Nik Stauskas Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Raptors To Sign Nik Stauskas

December 20th, 2021 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Nik Stauskas is returning to the NBA, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link), who reports that the veteran shooting guard has agreed to sign with the Raptors. While Stein’s report doesn’t offer additional specifics, it seems relatively safe to assume Stauskas will get a 10-day contract via the hardship exception.

Stauskas, who was born in Mississauga, Ontario, was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2014 draft and appeared in 335 regular season games from 2014-19 for the Kings, Sixers, Nets, Trail Blazers, and Cavaliers. He was a fairly reliable three-point threat (.353 3PT%) during that time, but didn’t show enough other skills to stick in the NBA.

After a brief stint overseas, Stauskas signed in the G League for the 2021 bubble and then returned to the NBAGL this season. In 12 games (38.3 MPG) in 2021/22 for the Grand Rapids Gold, the 28-year-old has recorded 21.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 4.4 APG on .429/.352/.915 shooting.

It has been a busy day for Toronto, as the team also reportedly reached deals with Brandon Goodwin and Juwan Morgan while placing Gary Trent Jr. in the health and safety protocols. The Raptors had their Monday night game postponed and won’t resume play until Wednesday in Chicago, so I’d expect them to wait a couple more days to officially finalize their signings in order to maximize each player’s 10 days.

Nuggets Waive Nik Stauskas

October 16th, 2021 at 5:19pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Nuggets have waived Nik Stauskas, who signed with the team earlier today, according to NBA.com’s transactions log. Stauskas is expect to land with Denver’s new G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, once he clears waivers.

The well-traveled shooting guard began his career in 2014 when the Kings selected him with the eighth pick in the draft. After one year in Sacramento, Stauskas spent time with the Sixers, Nets, Blazers and Cavaliers. He appeared in 335 games with career averages of 6.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 38.9% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range.

Stauskas has been out of the NBA since the end of the 2018/19 season, although he was with the Bucks in training camp last year. He spent part of the 2019/20 season in Spain and played for Raptors 905 in the G League last season.

Nuggets Waive Tarik Black, Two Others; Sign Nik Stauskas

October 16th, 2021 at 10:13am CST by Dana Gauruder

10:13am: Black, Reed, and Bezhanishvili have officially been released, per NBA.com’s transactions log.

9:45am: The Nuggets are trimming their roster by waiving Tarik Black, Davon Reed and Giorgi Bezhanishvili, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. All three were on training camp deals.

Black played four years with the Lakers and Rockets, but has not appeared in a regular season game since the 2017/18 season. He has career averages of 4.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 220 games.

Reed was a second-round pick by the Suns in 2017 and played 21 games in his rookie season. He spent the following year with the Pacers on a two-way deal and holds career averages of 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 31 games.

Bezhanishvili, who was just signed this week, went undrafted this summer after logging three seasons with the Fighting Illini. The 22-year-old averaged 8.2 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 95 contests with the club, including 57 starts.

The trio could wind up on the Nuggets’ new G League team, the Grand Rapids Gold in Michigan, once they clear waivers.

The team has also signed Nik Stauskas to an Exhibit 10 deal, Mike Singer of the Denver Post tweets. Stauskas, who holds career averages of 6.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 1.5 APG across 335 games, will likely be waived and join the Gold as well.

Nik Stauskas To Sign With Hometown Raptors 905

January 7th, 2021 at 4:50pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Longtime NBA shooting guard Nik Stauskas will sign a G League contract for the 2020/21 season and become the designated veteran player for the NBAGL affiliate of his hometown Raptors, Raptors 905, per Marc Stein of the New York Times (Twitter link).

Drafted by the Kings with the No. 8 pick out Michigan in 2014, the 6’6″ Stauskas also suited up for the Sixers, Nets, Trail Blazers and Cavaliers in a five-year NBA tenure. The 27-year-old holds career averages of 6.8 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 1.5 APG across 335 games. He has shot 35.3% on 3.3 three-point attempts per game.

Stauskas spent the 2019/20 season with the Spanish EuroLeague club Kirolbet Baskonia. He converted 42.2% of his three-point attempts in 22 games for Baskonia. Stauskas was on the Bucks’ training camp roster this December.

As we previously relayed, a recent rule tweak will enable each G League team to designate an “NBA Vet Selection” with five or more years of NBA experience. Such a player can be inked directly, meaning a club will not need to deal with the G League’s waiver wire.

Bucks Request Waivers On Treveon Graham, Nik Stauskas

December 19th, 2020 at 11:23am CST by marksuleymanov

The Bucks requested waivers on Treveon Graham and Nik Stauskas, the team announced in a press release on Saturday.

Both players saw their only preseason action for Milwaukee on Friday night in a 127-113 loss to the Pelicans. Stauskas grabbed two boards in four minutes of action while Graham did not record any stats in three minutes of play.

Graham, a veteran swingman with 180 games of NBA experience to his credit, joined the Bucks on a training camp contract in late November. His most extensive action came as a reserve with the Hornets in 2017/18 when he averaged 4.3 PPG in 63 games. Graham, 25, split his time between the Timberwolves and Hawks last season and has also seen time with Brooklyn.

Stauskas, 27, is another well-traveled NBA veteran who has seen time with the Kings, Sixers, Nets, Trail Blazers and Cavaliers. The Canadian, who joined the Bucks in early December, averaged almost 10 PPG for the Sixers in 2016/17 but has since seen time as a reserve for several teams. The eighth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft has struggled to develop into a solid rotation piece.

However, Stauskas has hit 35.3% of his career three-point attempts and played fairly well in Spain last season, making 42.2% of his threes in 22 EuroLeague contests.

With these moves, the Bucks’ roster is likely set for the regular season, as the team has 14 guaranteed contracts along with two two-way players. Milwaukee’s hard cap prevents the team from carrying a 15th man for now, as Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.

Bucks Sign Nik Stauskas To One-Year Deal

November 26th, 2020 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

DECEMBER 2: Stauskas is officially a Buck, according to RealGM’s log of NBA transactions.

NOVEMBER 26: The Bucks have reached an agreement on a one-year deal with former lottery pick Nik Stauskas, his agent Mark Bartelstein tells ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link).

Stauskas, the eighth overall pick in the 2014 draft, struggled to develop into a reliable rotation player during his first few NBA seasons, averaging 6.8 PPG and 2.1 RPG in 335 career games (19.9 MPG) for Sacramento, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Portland, and Cleveland. The 6’6″ shooting guard didn’t play in the NBA in 2019/20, having spent the season with Spanish club Baskonia.

Although Stauskas may not have lived up to his pre-draft billing, he knocked down a solid 35.3% of his career three-point attempts. He also played fairly well in Spain last year, making 42.2% of his threes in 22 EuroLeague contests.

The full terms of Stauskas’ contract with Milwaukee aren’t yet known, but as Eric Nehm of The Athletic recently detailed, the Bucks are right up against the hard cap and probably won’t have room to carry a 15th man. As such, the 27-year-old will likely get a training camp deal and will have an uphill battle to earn a spot on the club’s regular season roster.

And-Ones: 2020 Mock Drafts, Stauskas, Deng, CBA

February 13th, 2020 at 9:39pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Georgia freshman guard Anthony Edwards has topped a new mock 2020 NBA draft from Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo. Guard LaMelo Ball of Australia’s Illawarra Hawks and Auburn small forward Isaac Okoro round out Woo’s top three.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie has also cooked up a new, post-trade deadline 2020 mock NBA draft. Though Vecenie notes that most NBA front offices believe this could be the weakest draft in several years, he notes that several players with high ceilings could be sleeper picks later in the draft.

Edwards (No. 1) and Ball (No. 3) make Vecenie’s top three as well, but sandwiched between them is James Wiseman. The 7’1″ freshman Memphis center played just three games for the Tigers before ultimately leaving the team to prepare for the draft after incurring a 12-game suspension.

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

Former NBA shooting guard Nik Stauskas has departed EuroLeague squad Baskonia following a season-ending knee surgery, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia and Alessandro Maggi. The 26-year-old Stauskas averaged 9 points a night in Euroleague play this season. Drafted No. 8 by Sacramento out of Michigan in 2014, Stauskas also enjoyed NBA stints in Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Cleveland.
The recently retired Luol Deng, a two-time All-Star with the Bulls, has been named a global ambassador for the Basketball Africa League, per ESPN. “I look forward to following some of the top African club teams when the inaugural season gets underway next month and supporting the BAL in expanding its footprint around the world,” the Sudanese-born Deng said in a statement. Deng, a 6’9″ defensive-oriented forward, logged 16 seasons in the NBA.
The Chinese Basketball Association will restart play on April 1, after play was suspended due to the coronavirus epidemic, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. It remains unclear if the CBA will run later than usual or merely have a condensed season.

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.

Nik Stauskas To Play In Spain

August 1st, 2019 at 10:14am CST by ChrisCrouse

Former lottery pick Nik Stauskas will play in Spain next season. The shooting guard signed a deal with Baskonia, as the team announced on its website. It was recently reported that the 25-year-old was considering the Spanish club.

Stauskas was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2014 draft, spending just one year with the Kings before Sacramento dealt him, along with Carl Landry and Jason Thompson to the Sixers in order to clear cap space (the team surrender the No. 14 overall pick in the 2019 as part of the deal).

The former Michigan Wolverine played in Philadelphia for slightly over two seasons, with the Sixers trading him to the Nets early in the 2017/18 campaign.

Stauskas split time between Portland and Cleveland last season and arguably had a better half of the year with the Cavs. During his time in Ohio, he knocked down 42.9% of his shots from behind the arc on 2.6 attempts per game. However, that showing apparently wasn’t enough to earn him a favorable NBA offer.

And-Ones: Acy, Stauskas, Lin, Retooling

July 31st, 2019 at 4:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA big man Quincy Acy, who has appeared in 337 total regular season games for the Raptors, Kings, Knicks, Mavericks, Nets, and Suns since 2012, has officially signed with Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv, according to a press release.

“I’m excited to put on the Maccabi jersey, to bring passion, grit, and energy every game as we fight to win and bring success.” Acy said in a statement. “I’m ready to get going, ready to get some wins. I’m ready to come to Tel Aviv with my family and join the fan base.”

Acy, 28, last played in the NBA with the Suns during the 2018/19 season, appearing in 10 games for the team over the course of two 10-day contracts.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

After reporting earlier in the week that former lottery pick Nik Stauskas has turned down offers from EuroLeague teams, Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas tweets that Spanish club Baskonia now looks like the most likely destination for the free agent guard. No deal is done yet, however.
In the wake of Jeremy Lin‘s emotional comments about how he feels as if the NBA has given up on him, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star puts the point guard’s free agency in context, pointing out that there’s still plenty of time for Lin to catch on with an NBA team. Even if he doesn’t, Lin has a successful career under his belt, says Smith.
Given the success that teams like the Clippers and Jazz have had retooling their respective rosters rather than going through an all-out rebuild, Matt John of Basketball Insiders wonders if more lottery-bound clubs will follow that example and look to turn things around quickly rather than resigning themselves to several years of losing seasons.