Marcus Georges-Hunt

And-Ones: Davis, Georges-Hunt, All-Star Picks, 2022 Draft

Former NBA big man Deyonta Davis has signed with a Taiwanese team, the Taoyuan Leopards, according to Sportando. Davis, an early second-round selection in the 2016 draft, last appeared in the NBA during the 2018/19 season, when he saw action in nine games with Atlanta.

We have more from around the basketball world:

And-Ones: Pekovic, Georges-Hunt, Scouting, Monroe

Family members have refuted a report that former Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic was in serious condition after contracting COVID-19, Nikola Lupo of Sportando relays.

The Serbian website Telegraf indicated that Pekovic was in intensive care at a hospital in Podgorica, Montenegro and required a ventilator to breathe. Pekovic’s family said he’s in stable condition and breathing independently without a respirator.

Minnesota waived Pekovic in 2017 after several injury-riddled seasons. Pekovic played 271 games for the Timberwolves, averaging 12.6 PPG and 6.7 RPG.

We have more from around the basketball world:

  • Former NBA guard Marcus Georges-Hunt is signing with the Jiangsu Dragons of the CBA, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports. Georges-Hunt also spent last season in China with Guangzhou, averaging 24.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 3.6 APG. He lasted appeared in the NBA with the Timberwolves during the 2017/18 season, when he came off the bench in 42 games.
  • NBA teams will be allowed to scout college games during the upcoming season that are open to the general public but won’t be permitted to attend practices, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. The restrictions are a safety precaution due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The college basketball is scheduled to begin in late November during Thanksgiving week.
  • Former NBA center Greg Monroe, who is now playing for BC Khimki Moscow, has tested negative for COVID-19 after a positive test on Friday, Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas tweets. Monroe signed with the Russian team after spending last season in Germany after appearing in 632 NBA games with six teams.

KBL Cancels Season, CBA Delays Resumption

The Korean Basketball League, which has been suspended since February 29 as a result of the coronavirus crisis, has decided to cancel the rest of its 2019/20 season, writes Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

As Givony details, the KBL had initially hoped to resume play on March 29, but there are still safety concerns related to COVID-19, despite South Korea’s relative success in containing the virus.

Elsewhere in Asia, the Chinese Basketball Association – which had been aiming to resume play on April 15 – has pushed back its projected start date to May, having failed to secure government approval, says ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.

Failed restarts in Japan and South Korea played a role in the CBA’s decision, as did the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, sources tell Windhorst.

It’s a discouraging development for the league, which initially shut down in late January. However, the CBA is still encouraging foreign players to return to China as soon as possible so they can do a 14-day self-quarantine before the season restarts, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Marcus Georges-Hunt is among the latest American players to report back to China, Carchia notes (via Twitter).

Several American players are angry and frustrated by the idea of having to remain in China until July or August to finish the CBA season and not being paid for their extra time, sources tell ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

The cancellations and postponements for Asian leagues aren’t exactly promising signs for the NBA, which hopes to resume its 2019/20 season in the spring or early summer. It’s not clear whether that will be possible, with the league prioritizing the safety of its players, coaches, and the rest of its members.

And-Ones: Telfair, Georges-Hunt, O’Bryant, Re-Draft

Former high school basketball prodigy and NBA veteran Sebastian Telfair was sentenced on Monday to three and a half years in prison in his New York City gun case, per The Associated Press. Telfair, 34, was convicted earlier this year of carrying a loaded handgun in his pickup truck.

This was not Telfair’s first brush with the law nor his first incident involving a loaded weapon. He and a friend were arrested in 2007 after a traffic stop during which police found a loaded handgun in the vehicle. He pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a weapon and was sentenced to three years’ probation.

While he never lived up to the hype from his prep career, Telfair did have a relatively successful NBA career. He played 564 games over 10 seasons and averaged 7.4 PPG and 3.5 APG.

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

  • Former Magic and Timberwolves guard Marcus Georges-Hunt, now fully healthy, recently worked out for the Nuggets as he looks to work his way back to the NBA. According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, the fully healthy 25-year-old Georgia Tech product also has several other workouts lined up the rest of the month.
  • As first reported by Donatas Urbonas (Twitter link), top EuroLeague free agent and former NBA player Johnny O’Bryant has signed with Lokomotiv Krasnodar (Twitter link) of the Russian VTB United League. O’Bryant, a second-round pick in the 2014 NBA draft, played four seasons in the NBA with the BucksNuggets, and Hornets.
  • Sam Vecenie of The Athletic would draft Bucks forward and 2018/19 MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jazz big man Rudy Gobert, and Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum with the top three picks in a re-draft of the 2013 NBA Draft. None of the three went higher than No. 10 overall six years ago.

Free Agent Notes: Carter, Georges-Hunt, McAdoo

Vince Carter, who indicated in June that he wants to play one more season before retiring in 2020, hasn’t changed that plan at all, despite having not found a new NBA home one month into free agency. Speaking today to reporters on a conference call, the veteran forward said that he continues to wait for the right opportunity, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Twitter links).

Nothing has changed as far as that goal and that dream of mine,” said Carter, who would become the first NBA player to have a 22-year career if he plays one more season. “It’s a patient thing. I get it. I’m older, teams are going younger. You just have to be patient, and hopefully in the coming days we’ll hopefully have something figured out.”

More and more veteran free agents have headed overseas within the last week or two as roster spots around the NBA dry up. However, most teams still aren’t carrying 15 players on guaranteed contracts, so there should still be some viable landing spots for Carter.

As we wait to see where the 42-year-old lands, here are more updates on some NBA free agents:

  • Swingman Marcus Georges-Hunt, who appeared in 42 games for the Timberwolves during the 2017/18 season, is recovered from the torn meniscus that kept him out of action for much of 2018/19, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. According to Krawczynski, Georges-Hunt has lined up workouts with a number of NBA teams for later this month.
  • Former UNC standout James Michael McAdoo, who won a pair of titles with Golden State and spent some time with the Sixers, is headed back to Europe for 2019/20. Turkish club Besiktas announced today (via Twitter) that it has signed McAdoo, who played in Italy last season.
  • To catch up on any free agent signings you may have missed, be sure to check out our 2019 NBA Free Agent Tracker. Our tracker features every free agent who has signed (or agreed to sign) a standard contract with an NBA team this offseason. It also includes updates on players who finished the 2018/19 season on an NBA roster and have since decided to retire or play in another professional league.

Celtics Waive Marcus Georges-Hunt

The Celtics have waived Marcus Georges-Hunt, tweets Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston. The 24-year-old guard signed with the team at the start of October.

Georges-Hunt played 42 games with the Timberwolves last season, but saw just 5.3 minutes per night. His only other NBA experience was five games with the Magic after coming to Orlando late in the 2016/17 season. He originally signed with the Celtics in 2016, but was waived before the start of the season.

Georges-Hunt is likely headed to Boston’s G League affiliate in Maine and may rejoin the Celtics once they resolve the situation with Jabari Bird, according to Keith P. Smith of CelticsBlog. Bird is on a leave of absence while his assault case goes through the legal system.

Smith points out that if Bird is suspended, he would remain on the roster for at least five games. After that, Boston could put him on the suspended list and recall Georges-Hunt to fill the roster opening.

Bird signed a two-year contract for the league minimum this summer with a guarantee for the first season. If the NBA rules that he has violated its domestic violence policy, his contract could be voided and the Celtics would have no further financial obligation. If Boston waives Bird before the league makes a decision, his contract will remain on the cap and will continue to affect the luxury tax. The Celtics plan to keep Bird on the inactive list until his case is resolved.

Celtics Sign Marcus Georges-Hunt, Cut Justin Bibbs

The Celtics have officially made a change to their 20-man preseason roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed free agent guard Marcus Georges-Hunt, waiving camp invitee Justin Bibbs to create room. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported on Friday that Boston was nearing a deal with Georges-Hunt.

Georges-Hunt, 24, spent last season with the Timberwolves, playing limited minutes in 42 games for the club. The former Georgia Tech standout, who appeared in five games for the Magic during his rookie year in 2016/17, spent most of that season in the G League, where he recorded 15.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 4.4 APG in 45 contests for the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s affiliate.

Georges-Hunt, who has a reputation as a tough perimeter defender, may have a chance to earn a spot on the Celtics’ 15-man regular season roster this fall. The team is currently carrying 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts, but one of those 15 is Jabari Bird, who is dealing with medical and legal issues and whose future in Boston remains unclear.

As for Bibbs, the 22-year-old shooting guard – who signed as an undrafted free agent out of Virginia Tech – looks like a good candidate to end up with the Red Claws this season, assuming he opts to sign a G League contract.

Celtics Near Agreement With Marcus Georges-Hunt

The Celtics are close to reaching a contract agreement with guard Marcus Georges-Hunt, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

It’s apparently a training-camp contract but Georges-Hunt should have a reasonable chance of making the opening-night roster.

Georges-Hunt worked out for the Celtics on September 11th.

The 6’5” Georgia Tech alum appeared in 42 games for the Timberwolves last season, averaging 1.4 PPG in 5.3 MPG, after making his NBA debut with the Magic in 2016/17.

Georges-Hunt was well-known in the Celtics organization prior to the workout. He was on their 2016 training camp roster and then played that season with their G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, averaging 15.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 4.4 APG.

The 6’5” Georges-Hunt worked out for the Timberwolves a week prior to his visit to Boston, even though they made him a free agent by declining to extend him a qualifying offer earlier in the summer. The Cavaliers also brought him in during a free agent tryout earlier this month, while the Nuggets worked him out last month.

The Celtics currently have 15 players on guaranteed contracts and have filled both two-way slots but shooting guard Jabari Bird‘s future with the organization is in doubt. Bird is not with the team as he sorts through legal and medical issues after being arraigned on assault changes in a domestic incident.

Celtics Work Out Marcus Georges-Hunt

The Celtics are working out free agent shooting guard Marcus Georges-Hunt today, Jay King of The Athletic reports.

The 6’5” Georgia Tech alum appeared in 42 games for the Timberwolves last season, averaging 1.4 PPG in 5.3 MPG, after making his NBA debut with the Magic in 2016/17. Georges-Hunt is well-known in the Celtics organization, King notes. He was on their 2016 training camp roster and then playing that season with their G League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, averaging 15.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 4.4 APG.

The 6’5” Georges-Hunt worked out for the Timberwolves last week, even though they made him a free agent by declining to extend him a qualifying offer earlier in the summer. The Cavaliers also brought him in during a free agent tryout last week, while the Nuggets worked him out last month.

The Celtics currently have 15 players on guaranteed contracts but shooting guard Jabari Bird‘s future with the organization is in doubt. Bird was arrested on Friday night in a domestic incident and has been under a guarded watch at a Boston-area hospital.

Northwest Notes: Wolves, Nader, Schroder, Millsap

The Timberwolves have hosted a handful of free agents for a workout this week, with Marcus Georges-Hunt, Rashad Vaughn, and John Jenkins among the latest players to earn a look from Minnesota, per Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link). Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 (Twitter link) also adds Eric Moreland to the list of players auditioned by the Wolves.

Nick Young, Arron Afflalo and Corey Brewer worked out for the Timberwolves too, but according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, a number of agents believe the Wolves simply plan to sign Luol Deng, making them reluctant to send their players for a workout with the team. Minnesota reportedly launched its pursuit of Deng this week.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

  • Following his trade from the Celtics this summer, Thunder forward Abdel Nader is looking forward to his new opportunity with the team, relays Nick Gallo of OKCThunder.com. “It’s great,” Nader said. “I met a lot of the younger guys mostly, and even Russ, PG, Raymond (Felton). Everybody has been great. It’s a great group of guys. High character guys. I’m just really excited to be able to start playing with this team and build chemistry on the court as well as off the court.”
  • Dennis Schroder, who was also traded to the Thunder this summer, discussed his upcoming season, the difficulties he faced growing up in Germany and the advice he received from Dirk Nowitzki in a separate piece written by Nick Gallo. Schroder will provide depth off the bench behind All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook this season.
  • Nuggets forward Paul Millsap is set to start the season injury-free after wrist surgery forced him to miss 44 games last year, as detailed by Chris Dempsey of Nuggets.com. Millsap will be relied upon to anchor Denver’s defense and stretch the club’s offense.