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Olympics Notes: Team USA’s Near Upset, Ivey, South Sudan, Embiid

July 20th, 2024 at 10:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

It was only an exhibition game, but South Sudan had an opportunity to pull off the greatest upset in international basketball history Saturday in London, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Team USA needed a driving layup by LeBron James with eight seconds remaining and a crucial defensive stop to escape with a 101-100 victory.

It marked the first real taste of adversity for a U.S. team that’s heavily favored to win the gold medal in France. South Sudan built its lead as high as 16 points as the Americans’ offense looked badly out of sync for most of the first half.

“I did not do a great job preparing our team, I think we did not focus enough on what they’re capable of and that’s on me,” head coach Steve Kerr said.“They played a wonderful game and the ending was good for us just to feel that. To feel what it’s going to be like in Paris and Lille. … A good reminder that when we play against teams, it’s the biggest game of their lives and we have to expect everyone to play like that.”

Kerr shook things up by using a completely different lineup to start the second half. That sparked a comeback that featured a 23-5 run covering the late third and early fourth quarters, but South Sudan still grabbed a late lead on a three-pointer by JT Thor that set up James’ heroics.

“I think the whole team was embarrassed at halftime to be totally outplayed and down 14,” Kerr said. “And I don’t think [James] was real thrilled about me not starting him in the third quarter. But I thought that next group that we put out there really did a good job defensively. And I looked down a couple of times and I can see LeBron chomping at the bit to be out on the floor as soon as he got out there and he went to work, so he was brilliant.”

There’s more Olympics news to pass along:

  • Rockets assistant Royal Ivey, who serves as head coach for South Sudan, believes the experience will help his team in the Olympics even though it didn’t quite get the victory, Windhorst adds. In addition to Thor, South Sudan was led by 2022/23 G League Player of the Year Carlik Jones, who posted a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and Marial Shayok, a second-round pick by the Sixers in 2019, who had 24 points. “We want to take the momentum, the mindset, the tenaciousness that we had [to the Olympics],” Ivey said. “We didn’t flinch.”
  • South Sudan is already a remarkable story by reaching the Olympics in only its 13th year as a nation, notes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle. Former NBA star Luol Deng, who serves as president of the country’s basketball federation, personally funded the program and picked Ivey to serve as head coach in 2021. The Bright Stars qualified for the Olympics with their performance in last year’s FIBA World Cup.
  • In an episode of The Interview podcast, Joel Embiid explained that his decision to join Team USA was influenced by pressure from France (hat tip to HoopsHype). “It didn’t help that, you know, France that put an ultimatum on, you know, when the decision had to be made,” Embiid said.
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World Cup Notes: Hart, Giannis, Giddey, Dellavedova

August 10th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Several members of Team USA have new contracts to celebrate this summer as they prepare for the FIBA World Cup, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Josh Hart became the latest player with a new deal, signing a four-year, $81MM extension with the Knicks electronically Thursday morning while the Americans prepared for a pair of exhibition games in Spain.

“It was actually pretty cool, I was just laying down on the training table, getting some treatment, on FaceTime with (his wife Shannon) and signing the contract,” Hart said. “It meant a lot. I wasn’t highly touted coming out of high school, wasn’t highly regarded in the draft, went through free agency the first time and I was restricted, it was a terrible experience for me, so to be able to do this, it’s a dream come true – just being able to have something that can take care of my parents, my family, my kids.”

Other U.S. players also had productive offseasons. Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards both signed five-year, maximum-salary extensions. Cameron Johnson got $100MM over five seasons to stay with the Nets, and Austin Reaves re-signed with the Lakers for approximately $54MM over four years.

“Yeah, that’s my kids’ kids’ money, for sure,” Edwards said. “It don’t matter (which player’s contract we’re talking about), that’s a lot of money.”

There’s more on the World Cup:

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo traveled to the United States for more testing on his knee before deciding whether to play for Greece, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. The Bucks‘ medical staff will reportedly work with doctors from the Greek team to determine the best course of action for Antetokounmpo.
  • Wenyen Gabriel is the most recognizable player for South Sudan, which is preparing for its first-ever World Cup appearance, Askounis adds in a separate story. Other team members with NBA ties include Marial Shayok, Mangok Mathiang and Carlik Jones.
  • Thunder guard Josh Giddey is ready to become the new on-court leader for Australia, per Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Coach Brian Goorjian plans entrust his offense to the 20-year-old, who is seen as the future of the Australian basketball. “Giddey sets the standard of, eventually you’re gonna be the guy for this program, and he’s an unselfish player, so that sets the standard straight out of the gates,” teammate Jock Landale said. “He’s already embodied the Boomers mentality, and our culture, just through how he plays. It’s gonna come naturally to him, and he’ll fit in really nicely.”
  • Veteran guard Matthew Dellavedova isn’t part of Australia’s 13-man roster for exhibition games prior to the start of the tournament, according to Eurohoops.
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Hawks, Mavs, Celtics, Thunder, Spurs Make Minor Cuts

October 15th, 2022 at 6:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks, Mavericks, Celtics, Thunder, and Spurs have each waived a player who had been under contract on a non-guaranteed training camp deal, per NBA.com’s transaction log. Those cuts are as follows:

In each of these cases, the player’s stint on his team’s roster was short-lived and his deal was aimed at either securing his G League rights or ensuring that he receives a bonus worth up to $50K for returning to his old NBAGL team this season.

Adaway’s Exhibit 10 agreement with the Spurs was reported in August, but wasn’t actually completed until today — by the time we knew he had officially signed his contract, he had already been cut.

The Hawks, Celtics, and Mavericks are now in compliance with the NBA’s regular season roster limit. Atlanta and Dallas each have 14 players on standard contracts, while Boston has 15. The Mavs are expected to add Facundo Campazzo as a 15th man before the regular season begins next week.

The Thunder and Spurs still have more moves to make before their regular season rosters are set. Both teams are expected to waive players with guaranteed contracts, so there was no need to finalize those moves today, as we explained on Saturday morning.

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Noah Vonleh Makes Celtics’ Roster; Jake Layman Waived

October 15th, 2022 at 12:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Big man Noah Vonleh has made the Celtics‘ regular season roster, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter), Vonleh’s contract will be non-guaranteed until January, so he’ll be paid on per-day basis until then.

Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe reported on Thursday that Vonleh appeared to be a safe bet for the 14th spot on the standard roster after a strong showing during preseason.

The ninth overall pick of the 2014 draft, Vonleh is a well-traveled veteran, having previously played for seven NBA teams in seven seasons from 2014-2021. He spent last season in China.

The Celtics have waived veteran forward Jake Layman and guard Eric Demers, sources tell Keith Smith of CelticsBlog and Spotrac (Twitter links) Boston has also signed wing Marial Shayok, according to Smith, though he will almost certainly be waived soon.

It’s unclear if forward Justin Jackson has made Boston’s roster, but we should find out shortly. The veteran has been vying for the 15th roster spot along with Layman and possibly Mfiondu Kabengele, though Kabengele is already on a two-way contract.

A second-round pick in 2016, Layman has appeared in 243 regular season games across six NBA seasons in Portland and Minnesota. In total, the former Maryland forward – who is a Massachusetts native – has averaged 4.8 PPG and 1.7 RPG on .460/.300/.719 shooting in 12.8 minutes per contest over the course of his NBA career.

Layman was signed to an Exhibit 10 deal, so if he clears waivers, he could receive a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate. Demers is another Massachusetts native who played for Maine least season and could be in line for the same bonus.

Shayok was the 54th overall pick of the 2019 draft by the Sixers, making four appearances with the club on a two-way deal. He spent most of his rookie season with the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G League affiliate. Shayok has played for Turkish clubs the past two seasons.

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International Notes: Satoransky, Olympics, Shayok, Landale

June 11th, 2021 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky is the only current NBA player on the Czech Republic’s preliminary roster for the Olympic qualifying tournament later this month (link via FIBA). Former NBA lottery pick Jan Vesely is among the other notable names on the roster.

Satoransky, Vesely, and the Czechs will be looking to earn a berth in the Tokyo Olympics by winning a six-team tournament that also features Canada, Greece, Turkey, China, and Uruguay. It won’t be an easy path, as only one of the six teams will advance to Tokyo. Canada’s roster features many NBA players, while Greece could have Giannis Antetokounmpo available if the Bucks don’t advance past Brooklyn in round two of the NBA playoffs.

Here are a few more notes from around the international basketball world:

  • Former NBA second-rounder Marial Shayok is joining Turkish club Fenerbahce, according to a report from Ismail Senol of beIN Sports (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando). After being selected 54th overall in 2019, Shayok spent his rookie season with the 76ers, but was waived last November. The 25-year-old forward played for Frutti Extra Bursaspor in Turkey for most of 2021.
  • Former Saint Mary’s big man Jock Landale, who is currently playing for Melbourne United in Australia’s National Basketball League, is hoping to use the NBL playoffs as a springboard to a potential NBA contract, telling Matt Logue of News.com.au that he has received “a lot” of NBA interest this season. Landale also sought a move to the NBA last summer, but could have more luck this time around following a big year for Melbourne.
  • Nick Lagios, who will be the general manager of the NBA G League’s new franchise based in Mexico City, told Achilleas Mavrodontis of Eurohoops.net that he likes the idea of someday overseeing a European team’s basketball operations department. “Many people call me crazy because my dream job is to work as a GM or president in the EuroLeague,” Lagios said. “I think it would be a great experience working (for) a European team or a top-notch Greek team and I would love that in the future.”
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Marial Shayok Signs With Turkish Team

January 6th, 2021 at 11:51am CST by Luke Adams

Former Sixers forward Marial Shayok has signed with Turkish team Frutti Extra Bursaspor, according to agent Misko Raznatovic (Twitter link). Emiliano Carchia of Sportando first reported earlier this week that the two sides were engaged in “advanced talks.”

Shayok, the 54th overall pick in the 2019 draft, signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia and spent his rookie season with the franchise. Though he only appeared in four games at the NBA level, the 25-year-old was a standout in the G League, averaging 22.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 3.7 APG on .456/.358/.889 shooting in 36 games (29.2 MPG) for the Delaware Blue Coats.

Shayok’s two-way deal covered the 2020/21 season as well, but the 76ers opted not to keep him for the second year of the contract, waiving him in November. Dakota Mathias and Paul Reed are filling the team’s two-way slots this season.

Bursaspor is off to a slow start this season, with a 3-10 record in Turkish League action and a 3-7 mark in EuroCup play, so Shayok will look to help turn things around for his new club.

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Sixers Waive Marial Shayok

November 20th, 2020 at 12:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Marial Shayok, a two-way player for the Sixers last season, has been waived, tweets Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

A 25-year-old shooting guard, Shayok got into four games for Philadelphia, playing 28 total minutes. He was named to the G League’s All-Rookie Team, averaging 22.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game with the Delaware Blue Coats.

A native of Ottawa, Shayok was invited to play for Canada’s World Cup team last summer, but elected not to participate.

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NBA G League Announces 2019/20 All-NBAGL Teams

June 26th, 2020 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

After being named the G League’s Most Valuable Player on Thursday, Wisconsin Herd guard Frank Mason III – who is on a two-way contract with the Bucks – headlines the All-NBA G League First Team, as the league announced today in a press release.

Mason was joined on the All-NBAGL first team by teammate Jaylen Adams, as well as Salt Lake City Stars forward Jarrell Brantley, South Bay Lakers big man Devontae Cacok, and Memphis Hustle forward Jarrod Uthoff. Mason, Brantley, and Cacok are currently on two-way contracts with NBA teams.

That’s a common theme for this year’s All-NBAGL teams. The majority of the 15 players named to the three squads are either currently on two-way contracts or have had NBA experience in the past.

The complete list of the 2019/20 All-NBA G League teams, along with the All-Rookie and All-Defensive squads, is below. Players currently on two-way contracts are noted with a caret (^).

All-NBAGL First Team:

  • Jaylen Adams (Wisconsin Herd)
  • Jarrell Brantley (Salt Lake City Stars) ^
  • Devontae Cacok (South Bay Lakers) ^
  • Frank Mason III (Wisconsin Herd) ^
  • Jarrod Uthoff (Memphis Hustle)

All-NBAGL Second Team:

All-NBAGL Third Team:

NBAGL All-Rookie Team:

  • Jarrell Brantley (Salt Lake City Stars) ^
  • Devontae Cacok (South Bay Lakers) ^
  • Donta Hall (Grand Rapids Drive)
  • Marial Shayok (Delaware Blue Coats) ^
  • Tremont Waters (Maine Red Claws) ^

NBAGL All-Defensive Team:

Of the 20 players who earned a spot on one of the G League’s All-NBAGL or All-Defensive teams this year, only four – Adams, Jones, Koumadje, and Hollins – haven’t been on some form of standard, two-way, or 10-day NBA contract since the ’19/20 season began.

Adams and Jones have previous NBA experience, while Koumadje and Hollins have yet to make their regular-season NBA debuts.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Team Canada Dealing With Depleted Roster

August 5th, 2019 at 8:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Much has been made of the withdrawals from Team USA by prominent players as it prepares for the FIBA World Cup in China this summer. Team Canada has experienced similar issues.

Canada Basketball unveiled its training camp roster in a press release and many notable names are missing. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dillon Brooks, Brandon Clarke, Luguentz Dort, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mfiondu Kabengele, Naz Mitrou-Long, Trey Lyles, Dwight Powell, Marial Shayok, Nik Stauskas, and Tristan Thompson were among the invitees who opted not to participate.

Knicks lottery pick RJ Barrett and Nuggets guard Jamal Murray are on the roster but will only participate in training camp. Barrett is dealing with a mild calf strain, while Murray is nursing an ankle injury, Blake Murphy of The Athletic tweets.

Among the NBA players who are on the roster and intend to participate in the tournament are Kings guard Cory Joseph, Heat forward Kelly Olynyk, Magic center Khem Birch and Raptors big man Chris Boucher. Toronto’s Nick Nurse is the head coach of the team, which will play seven exhibition games before its FIBA opener against Australia on September 1.

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Sixers Sign Marial Shayok To Two-Way Contract

July 7th, 2019 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers have officially signed second-round pick Marial Shayok to a two-way contract, the team announced today in a press release.

[RELATED: 2019 NBA Draft Pick Signings]

In a statement within the team’s press release, 76ers general manager Elton Brand calls Shayok, a former Iowa State wing, a “natural-born scorer who is committed to being a tough defender.”

The 54th overall pick in the draft, Shayok spent his final college season at Iowa State, where he got a chance to take on a starring role after three years at Virginia. In his senior year, the 6’6″ Canadian averaged 18.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 2.0 APG, with a shooting line of .496/.386/.878, earning First Team All-Big 12 honors.

Philadelphia signed Norvel Pelle to a two-way contract on Tuesday, so Pelle and Shayok appear poised to open the 2019/20 season as the club’s two-way players. They figure to split time between the NBA club and the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers’ G League affiliate.

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