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Spurs Notes: Roster, Possible New Arena, Trades, Sochan

December 20th, 2024 at 9:53pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Spurs’ roster was fully healthy for the first time all season for Thursday’s 133-126 overtime victory over Atlanta, writes Michael C. Wright of ESPN.

“It felt like a big relief,” All-Defensive center Victor Wembanyama said. “Even before the game, I think some of my teammates were still questionable. So we were like, ‘Is it the day, finally?'”

Capitalizing on the team’s surprising health edge, acting San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson started Devin Vassell for the first time all year, moving Julian Champagnie to the bench for the first time since November 4. Vassell responded with 23 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

The story, of course, was Wembanyama, who led his team with 42 points, along with six rebounds, five assists and four rejections.

“I thought he imposed his will in a positive way tonight,” Johnson said. “You can see it physically just because of his sheer size when he’s demonstrative, playing with conviction, where he is going to get the ball to the spots he wants to get to and nothing’s going to stop him.”

San Antonio has gone 14-13 thus far this season, but in the competitive West, that’s only good for the No. 11 seed.

There’s more out of Alamo City:

  • A grassroots community group in San Antonio, COPS/Metro Alliance, has come out in opposition to the city using any of its own dollars for a proposed new Spurs arena downtown, per Molly Smith of The San Antonio Express-News. “Whoever says that this is a done deal I think is crazy, because it’s not a done deal,” said Sonia Rodriguez, leader of COPS/Metro Alliance.
  • In a Southwest Division mailbag, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko says he’s skeptical the Spurs will be open to offloading many of their rotational pieces in trades this season. Iko does suggest that – if the offer is good enough from a title hopeful – San Antonio could probably be convinced to part with Vassell or Champagnie. However, the club’s current roster seems capable of qualifying for this year’s play-tournament, Iko posits, adding that oft-injured veteran center Zach Collins, who is owed $34.7MM through 2025/26, may be the most tradable current Spur.
  • In addressing the Spurs’ current starting five, Iko advocates for a shooting-oriented group made up of point guard Chris Paul, Vassell, Champagnie, forward Harrison Barnes, and Wembanyama. Iko cautions, however, that relegating forward Jeremy Sochan and Castle to bench roles would naturally limit their defensive contributions to the roster.
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Community Shootaround: Best Two-Way Contract Players

August 20th, 2024 at 9:33pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Every year, several two-way contract players outperform their current deals and wind up playing more minutes than expected for their respective organizations. However, two-way players are limited to 50 games on their contracts and aren’t eligible for the postseason.

[RELATED: 2024/25 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker]

Once top two-way players approach their 50-game limit or it’s clear they’re either a part of the organization’s future or making an immediate impact, a team will often convert their deals. Some teams have to wait longer than others due to financial reasons or a lack of roster spots, however.

Take the Heat, for example, who often begin seasons with 14 players on standard deals as opposed to the maximum allowable 15 due to their position against the tax. That’s what they did in 2021/22 when they had Caleb Martin on a two-way deal before signing him at mid-season, when his salary would be prorated and allow them to squeeze under the tax line.

Still, we’re almost certain to see several players converted from two-way to standard contracts this season. Last year, Vince Williams, GG Jackson, Keon Ellis, Craig Porter Jr. and Duop Reath were among impact players who were converted sooner rather than later. Martin, Aaron Wiggins and Sam Hauser are other good in-season examples for recent years.

The Heat could repeat history with a two-way player who may see minutes relatively early in the season with Keshad Johnson. Miami signed Johnson to a two-way deal right after the draft and he played well for the team this summer after ranking as one of the best undrafted free agents. With Martin gone, minutes are open along the wing and at the forward spot for the Heat and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Johnson fill in.

The Wizards have a roster glut to sort through before making any such move, but since they’re likely to be active at the trade deadline, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Justin Champagnie get brought up at some point. Champagnie has appeared in 56 NBA games and impressed in the G League.

The Kings may have one of the best trios of two-way players in the league with Mason Jones, Isaiah Crawford and Isaac Jones. The latter two players went undrafted in 2024 but were rated among the best available rookie free agents after June’s draft. Mason Jones, meanwhile, has impressed in the league before and posted a .502/.459/.833 shooting line in the G League last season. Sacramento could have an opportunity for minutes early with Devin Carter dealing with a shoulder injury and the team light on depth.

Cleveland has been filling out its two-way slots over the past week, bringing in JT Thor and re-signing Emoni Bates. Thor is still just 21 after having three seasons of NBA experience. Bates impressed last season in the G League, averaging 21.6 PPG and making 37.0% of his 10.5 three-point attempts per game. With the Cavaliers still having three open standard roster spots, it’s possible their rotation is a bit shallower to begin the year even if Isaac Okoro re-signs.

Utah is another team with several “veterans” on two-way deals between Jason Preston, Oscar Tshiebwe and Micah Potter. Tshiebwe, in particular, was the G League Rookie of the Year last season after pulling down 16.1 rebounds per game. The Jazz are a young team that could give minutes to as many young players as possible to see who sticks.

That brings us to our question of the day. Which player currently on a two-way contract do you see earning a promotion this season? Are there any players who you think are underlooked? Which players are primed to earn minutes right away?

Take to the comments to let us know. We look forward to your input!

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NBAGL All-League, Defensive, Rookie Teams Announced

April 18th, 2024 at 4:27pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA announced all of the major All-NBA G League teams on Thursday (All Twitter links found here), including the First Team, Second Team, Third Team, All-Defensive Team, and All-Rookie team.

Several current and former NBA players are among the honorees. Here is the full list of winners for the 2023/24 season.

All-NBA G League First Team:

All-NBA G League Second Team:

All-NBA G League Third Team:

G League All-Defensive Team:

G League All-Rookie Team:

* Denotes two-way contract

^ Denotes standard contract

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Wizards Notes: Vukcevic, Young Players, Coulibaly, More

March 28th, 2024 at 3:56pm CST by Rory Maher

Second-round pick Tristan Vukcevic spent much of the 2023/24 season in Europe, but he signed a two-year contract with the Wizards a couple weeks ago. He has been active for three games so far, averaging just 5.3 minutes in those outings. He says he’s still adjusting to the speed of the NBA, according to Bijan Todd of Monumental Sports Network.

“It’s a different game, I think,” Vukcevic said. “It’s more fast-paced, less plays. I think Europe is just more, like, textbook basketball, and that’s just something I have to learn. It’s a learning process, the speed, the pace and everything.”

The 21-year-old was thrilled to make his debut last weekend after having a limited role overseas, Todd adds.

“It felt amazing. It was kind of unexpected, in a way, but I was very happy to be thrown into the fire and be out there,” Vukcevic said. “I haven’t played since like January, a lot of games in Europe, so I was just happy to play the sport I love.”

Here’s more on the Wizards:

  • Jared Butler and Justin Champagnie are among the young players who have made key contributions in recent games with several rotation regulars injured, writes Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. Both Butler and Champagnie are on two-way contracts with the Wizards, who have won three of their past four games to move ahead of the last-place Pistons.
  • Rookie lottery pick Bilal Coulibaly will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his right wrist. Once the injury heals, the 19-year-old hopes to play for Team France at the 2024 Olympics in Paris this summer, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter links). “I will, for sure, try to be on the team,” Coulibaly said. “But, yeah, we’ll see. I mean, coaches make their choices, and I totally respect it. So, yeah, we’ll see.”
  • During Wednesday’s press conference announcing that the Wizards reached an agreement to stay in the District of Columbia long-term, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the team intends to build a new practice facility in the area, as Ava Wallace of The Washington Post relays (via Twitter).
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Wizards Sign Justin Champagnie To Two-Way Contract

March 3rd, 2024 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

1:19pm: The deal is now official, the Wizards have announced in a press release.

9:38am: Following the expiration of his 10-day contract with the Wizards, Justin Champagnie will remain with the team on a new two-way deal, agent Daniel Hazan tells Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report (Twitter link). The contract will cover next season as well as the rest of 2023/24, per Haynes.

Champagnie, who appeared in 41 total NBA regular season games with Toronto and Boston prior to this season, signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract with the Heat last summer after being waived by the Celtics. He competed in training camp for a regular season roster spot with Miami, but was one of the club’s final cuts and spent most of this season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s G League affiliate.

In 34 Showcase Cup and regular season games this season for the Skyforce, Champagnie averaged an impressive 22.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.4 steals in 37.6 minutes per contest, posting a shooting line of .494/.292/.742.

That performance in Sioux Falls earned the 22-year-old a shot with the Wizards, who signed him to a 10-day contract in February. He saw action in three games during his initial 10 days with the club, scoring 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting in 16 total minutes.

The Wizards opened up a two-way slot by promoting Eugene Omoruyi to a two-year standard contract on Friday, so Champagnie will fill that opening. Washington will still have one open spot available on its 15-man standard roster once Champagnie’s deal is official.

Champagnie will be eligible to be active for up to 12 NBA games for the Wizards during the final stretch of this season.

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Wizards Sign Justin Champagnie To 10-Day Deal

February 22nd, 2024 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

FEBRUARY 22: Champagnie’s signing is official, the Wizards announced (via Twitter).

FEBRUARY 20: The Wizards have agreed to sign forward Justin Champagnie to a 10-day contract, agent Daniel Hazan tells Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Washington has two open spots on its 15-man roster, so no corresponding cut will be necessary to create space for Champagnie.

Champagnie, who has appeared in 41 total NBA regular season games with Toronto and Boston, signed a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract with the Heat last summer after being waived by the Celtics. He competed in training camp for a standard or two-way deal with Miami, but was one of the club’s final cuts and has spent the season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s G League affiliate.

In 34 Showcase Cup and regular season games this season for the Skyforce, Champagnie has averaged an impressive 22.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.4 steals in 37.6 minutes per contest. The 22-year-old has posted a shooting line of .494/.292/.742.

Champagnie will earn $116,075 on his 10-day contract with the Wizards and would be eligible to sign a second 10-day deal once this one expires.

Champagnie is the twin brother of Spurs forward Julian Champagnie.

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Heat Promote Dru Smith To Standard Contract, Convert Cole Swider To Two-Way

October 21st, 2023 at 11:21am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Heat have signed guard Dru Smith to a multi-year standard NBA contract and converted sharpshooting forward Cole Swider to a two-way deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

In a subsequent move, the team waived both forward Cheick Diallo and wing Justin Champagnie, who were both on Exhibit 10 contracts.

Smith, 25, has been in the Heat’s developmental system since signing a training camp deal in 2021. He spent that year playing with Miami’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, before once again signing a camp deal with the Heat in 2022. At the conclusion of 2022’s training camp, Smith signed a two-way contract with the team.

At the beginning of the 2022/23 season, the Heat alternated between Orlando Robinson and Smith on two-way deals, with Jamal Cain on the other, swapping the pair out a handful of times. Smith then wound up signing with the Nets on a two-way before rejoining Miami this free agency period. He holds career averages of 2.9 points and 1.5 assists in 15 career NBA games.

Now, Smith is rewarded with a multi-year standard contract which has a $425K opening-night guarantee, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link). It’s a similar structure to the contract Robinson wound up getting from Miami, with a July trigger date in its second year, tweets HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. The Heat were only able to sign Smith to a minimum-salary deal due to their proximity to the tax aprons.

Smith had a solid preseason, averaging 6.5 points and 5.3 assists in four games. Head coach Erik Spoelstra praised his during training camp and the Heat appreciated his ability to run the floor, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). Smith and Kyle Lowry are the only true point guards on Miami’s roster.

It’s interesting to see Miami opt for Smith over Cain for the 14th roster spot, which he had been hoping to get, according to Jackson. Cain averaged 11.3 points and 8.3 rebounds in four preseason games. However, as Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) observes, keeping Cain on a two-way may make it easier for the Heat to keep him in their system going forward because they may opt to switch out the 14th roster spot during the season.

Swider is another player who earned plenty of buzz during training camp and the preseason. He opened the preseason with a 17-point performance while knocking down five three-pointers. Swider, who spent last season on a two-way deal with the Lakers before being waived this summer, averaged 11.2 points and knocked down 37.1% of his three-pointers (7.0 attempts) across five appearances in the preseason. The 6’9″ forward shot 43.6% from deep in 27 regular season G League games last year.

Swider is hoping to follow in Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson‘s footsteps by being frontcourt shooter who enjoys a successful career with Miami. The Syracuse product joins Cain and R.J. Hampton as the team’s two-way players.

As for the Heat’s camp players, Diallo played sparingly in the preseason, averaging 2.7 rebounds in 6.9 minutes. Champagnie played much more, averaging 7.5 points in 22.1 minutes, positioning himself well in the camp battle. Even though both players are being waived, the Heat likely hope to funnel both to the Skyforce, where they’d be eligible for a bonus worth up to $75K if they are there for 60 or more days. Champagnie played with the Skyforce last season and Miami could revisit him in the future, like they did with Smith.

With the series of moves, the Heat’s opening night roster appears set, though there’s still time for them to cycle through moree Exhibit 10 signings. Miami has 14 players on standard deals and three players on two-way contracts. The club will keep the 15th spot on the roster open for now due to its proximity to the tax.

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Heat Notes: Herro, Butler, Jaquez, Jovic, Champagnie

October 16th, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Tyler Herro is still in Miami after a long summer of trade rumors and he’s determined to show the Heat that he was worth keeping, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Herro appeared on the way out when Damian Lillard asked the Trail Blazers for a trade in early July and listed Miami as his only preference. But Herro’s role with the Heat is secure now and he’s ready to make an impact, as he showed with a 30-point performance on Sunday night.

“I’m always ambitious,” he said. “Motivation kind of drives me and it’s who I am. But that’s who I am, so that’s me every day. Just being myself. This year is obviously, I wouldn’t even call it revenge or a bounce back. It’s just a year to be myself and just have fun and enjoying what I love to do, which is play basketball. Tonight was a little bit of it.”

Herro was a productive scorer from everywhere on the court on Sunday, Chiang adds, finishing 11-of-19 from the field, 4-of-7 from three-point range, and 4-of-5 on free throws. He displayed an effective floater near the basket as nine of his shots came from inside the lane.

“Man, he’s just so efficient now,” Bam Adebayo said. “His movements, less dribbles, not trying to do much. He gets straight to his points, gets straight to his shots.”

There’s more from Miami:

  • Jimmy Butler was held out of Sunday’s game after undergoing two separate dental surgeries this week, but he’s expected to return before the end of the preseason, Chiang adds.
  • Coach Eric Spoelstra cited progress by Drew Peterson and Alondes Williams, who were both waived over the weekend, Chiang states in another Miami Herald story. Both players were part of Miami’s Summer League team, and Spoelstra hopes they will continue to develop with the organization’s G League affiliate. “We’re encouraged by both of them,” he said. “This was part of the agreement to transition them and get guys on to Sioux Falls. It happens in stages. These can be great opportunities still. We want to invest in them for the entire season. That’s ideally the plan. They got a lot better these last eight weeks and we’re looking forward to this next step in Sioux Falls.”
  • Nagging injuries have virtually eliminated any chance that Jaime Jaquez or Nikola Jovic will be in the rotation when the regular season begins, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Jaquez has been limited by a groin strain in the preseason, while Jovic is dealing with a bruised knee.
  • Justin Champagnie may be the favorite to fill the open roster spot if the Heat don’t try to sign someone else, Winderman speculates in a separate piece. He expects Cole Swider to be converted to a two-way contract, with current two-way player Dru Smith possibly the odd man out.
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Spurs Notes: Wembanyama, Vassell, Champagnie, Johnson

October 14th, 2023 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Victor Wembanyama has been playing in pickup games with his Spurs teammates for several weeks, but sometimes they’re still amazed by what he can do, writes Andrew Lopez of ESPN. The French rookie’s unique combination of size and skill was on display Friday night against Miami as he posted 23 points, four rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 23 minutes.

Included in those points were a couple of spectacular plays that demonstrate how Wembanyama can transform San Antonio’s offense. One came late in the first half on a give-and-go with Tre Jones where Wembanyama leaped for a pass and easily slammed it with two hands.

“Towards me, the problem is rarely that the ball is thrown too high,” Wembanyama said. “It only comes down to how well we know each other.”

Wembanyama also thrilled the crowd by catching a fast-break pass just inside the three-point line and using a Eurostep to get to the basket without dribbling.

“He is going to make special plays,” Devin Vassell said. “I’m going to keep talking about it, he is going to make a play every game where you just look down like what the heck just happened.”

There’s more from San Antonio:

  • Vassell is already figuring out how his game can improve by having a weapon like Wembanyama, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Vassell was 6-of-7 on three-point shots Friday night, with two of them coming directly off assists from the big man. “With Vic, it makes the game so easy,” said Vassell, who recently signed a five-year extension. “As soon as he rolls and pops, he has so much attention that we are just wide open on the kickout. The thing is just him trusting us and us trusting him and us just building chemistry off of that.”
  • Julian Champagnie is trying to win a roster spot with the Spurs while his twin brother Justin Champagnie is doing the same with the Heat, and it marked a rare occurrence when they were on the court at the same time on Friday, Orsborn adds. The twins said the only other time they have faced each other was in a G League game last season.
  • Keldon Johnson missed his second straight preseason game due to concerns over lingering hamstring soreness, Orsborn states in a separate story. Johnson has been able to practice, but the Spurs are being careful about using him in games. “We know what Keldon can do,” Doug McDermott said. “He will be ready once his body tells him he is ready. But he is still the same Keldon. He is going to be aggressive going to the rim. His jumper looks great as well and he has been a great leader for us in the locker room.”
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Southeast Notes: J. Davis, Oubre, Champagnie, Martin

September 19th, 2023 at 5:56pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Second-year Wizards shooting guard Johnny Davis, the 10th pick out of Wisconsin in the 2022 draft, is hoping to make a bigger impact this year than he did as a rookie. While on a lottery-bound Washington team, Davis struggled to crack the club’s rotation for much of the year, ultimately averaging 5.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 1.0 APG in just 28 contests.

Now, Josh Robbins of The Athletic takes stock of how rival scouts feel about the 6’5″ swingman’s NBA future.

“He’s going to have a little bit more of an intense light on him this year just from an evaluation standpoint because the team’s shifted,” one scout said. “It’s not any of his fault or anything, but he’s going to have to prove that he’s ready to play this year quicker than maybe incrementally getting better and showing progress just because everyone’s going to be a little bit under the gun there.”

“In college, I think he was really competitive, really sure of himself, really assertive on the court,” another scout observed. “He got to his spots, got to situations where he could be impactful and effective. He competed on both ends. And certainly early on (in the NBA), it just seemed like for whatever reason, he didn’t have that same level of confidence, and that impacted him overall.”

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

  • Rumored to be a suitor for the veteran forward, the Heat did not make a major push for the services of Kelly Oubre in free agency, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald reports (Twitter link). Oubre instead signed a minimum contract with the Sixers earlier this week. An athletic 6’7″ wing, Oubre averaged a career-best 20.3 PPG last season with the Hornets, along with 5.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG and 1.1 APG.
  • Heat training camp invitee Justin Champagnie is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Miami forward Caleb Martin as an unheralded twin wing making an outsized impact on a playoff hopeful, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Caleb Martin’s twin brother Cody Martin has firmly established himself as a key role player for the Hornets. Champagnie’s twin brother Julian Champagnie, meanwhile, is a developing talent with the Spurs. “We talk about basketball a lot,” Justin said of his brother. “He’ll come tell me about his, and I’ll tell him about mine.” The 6’6″ forward isn’t guaranteed a roster spot, but could force the Heat’s hand with a strong training camp and preseason. “It’s good knowing you actually have an opportunity to make the team or get a two-way, to kick-start your career,” Champagnie said. “And that makes you work harder.”
  • In case you missed it, trade talks between the Heat and Trail Blazers for Portland All-Star Damian Lillard remain at something of an impasse.
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