Jordan Loyd Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Age Limit, Watson, Loyd, Overseas Signings

March 31st, 2019 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is calling on the NCAA to develop a plan in response to the NBA’s expected rule change that would lower the draft eligibility age from 19 to 18, relays Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. The NBA has submitted a proposal to its players union that would make the change effective in 2022.

“The NCAA is not prepared right now,” Krzyzewski said. “They need to be in concert with the NBA in developing a plan that is specific for men’s college basketball. And that should include what an athlete gets, how he’s been taken care of, whether or not there’s a re-entry if something – really, it’s deep. And if we only look at it shallow, then we’re doing a disservice to the kids. And that’s why I would hope that the NCAA has someone leading this to figure it all out.”

Krzyzewski asked whether the G League would start attracting blue-chip players and providing more competition for college basketball and how the NCAA will adapt once the one-and-done rule is gone. Michigan State’s Tom Izzo shared some of the same concerns and worried that too many players will be pressured to turn pro before they’re ready.

There’s more NBA-related news to pass along:

Former Suns coach Earl Watson has interviewed for the head coaching position at UCLA, tweets Jordan Schultz of ESPN. A former Bruins player, Watson was fired by Phoenix three games into last season. Schultz reports that longtime college and NBA coach Larry Brown would join Watson as a top assistant.
Jordan Loyd is this year’s 2 Ways & 10 Days pick for NBA G League MVP, writes Adam Johnson. He’s the second straight player from the Raptors 905 to claim the honor, following Lorenzo Brown‘s MVP season in 2017/18. Loyd is playing on a two-way contract and has appeared in 10 games at the NBA level.
Three players with NBA ties have signed contracts overseas. Hollis Thompson, who played four NBA seasons and was with the Pelicans two years ago, is joining Crailsheim Merlins in Germany, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Xavier Rathan-Mayes, who appeared in five games for the Grizzlies late last season, has signed with Bnei Herzelia in Israel, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. Brad Newly, whose rights are owned by the Lakers, has signed with Sydney in Australia, Smith adds (Twitter link). Newly was drafted in 2007, but has never played in the NBA.

Raptors Sign Jordan Loyd To Two-Way Contract

August 7th, 2018 at 1:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 7: The Raptors have officially signed Loyd to a two-way deal, the team announced today in a press release.

AUGUST 2: Jordan Loyd paid for his buyout with Darussafaka in the EuroLeague and is expected to sign a two-way contract with the Raptors, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

An agreement with Loyd has been rumored for a couple of weeks, but the deadline for Toronto to help buy him out of his Turkish deal passed in mid-July, leaving Loyd to work out the arrangement on his own.

The 25-year-old guard played for the Raptors’ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 8.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG and 2.8 APG in 17.3 minutes per contest, including a team-leading 17-point performance in the opener. He was used mainly at point guard in summer league play.

Loyd went undrafted out of Indianapolis in 2016 and spent a year with Fort Wayne in the G League before signing with Hapoel Eilat in Israel last season.

Once Loyd signs, the Raptors will still have a two-way slot open after moving Lorenzo Brown to the 15-man roster and withdrawing a qualifying offer for Malcolm Miller.

Atlantic Notes: Irving, Loyd, Nader, Knicks’ Plans

July 26th, 2018 at 9:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Celtics point guard Kyrie Irving fully expects to be ready for the start of training camp, Jeff Goodman of ESPN tweets. Irving told Goodman he hadn’t yet participated in a 5-on-5 full contact scrimmage but he has been working out with his trainer. He underwent a surgical procedure on his left knee in early April in which he had two screws removed. At that time, the team provided a projected recovery time of four to five months.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

Combo guard Jordan Loyd is finalizing a buyout agreement with Turkish club Darussafaka, which will allow him to sign a two-way contract with the Raptors, Sportando reports. Loyd, who played with the Raptors’ summer-league squad, spent last season in Israel after playing the previous season in the G League. The 6’4” Loyd made a strong impression on Toronto’s brass while mostly playing the point in Las Vegas, leading to the contract offer.
The Celtics will pay the Thunder $450K before December 2nd as part of the Abdel Nader trade, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The Celtics, who will get a trade exception at the same amount, will essentially be paying the guaranteed portion of Nader’s contract, Pincus notes. The swingman, who was on the verge of being waived, was dealt to OKC for guard Rodney Purvis.
The current Knicks’ front office is not fully committed to signing two top-level free agents next summer and that could be a good thing, as Sean Deveney of the Sporting News explains. The Knicks would have to clear a lot of cap space to get into that position and would likely have to give up a lottery pick to move a bad contract, Deveney continues. With a young core that includes Kristaps Porzingis, Kevin Knox and Frank Ntilikina, dumping a high pick to improve their free-agent market prospects sounds unwise, Deveney adds.
The Raptors have officially added Adrian Griffin, Sergio Scariolo, Nate Bjorkgren and Phil Handy to Nick Nurse’s coaching staff, the team’s media relations department tweets.

Markel Brown, Jeff Withey To Play In Turkey

July 24th, 2018 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of NBA veterans are headed to Turkey for the coming season. Michael Scotto of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that free agent guard Markel Brown has agreed to a one-year deal with Darussafaka, while Tofas Bursa has announced a contract agreement with center Jeff Withey.

Brown, 26, signed a two-way contract with the Rockets in January after previously appearing in 113 games for the Nets. The former second-round pick appeared in only four games for Houston last season, but averaged 15.9 PPG and 5.0 RPG in nine games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League. He was initially tendered a two-way qualifying offer, but had that QO rescinded earlier this month.

As Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic notes (via Twitter), the team that Brown is joining is the one from which potential Raptors two-way signee Jordan Loyd has been attempting to negotiate his release. It’s not clear if Darussafaka’s addition of Brown will open up a path for Loyd’s exit.

Meanwhile, we relayed word of Tofas Bursa’s interest in Withey over the weekend. A former second-round pick, Withey has appeared in over 200 total NBA regular season games for the Pelicans, Jazz, and Mavericks. His most recent NBA stint came in Dallas before the Mavs waived him last December.

Raptors Expected To Sign Jordan Loyd To Two-Way Deal

July 18th, 2018 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

1:37pm: The deadline for Loyd to opt out of his deal with Darussafaka to join an NBA team has passed, and NBA rules don’t allow the Raptors to pay for his release, as David Pick and Murphy note (Twitter links). As such, it will be up to Loyd and his reps to see if they can figure things out with his Turkish club to free him up to head to Toronto.

11:44am: The Raptors are poised to sign guard Jordan Loyd to a two-way contract, reports Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic. Barring any snags with Loyd’s buyout from Turkish team Darussafaka, he’ll ink a two-year deal with Toronto, according to Murphy.

An undrafted free agent out of Indianapolis, Loyd played for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in his first professional season in 2016/17 before heading overseas to play for Hapoel Eilat in Israel last year. The 6’4″ guard averaged 15.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 4.0 APG in 49 G League games in ’16/17.

Loyd, who will turn 25 later this month, participated in Summer League action for the Raptors in Las Vegas, posting 8.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 2.8 APG in 17.3 minutes per contest. As Murphy notes, the Raps played Loyd primarily at point guard in Vegas, and he adapted well, committing just four turnovers in four games.

Toronto isn’t currently carrying any players on two-way contracts after promoting Lorenzo Brown to the 15-man roster and withdrawing Malcolm Miller‘s qualifying offer, so Loyd is set to occupy the first of those two openings.

And-Ones: Oden, Casspi, One-And-Done, Loyd

June 6th, 2017 at 3:17pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixty teams have been announced for this summer’s The Basketball Tournament, a 64-team, $2MM, winner-take-all competition, writes Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. While no NBA players will play in the tournament, several ex-NBAers – including Sundiata Gaines, Donte Greene, and former No. 1 pick Greg Oden – will participate, and some current NBA players will be coaches.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the basketball world…

Omri Casspi, who was formerly represented by Dan Fegan, has changed agents and signed with CAA Sports, per Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter link). Casspi, whose change in representation was reported last month in the wake of Fegan’s legal troubles, will be a free agent this offseason.
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer takes a deep dive into the changes the NBA may eventually make to the current one-and-done system for players coming out of high school, noting that many team execs don’t necessarily agree with commissioner Adam Silver on the matter.
D-League guard Jordan Loyd is drawing some NBA interest, according to international reporter David Pick, who tweets that Loyd will attend a Nets free agent mini-camp, then will audition for the Clippers and play in Summer League with the Pacers. The 23-year-old averaged 15.1 PPG in 49 games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in 2016/17.
In a pair of pieces for Basketball Insiders, James Blancarte and Spencer Davies identify several potential trade candidates in both the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference.