team without much flexibility heading into the offseason, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes. The franchise has roughly $102MM on the books for the 2017/18 campaign, as we outlined on the team’s Salary Digest page.

Bonnell believes GM Rich Cho needs to find a way to improve the team’s depth. The 2015/16 squad was able to make the playoffs because of a deep rotation, but after losing several contributors to free agency, Charlotte fell in the standings.

Cho will have the No.11 and No. 41 overall picks in this year’s draft as well as two exceptions (the highest mid-level exception—approximately $8.4MM —and the bi-annual exception, which is projected to be around $3.3MM) to work with as he looks to add talent.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Donovan Mitchell recently met with the Bulls and Vincent Goodwill of Comcast Sportsnet (Twitter link) hears that the team was impressed with the guard’s workout. Goodwill notes that there is a good chance that Mitchell is off the board by the time Chicago picks at No. 16.
  • Steve Vasturia worked out for the Knicks, Dennis Chambers of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). The 22-year-old shooting guard has plans to work out for the Nets as well.
  • Isaac Hamilton will work out for the Knicks, Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays (ESPN Now link). Begley notes that the UCLA product fits the mold that team President Phil Jackson is looking for and the shooting guard could be an option for the team in the second round. New York owns the No. 44 and No. 58 overall selections in addition to the No.8.

Central Rumors: Butler, Garrity, Griffin, Pacers

Jimmy Butler held a meeting with Bulls management on Monday to discuss the team’s direction, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Butler had only met with team officials briefly after the season, the tweet adds. Chicago isn’t looking to move the three-time All-Star swingman but will listen to any offers, Johnson wrote in an earlier story. Butler had been training in Los Angeles and will leave for Europe later in the month to train there, Johnson adds.

In other developments around the Central Division:

  • Pistons assistant GM Pat Garrity interviewed for the Hawks GM position and will soon interview for the Bucks‘ GM opening, according to Tony Paul of the Detroit News. Atlanta chose Warriors executive Travis Schlenk. Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy confirmed to Paul that Garrity will interview for the job formerly held by new Magic GM John Hammond.
  • There are several more hurdles to clear before the Pistons can move into a new downtown arena next season, the Detroit Free Press reports. The Detroit City Council on Tuesday will vote on a package of agreements that would allow the move, while the lease agreement with Little Caesars Arena has not been finalized, the report continues. The league also has to give its final approval. The franchise hopes to have all the elements completed in time for the annual July board of governors meeting in Las Vegas, the report adds.
  • Cavaliers GM David Griffin will seek a significant raise from owner Dan Gilbert, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reports. Griffin is making less than $2MM annually, according to Vardon’s sources. The two sides have not yet discussed financial terms on a new contract for Griffin, whose current contract expires at the end of the month. The Magic and Hawks were denied permission to interview Griffin for front-office openings and the Bucks appear to be moving away from Griffin in their GM search, Vardon adds.
  • The Pacers will bring in six players for a pre-draft workout on Tuesday, according to the team’s website. That group includes Antonio Blakeney (LSU), Isaac Hamilton (UCLA), Zak Irvin (Michigan), Naz Long (Iowa State), Johnathan Motley (Baylor) and Rashawn Thomas (Texas A&M-CC). It’s a group of second-round hopefuls, headlined by Blakeney, a shooting guard ranked No. 85 by DraftExpress.