Nathan Mensah Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Sign, Waive Nathan Mensah

October 13th, 2024 at 2:15pm CST by Arthur Hill

OCTOBER 13: Mensah has been released, the Spurs announced. San Antonio now has 20 players under contract, one shy of the offseason limit.

SEPTEMBER 28: Free agent big man Nathan Mensah has been added to the Spurs‘ camp roster, a source tells Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). The agreement between Mensah and the Spurs was first reported back in July.

The 26-year-old center appeared in 25 games for the Hornets last season on a two-way contract before being waived in early March. He averaged 1.3 points and 2.6 rebounds off the bench in 12.3 minutes per night.

Mensah signed an Exhibit 10 deal with Charlotte last summer after going undrafted out of San Diego State. He took part in the Hornets’ training camp, but was waived before the start of the season.

Earlier this month, the Austin Spurs acquired Mensah’s rights as part of a four-team G League trade. San Antonio has a two-way slot open, but if Mensah winds up with Austin this season, and assuming he has another Exhibit 10 contract, he’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he spends at least 60 days with the team.

The Spurs recently created an opening on their 21-man roster by waiving Jameer Nelson Jr., so Mensah’s signing will bring them back to the offseason limit.

G League Notes: Simpson, Boeheim, McGowens, More

September 2nd, 2024 at 3:15pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Hornets‘, Pistons‘, Spurs‘ and Thunder‘s G League affiliates completed a four-team trade, according to a release (Twitter link) and the G League transactions log.

In the trade, the Greensboro Swarm (Hornets) obtained the returning player rights to both Zavier Simpson and Caleb McConnell. The Motor City Cruise (Pistons) acquired RaiQuan Gray‘s rights, along with OKC’s 2025 second-round pick. The Austin Spurs got the rights to Nathan Mensah while the Oklahoma City Blue obtained Buddy Boeheim‘s.

Acquiring a player’s returning G League rights doesn’t necessarily mean that player will suit up for his new team. These trades ensure that if a player signs an NBAGL contract, he will play for the club that acquired his rights. When deals occur at this point in the offseason, they’re often precursors to players signing Exhibit 10 contracts with the parent club, lining them up to receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K if they’re waived and then spent at least 60 days in the G League.

This deal appears to be for exactly those purposes, at least in part. Mensah and Boeheim reportedly agreed to training camp deals with the Spurs and Thunder, respectively, so these trades indicate those agreements will be completed soon. Mensah played in 25 games for the Hornets last season, averaging 1.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per contest. Boeheim played two seasons with the Pistons, appearing in 20 games and averaging 2.5 PPG.

The other names in the trade are interesting. Simpson played in Summer League with the Hornets but previous reporting from HoopsHype indicated he was set to head overseas this season. He may very well still be doing that, but Charlotte clearly likes him. Gray, meanwhile, was traded while on a two-way contract to the Bulls before being waived.

Simpson has 11 games of NBA experience, averaging 7.8 points and 5.0 assists. McConnell, a former Rutgers player, also played for Charlotte in Summer League. While he hasn’t yet appeared in an NBA game, he suited up for 47 G League contests and averaged 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds last season. Gray played parts of two seasons with the Nets and then Spurs, averaging 9.8 points in his four games.

We have more from the G League:

The Cruise and Spurs participated in another multi-team trade, with Motor City acquiring the rights to Javante McCoy and Reggie Kissoonlal along with unspecified draft capital, according to the log and a team release (Twitter link). Austin obtained the rights to Isaiah Miller and Jaylen Johnson, while the Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz) got a 2025 first round pick and Jayce Johnson. None of those players have yet agreed to sign Exhibit 10 deals, but as teams start fielding their training camp rosters, they’ll be names to monitor. All players involved have previously participated in training camps with NBA teams.
The Long Island Nets and Cleveland Charge completed their own trade, with the rights to Trey McGowens heading to Cleveland in exchange for Tray Maddox‘s rights (Twitter link). McGowens signed an Exhibit 10 with Brooklyn last season and averaged 10.1 points in 16 G League games last season. Maddox, a Western Michigan product who went undrafted in 2023, averaged 6.1 PPG last season for the Charge.
In case you missed it, Lonnie Walker IV signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Celtics and may end up playing for their G League affiliate this season, at least to begin the year.

Spurs, Nathan Mensah Agree To Training Camp Contract

July 29th, 2024 at 1:09pm CST by Rory Maher

The Spurs plan to sign free agent big man Nathan Mensah to a training camp contract, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (via Twitter).

Mensah, 26, went undrafted last year after spending five college seasons at San Diego State. He joined the Hornets last fall, initially signing an Exhibit 10 deal ahead of training camp before being waived prior to the 2023/24 season.

Mensah opened his first professional season playing for Charlotte’s NBA G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, averaging 10.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 14 Showcase Cup games last fall (29.3 minutes per contest).

Amid multiple frontcourt injuries, the Hornets promoted Mensah to a two-way contract in December. He averaged 1.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 25 NBA games (12.6 minutes) before he was cut in early March. He returned to the Swarm to conclude his rookie campaign.

A 6’8″ center from Ghana who possesses a 7’4″ wingspan, Mensah caught on with the Spurs for Summer League action in California and Las Vegas. Evidently he impressed the club, as he’ll reportedly be signing with San Antonio for training camp.

While the terms of the contract were not disclosed, camp deals like Mensah’s often contain Exhibit 10 language to give players an opportunity to earn a bonus if they’re waived before the season begins and then spend at least 60 days with a team’s NBAGL affiliate. In Mensah’s case, that would be the Austin Spurs.

Hornets Sign Bolden To Two-Way Contract, Waive Mensah

March 2nd, 2024 at 9:37am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Hornets have signed center Marques Bolden to a two-way contract, according to a release from the team. To create a roster spot for Bolden, Charlotte waived two-way center Nathan Mensah.

Bolden recently spent time with the Hornets on a 10-day contract, which was ended early to make room for Aleksej Pokusevski on the 15-man roster. He appeared in one game with Charlotte. The 25-year-old has also had NBA stops in Cleveland and Milwaukee. He spent part of this season on a two-way deal with the Bucks, but only appeared in two games.

Bolden played three seasons at Duke, averaging 3.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 88 career collegiate games (24 starts). He has been the most productive in the G League, where he’s averaged 13.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while shooting 55.6% from the floor and 39.7% from deep in 31 regular season and Showcase Cup games with the Wisconsin Herd.

Mensah signed with the Hornets on a two-way contract in December after joining the team in training camp. He immediately carved out a small role, playing about 40 combined minutes in his first two career games and averaging 16.1 minutes from early to late January. However, his role diminished as time went on and he was nearing his active-game limit, prompting Charlotte to make the move to Bolden. In 25 games with the Hornets, Mensah averaged 1.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.6 blocks.

The Hornets have 15 players on standard contracts and all three of their two-way spots are filled. Bolden joins Amari Bailey and Leaky Black as the Hornets’ two-way players.

Several Two-Way Players Nearing Active Game Limit

February 20th, 2024 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

A player who signs a two-way contract with an NBA team is permitted to be active for up to 50 regular season games. That limit is prorated if the player signed his two-way deal after the regular season got underway — for instance, a player who finalized a two-way contract halfway through the season would be permitted to be active for up to 25 contests at the NBA level.

Several two-way players have been promoted to standard contracts recently, eliminating those games-played limits. GG Jackson (Grizzlies), Keon Ellis (Kings), Lindy Waters III (Thunder), Craig Porter Jr. (Cavaliers), Duop Reath (Trail Blazers), and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (Pelicans) have all signed new deals since the trade deadline.

However, there are still a number of players on two-way contracts around the league who are at or near their active-game limit for the season. Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) identifies Celtics big man Neemias Queta, Mavericks guard Brandon Williams, Grizzlies guard Jacob Gilyard, and Hornets teammates Leaky Black and Nathan Mensah as two-way players who have 10 or fewer active games left, while Hawks guard Trent Forrest has already reached his 50-game limit.

In some cases, promotions to the standard roster may be forthcoming. Queta, for instance, has been a semi-regular contributor off the bench for the Celtics, who have an open spot on their 15-man roster, so if Boston wants to make him playoff-eligible and ensure he’s able to be active for the rest of the regular season, a contract conversion would be pretty straightforward.

Other cases could be trickier. While the Hawks would presumably like to have Forrest available for the rest of the season, they have a full 15-man roster, so they’d have to waive someone to make room to promote him.

Atlanta at least has some viable release candidates on its roster — for instance, veterans Patty Mills and Wesley Matthews haven’t played much and aren’t owed guaranteed money beyond this season. But that’s not the case in Memphis, where Gilyard has made a strong case for a promotion from his two-way deal by averaging 4.7 points and 3.5 assists in 37 games (17.7 MPG), with a .425 3PT%.

The Grizzlies have already promoted Jackson and Vince Williams from two-way contracts and may not have any expendable players left on their 15-man roster who could be cut to make room for Gilyard. Luke Kennard ($14.8MM team option for 2024/25) and Lamar Stevens (unrestricted free agent this summer) are the only Grizzlies not owed any guaranteed money after this season, and both are playing rotation roles for the banged-up club.

“We’ll see what happens when the time comes,” Gilyard said of his uncertain situation, according to Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “As a basketball player, it’s definitely on your mind. I try not to let it affect me. I think that’s probably the worst part about being a point guard is you start to understand things and start to grasp things like that.”

“It’s kind of a juggling act,” Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said of working within those active-game limits for his two-way players, including Gilyard and Scotty Pippen Jr. “It’s hard to make those decisions, trying to preserve those dates. (Pippen’s) understood it. I was very upfront with him when he came in, (general manager) Zach (Kleiman) and myself. I think when he came in, we were maybe on the 40-game mark, but he didn’t have 40 games available, so it’s very unfortunate.

“Maybe it’s something that we look into as a league because I think he’s earned the opportunity to play every single night. We just have to balance the games he actually has available to him.”

Besides those players who are approaching their games-played limits, there are a few others on two-way contracts around the league who look like candidates to be promoted to standard rosters before the end of the regular season. Nets forward Jalen Wilson and Warriors guard Lester Quinones are among those who were playing regularly for their respective clubs leading up to the All-Star break.

Promoting a player to a standard contract would open up a two-way slot for his team, allowing that club to reset its active-game counter for that slot — at least to some extent. Due to the prorated nature of those game limits, a player who signs a two-way contract today could only be active for up to 16 games the rest of the way, but that’s 16 more games than, say, Forrest is eligible to play for the Hawks as long as he remains on his current two-way deal.

Teams have until March 4 to sign players to two-way contracts, so I expect to see a good deal of roster activity related to two-way slots within the next couple weeks.

Southeast Notes: Fultz, Ball, Mensah, Wizards

December 16th, 2023 at 3:07pm CST by Luke Adams

After being upgraded to questionable for Friday’s game in Boston, Magic guard Markelle Fultz (left knee tendinitis) was ultimately ruled out for a 16th consecutive contest. As Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel tweets, Fultz has only gone through portions of practice this week, so the club wasn’t quite ready to clear him for game action.

Asked what went into the decision to rule out Fultz on Friday, head coach Jamahl Mosley explained: “Just being able to check to make sure he’s fully back to what we need him to do and getting full practices in with full contact. That’s going to be very important.”

Although his return didn’t happen on Friday and he didn’t take contact in Saturday’s practice, Fultz told reporters on Thursday that he thinks he’ll be back sooner rather than later, per Beede (subscription required). The former No. 1 overall pick said that he’s been “progressing great,” though he’s also on board with the team’s cautious approach to the injury.

“I’m thinking the long game here,” Fultz said. “I don’t want to come back in, play a few games and have to sit back out. When I’m back, I want to stay back for the long run.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

After announcing on December 8 that they’d reevaluate LaMelo Ball (right ankle sprain) in a week, the Hornets offered a very minor update on Friday, tweeting that the star guard has “continued progressing” in his conditioning and individual activities. Updates on his status will be provided “as appropriate,” the Hornets added. It doesn’t sound as if Ball has resumed practicing with the team or that his return is imminent.
After signing a two-way contract with the Hornets on Thursday, center Nathan Mensah was immediately thrust into a rotation role for the injury-plagued club, backing up Nick Richards at the five in Friday’s loss to New Orleans. Mensah fouled out in just 13 minutes of action but he grabbed seven rebounds and made a solid first impression, per Shane Connuck of The Charlotte Observer. “He did a great job,” Brandon Miller said. “His presence down there, I felt like he did a great job on the defensive side, just getting boards, some blocks. He’s gonna be great for us.”
Following this week’s announcement stating that the Wizards plan to move from the District of Columbia to Virginia, David Aldridge of The Athletic and Candace Buckner of The Washington Post published columns criticizing team owner Ted Leonsis for his handling of the situation and his treatment of the franchise’s long-time D.C. market.
In a pair of stories focusing on the Wizards‘ rebuilding process, Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic take a look at how the new front office is emphasizing “small wins” as part of its culture-building efforts and explore how the organization is attempting to improve its off-court infrastructure.

Hornets Sign Nathan Mensah To Two-Way Contract, Waive Theo Maledon

December 14th, 2023 at 8:45pm CST by Tristan Tucker

8:45pm: The Hornets officially announced the signing of Mensah to a two-way contract in a press release.

5:38pm: The Hornets are planning to sign center Nathan Mensah to a two-way contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Mensah has been playing with Charlotte’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, this season after spending training camp with the Hornets this summer on an Exhibit 10 contract. Mensah is averaging 10.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 0.8 steals in 14 Showcase Cup games with the Swarm this season.

Mensah, 25, played five seasons for San Diego State, where he averaged 6.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks across 146 appearances with his collegiate team. In 2022/23, Mensah helped the Aztecs to an appearance in the NCAA national championship, where they ultimately fell to UConn.

To open up the two-way roster spot necessary for Mensah, the Hornets announced they officially waived guard Theo Maledon.

It’s a little surprising to see the Hornets part with Maledon, considering he’s made 57 appearances and eight starts over the past two years with the team in 18.5 minutes per night. However, he’s gotten off to a slow start to the season, shooting just 28.8% from the field. In two years with the Hornets, Maledon averaged 6.1 points and 3.2 assists after spending the first two seasons of his career with the Thunder.

With Mensah set to be signed, the Hornets will be back up to the limit of 18 players on the roster. Charlotte has 15 players on standard deals and, after Mensah’s signing is made official, will have him, Leaky Black and Amari Bailey on two-way deals.

Hornets Cut R.J. Hunter, Nathan Mensah, Terrell Brown Jr.

October 21st, 2023 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets are placing three players on waivers, according to Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer, who reports (via Twitter) that wing R.J. Hunter, center Nathan Mensah, and guard Terrell Brown Jr. have been cut.

Hunter, Mensah, and Brown were all on non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contracts and now look like good bets to join the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate, after they clear waivers.

The Swarm recently acquired Brown’s returning rights from the Memphis Hustle and Mensah can be made an affiliate player, since he’s a rookie whose NBAGL rights weren’t previously held by another team. Hunter should also be eligible to be an affiliate player, since he hasn’t played in the G League since 2019/20, meaning his returning rights have expired.

After releasing the trio, the Hornets will have 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals. No additional moves would be required to set their roster for the regular season, though that doesn’t necessarily mean Charlotte won’t make any more changes before Monday’s cut-down deadline.

Hornets Sign Jaylen Sims, Three Others

September 8th, 2023 at 7:39am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets have officially signed four players, the team announced this week in a press release. While the Hornets didn’t reveal the terms of the deals in their release, Jaylen Sims, Tre Scott, Nathan Mensah, and Angelo Allegri all received Exhibit 10 contracts, Hoops Rumors can confirm.

Sims, who went undrafted out of UNC Wilmington in 2022, spent training camp last fall with the Hornets, then was waived at the end of the preseason. The 6’6″ wing spent his rookie year with the Greensboro Swarm, Charlotte’s G League affiliate, averaging 10.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists 25.3 minutes per night across 39 Showcase Cup and regular season games.

Sims is the only one of Charlotte’s new additions whose deal wasn’t previously reported. Scott reached an agreement with the team in August, while Mensah and Allegri agreed to terms with the Hornets right after June’s draft.

Scott appeared in two NBA games for Cleveland during the 2021/22 season but has primarily played in the G League and overseas since going undrafted out of Cincinnati in 2020. Mensah and Allegri went undrafted this June out of San Diego State and Eastern Washington, respectively. Mensah was a two-time Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year with the Aztecs.

The Hornets now have a full 21-man offseason roster. Their squad features 13 players on fully guaranteed contracts, one (Frank Ntilikina) with a partial guarantee, one (JT Thor) on a non-guaranteed deal, a pair on two-way contracts, and four on Exhibit 10 pacts.

Charlotte also reportedly reached an agreement on a non-guaranteed contract with R.J. Hunter. The club will have to make a cut at some point if it still intends to complete that deal — if the signing is just for G League purposes, it may not happen until sometime in October.

Sims, Scott, Mensah, and Allegri will likely all end up being waived and reporting to the Swarm for the start of the NBAGL season. Spending at least 60 days with the Hornets’ G League affiliate would allow each player to earn a bonus worth up to $75K.

It’s worth noting, since Charlotte has one two-way slot available, that Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into two-way deals anytime prior to the first day of the regular season. However, the Hornets still have a two-way qualifying offer on the table to Theo Maledon, so they may envision him being the one to eventually fill that opening.

Hornets To Sign Angelo Allegri, Nathan Mensah

June 23rd, 2023 at 11:14am CST by Dana Gauruder

Eastern Washington undrafted wing Angelo Allegri has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Hornets, Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress.com tweets.

Allegri averaged 13.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 3.4 APG last season while claiming All-Big Sky First Team honors. Allegri spent three seasons with UNC Greensboro before starting regularly the last two seasons with the Eagles.

Charlotte is also signing two-time Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year Nathan Mensah, who helped San Diego State reached the NCAA Tournament title game, Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype tweets. The 6’10” Mensah played five seasons for the Aztecs and averaged 6.0 PPG and 5.9 RPG last season. He racked up 236 blocks in 146 career games.

It’s unclear what type of contract Mensah is signing but it’s also likely an Exhibit 10 deal.

Players on Exhibit 10 contracts can earn a $75K bonus by joining the team’s G League affiliate — in Charlotte’s case, the Greensboro Swarm — and spending at least 60 days with that team if they’re waived by the NBA squad.