Josh Reaves

And-Ones: Ignite, Shaw, Coronavirus, Reaves, More

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the G League Ignite essentially just played a month’s worth of games during their first season in 2020/21, but the NBA considered the program a success, as Chris Mannix of SI.com writes. Still, the team’s long-term future is uncertain, according to Mannix.

Although the Ignite were able to recruit a handful of top prospects both last year and this year, it’s unclear if the G League club would still be able to attract top-tier talent if the NBA does away with its one-and-done rule for the draft in the coming years. And if top prospects aren’t committing to the Ignite, NBA owners may become less eager to foot the bill for the developmental program, writes Mannix.

With no set timeline for the abolishment of the one-and-one rule, however, the Ignite are here to stay for now. According to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link), the team has offered a contract extension to head coach Brian Shaw, who is expected to sign it soon.

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

  • Of the 149 players tested for COVID-19 between June 16-23, none returned a new positive test, the NBA and NBPA announced on Wednesday. So far, Chris Paul is the only player who has tested positive for the coronavirus since the postseason got underway.
  • Michael Pina of SI.com identifies several players whose strong showings in the playoffs are putting them in position for even bigger paydays on their next contracts, including extension-eligible players like Deandre Ayton and Kevin Huerter.
  • Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) takes a deep into the key offseason decisions facing all 30 NBA teams this summer.
  • As our JD Shaw confirms (via Twitter), former Mavericks forward Josh Reaves is in agreement with Turkish team Besiktas on a contract that will include an NBA escape clause. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando first reported the deal.

Rockets Sign, Waive Josh Reaves

The Rockets signed free agent wing Josh Reaves to a contract and waived him shortly thereafter, as our JD Shaw reports (via Twitter).

Reaves, 23, signed a two-way contract with the Mavericks in 2019 shortly after going undrafted out of Penn State. The former Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year logged just 28 total minutes in four games with Dallas, but was a full-time starter for the Texas Legends in the G League, averaging 13.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.0 SPG in 37 games (30.6 MPG).

It’s not uncommon for NBA teams to waive certain players right after signing them at this time of year — those transactions are generally completed with the G League in mind. If Reaves signed an Exhibit 10 contract, which seems likely, Houston will have his NBAGL rights and he’ll be in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he plays for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Of course, with the G League season still up in the air, it’s unclear whether or not the Vipers will even play this year, but the signing (and waiving) of Reaves suggests the Rockets’ affiliate hasn’t ruled out participating in the proposed NBAGL bubble.

Mavs Sign Josh Reaves To Two-Way Contract

The Mavericks have officially signed free agent shooting guard Josh Reaves to a two-way contract, the team announced late Monday night in a press release.

Reaves, who played for the Mavs’ Summer League team earlier this month after going undrafted out of Penn State, averaged 10.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.5 SPG on .426/.356/.656 shooting in his senior season for the Nittany Lions. He was named the Big 10’s Defensive Player of the Year for 2018/19.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony first reported after the draft that Reaves had agreed to sign a two-way deal with Dallas, though a subsequent report later indicated that he’d get an Exhibit 10 contract instead. Ultimately, after some roster shuffling, Reaves and Antonius Cleveland will occupy the Mavs’ two-way contract slots, displacing Kostas Antetokounmpo and Daryl Macon, both of whom were waived in recent weeks.

[RELATED: 2019/20 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]

Using their open two-way slot on Reaves mean the Mavericks won’t use it to officially add 2019 second-round pick Isaiah Roby to the roster. The No. 45 overall selection remains unsigned, so unless the team plans to stash him overseas or in the G League, a standard contract now seems likely.

Dallas currently has 14 players on guaranteed deals for 2019/20, so the club would be giving up some roster flexibility if it signs Roby to fill its 15th and final regular season roster spot.

Mavs Sign Antonius Cleveland To Two-Way Deal

JULY 25: The signing of Cleveland is now official, the Mavs announced today in a press release.

JULY 24: After recently waiving two-way player Kostas Antetokounmpo, the Mavericks have signed shooting guard Antonius Cleveland to fill the vacant two-way spot left behind by Antetokounmpo’s departure, per Tim Cato of The Athletic. This will be Cleveland’s second stint with Dallas as a two-way player.

Cleveland last played in the NBA during the 2017/18 season with both the Mavs (two-way) and Hawks (15-man roster). He was waived by Atlanta last summer as a cap casualty when the Hawks needed the cap space to take on the contract of Carmelo Anthony. He was claimed by the Bulls but waived before the 2018/19 season began.

Last season, Cleveland played for the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors, where he averaged 11.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 26.5 minutes per contest.

Cleveland, 25, will join guard Daryl Macon as the Mavericks’ two-way players for the 2019/20 season. One of the spots was originally thought to be earmarked for rookie Josh Reaves, but he ended up agreeing to sign an Exhibit 10 contract instead.

Mavs Waive Kostas Antetokounmpo

The Mavericks have waived forward Kostas Antetokounmpo, according to a team press release.

The brother of league Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo had a two-way contract with the Mavs.

Daryl Macon holds the other two-way deal with Dallas. With Antetokounmpo out of the picture, Penn State alum and shooting guard Josh Reaves may have his contract converted a two-way deal. He agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 deal earlier this summer.

The 6’10” Antetokounmpo was chosen by the 76ers late in the second round of the 2018 draft. Dallas acquired him in a draft-night deal. He saw action in two games last season, making his NBA debut on March 20 in Portland.

“We are excited for Kostas to pursue other professional opportunities,” Mavs GM Donnie Nelson said in a statement. “Kostas worked very hard to improve his game and we are proud to have been a step in his development.”

Antetokounmpo played in five summer league games in Las Vegas this month, averaging 5.8 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 13.5 MPG.

The brothers are expected to play for Greece in the FIBA World Cup.

Mavericks To Sign Josh Reaves

JUNE 26: Reaves is expected to sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Mavs rather than a two-way pact, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News hears (Twitter link).

Reaves’ contract could be converted into a two-way later in the offseason, and not signing him to a two-way deal right away would allow Dallas to retain and evaluate both Macon and Antetokounmpo for a little while longer.

JUNE 21: The Mavericks will sign Penn State’s Josh Reaves to a two-way contract, tweets Jonathan Givony of ESPN. Their interest was first reported by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon (Twitter link).

The 6’5″ shooting guard averaged 10.6 points and 5.0 rebounds during his senior season with the Nittany Lions. He was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 10.

Dallas ended the season with its two-way spots occupied by Daryl Macon and Kostas Antetokounmpo. Both players have two-year deals, so one would need to be waived to make room for Reaves.

Central Draft Notes: Pacers, Cavs, Bucks, Pistons

Holding the 18th and 50th overall picks in the 2019 NBA draft, the Pacers should have a wide variety of options available to them in both the first and second rounds, so they’re doing plenty of homework in the weeks leading up to the draft.

On Wednesday, the Pacers held a pre-draft workout that featured Shizz Alston Jr. (Temple), Ky Bowman (Boston College), Tacko Fall (UCF), Mfiondu Kabengele (Florida State), Juwan Morgan (Indiana), and Elijah Thomas (Clemson), according to the team. Fall’s ability to participate in that session was limited after he rolled an ankle, as we noted yesterday.

Today, the Pacers are working out six more prospects, announcing that Luguentz Dort (Arizona State), Kyle Guy (Virginia), Amir Hinton (Shaw), Talen Horton-Tucker (Iowa State), Cody Martin (Nevada), and Josh Reaves (Penn State) are in town.

The Pacers will audition six more prospects on Friday, per the club’s latest press release. Ignas Brazdeikis (Michigan), Jon Elmore (Marshall), Aric Holman (Mississippi State), Luke Maye (UNC), Miye Oni (Yale), and Admiral Schofield (Tennessee) will attend that session.

Here are more updates on pre-draft workouts from around the Central:

Western Notes: Cousins, Cook, Valanciunas, OKC

While Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson have been the most-discussed free-agents-to-be on the Warriors‘ roster all season long, a handful of the club’s other players who are headed for the open market are seeing their stocks impacted by what they’re showing in the postseason.

As Marc Berman of The New York Post writes, DeMarcus Cousins is one of those players. When he tore his quad in the first round of the playoffs, he seemed unlikely to return into the fall, raising uncertainty about what sort of offers he could expect in free agency. However, Cousins helped key the Warriors’ Game 2 win on Sunday, and is now in position to take on an even more crucial role with Kevon Looney sidelined for the rest of the NBA Finals. Cousins could be earning himself some extra money with each game he plays this series.

Meanwhile, one of the Warriors’ most reliable contributors off the bench in Game 2 was Quinn Cook, who played 21 minutes and knocked down three big 3-pointers to help hold off the Raptors. After the game, Draymond Green referred to Cook as “our Patty Mills,” adding that the young guard “should be here for a long time” (Twitter link via Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated).

The Warriors will have to decide in a few weeks how strongly they agree with Green, as Cook will be up for restricted free agency. Even if Golden State issues a qualifying offer to gain the right of first refusal on Cook, a rival suitor could swoop in with an offer sheet that the Warriors may be reluctant to match, given the luxury-tax implications.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference:

  • Jonas Valanciunas once again stated this week that the Grizzlies‘ head coaching decision will play a part in his decision on his $17.6MM player option for 2019/20, as Lithuanian reporter Donatas Urbonas relays (via Twitter). “Deeper into the summer, we’ll have a better picture [of] who’s staying and what are the team’s plans,” Valanciunas said. “First, I want to see who’s the head coach. It’s gonna be a huge factor.”
  • With Darko Rajakovic prepared to head to Phoenix, the Thunder will have three openings to fill on Billy Donovan‘s staff, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. Mark Bryant and Bob Beyer also accepted jobs with new teams.
  • Brett Dawson of The Athletic explores Patrick Patterson‘s outlook as the Thunder forward prepares to enter a contract year. Despite two up-and-down years in Oklahoma City and the possibility that he’ll be on the trade block, Patterson could be a rotation player if he returns, Dawson writes.
  • The Nuggets worked out six prospects at the Pepsi Center on Tuesday, bringing in Javon Bess (Saint Louis), Kavell Bigby-Williams (LSU), Jordan Davis (Northern Colorado), Justin James (Wyoming), Tanor Ngom (Ryerson), and Josh Reaves (Penn State), per a team release.

Southeast Notes: Allen, Hornets Workouts, Beal, Young

Malik Allen was the only member of Tom Thibodeau’s former staff who was retained by the Timberwolves after Ryan Saunders had the interim tag removed earlier this week. However, Allen may be on the move as well. He has emerged as a prime candidate to replace Juwan Howard on Erik Spoelstra’s staff, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Howard left the Heat to take the University of  Michigan head coaching job.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • The Hornets are bringing in six prospects for a workout on Saturday, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets. That group includes Ar’Mond Davis (UC Santa Barbara), Jon Axel Gudmundsson (Davidson), Nathan Knight (William & Mary), Reggie Perry (Mississippi State), Josh Reaves (Penn State) and Quinndary Weatherspoon (Mississippi State). Weatherspoon, a shooting guard, heads that group as ESPN Jonathan Givony’s No. 57 overall prospect.
  • Bradley Beal didn’t become eligible for a supermax extension as he was left off the All-NBA teams. The Wizards shooting guard could still be on the move this summer, Ben Standig of NBC Sports Washington writes. If Washington decides to rebuild, it could trade Beal for assets and salary cap space. In Standig’s view, the Lakers, Celtics and Knicks could be among the most likely destinations, particularly if they strike out in pursuit of high-level free agents.
  • Hawks point guard Trae Young believes his style of play will help bring in quality free agents, as he declared in an interview with 92.9 The Game (hat tip to E. Jay Zarett of the Sporting News). “If you’re looking to have the ball in your hands, if you’re looking to score a lot of points – I mean, a lot of players in the league know if you come play with me, I’m going to make sure I get you the ball,” Young said. “I think that’s something that attracts a lot of big players.”

Atlantic Notes: Cordinier, Fall, Guy, Norvell

Shooting guard Isaia Cordinier is hopeful of landing a two-way contract with the Nets, according to a NetsDaily.com report.  Cordinier anticipates playing with Brooklyn’s summer league team. The 6’5” Cordinier was taken in the second round by the Hawks last June and shipped to the Nets in the Jeremy Lin trade. Cordinier played in the French league this season after missing the 2017/18 season due to surgery on both knees to treat tendinitis.

We have more from around the Atlantic Division:

  • Central Florida center Tacko Fall’s workout with the Knicks, which was scheduled for Monday, was postponed due to travel issues, Ian Begley of SNY-TV tweets. Fall is expected to reschedule his visit. The 7’7” Fall made a strong impression at the G League Elite Camp and Draft Combine.
  • Virginia guard Kyle Guy will be among the prospects the Raptors will evaluate on Tuesday, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets. The Raptors will also work out three other guards, including Canadian Andrew Nembhard, Matt Morgan (Cornell) and John Konchar (Purdue Fort Wayne). Centers Dewan Hernandez (Miami-Fla.), and Zach Hankins (Xavier) are the other prospects working out.
  • The Celtics worked out Gonzaga shooting guard Zach Norvell Jr. on Monday, A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston tweets. Norvell is ranked No. 16 among shooting guard prospects by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Penn State’s Josh Reaves, ranked No. 20 on the shooting guard list by Givony, was also in for a visit, according to Bryan Kalbrosky of Celtics Wire.