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2021/22 NBA G League Draft Results

October 23rd, 2021 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League held its draft for the 2021/22 season on Saturday afternoon.

The 28 G League teams affiliated with NBA teams participated in the event, with the G League Ignite and Mexico City Capitanes sitting it out. The Ignite and Capitanes will be taking part in the NBAGL’s Showcase Cup this fall, but won’t be part of the 36-game regular season that tips off in late December.

The first player selected in today’s draft was former St. John’s point guard Shamorie Ponds, who was picked by the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers‘ G League affiliate. Ponds has a little NBA experience, having appeared in four games as a rookie in 2019/20 while on a two-way contract with Toronto.

Among the other notable picks were Nate Darling by the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario at No. 5 and LiAngelo Ball by the Greensboro Swarm at No. 14. Last week, the Clippers and Hornets signed and waived Darling and Ball, respectively, in an effort to secure their affiliate rights, but were unable to get those rights for procedural reasons. The two teams had to use the draft to make sure they landed those players.

The Knicks also signed and waived veteran guard Brandon Knight during the preseason and were unable to get his affiliate rights due to a procedural issue. However, Westchester passed on Knight with the No. 4 overall pick today, and the Heat‘s affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, snatched him up at No. 6. We’ll see if Knight is no longer in the Knicks’ plans or if the Skyforce intend to trade his rights to Westchester.

Lance Stephenson to the Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets) at No. 13 and Dwyane Wade‘s son Zaire Wade to the Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz) at No. 10 were a couple of the other notable picks that played out as expected.

Here are the full 2021/22 G League draft results:

Round One:

Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): Shamorie Ponds
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Tyler Hagedorn
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Gabe York
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Justin Turner
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers): Nate Darling
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Brandon Knight
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Eddie Stansberry
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Jaylen Johnson
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Michael Gbinije
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Zaire Wade
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Loudon Love
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Alan Griffin
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Lance Stephenson
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): LiAngelo Ball
Lakeland Magic (Magic): TJ Haws
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): B.J. Taylor
Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Scottie Lindsey
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Isaiah Ross
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Ruot Monyyong
Lakeland Magic (Magic): Marlon Stewart
Stockton Kings (Kings): Joe Young
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Samir Doughty
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Chudier Bile
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Rodney Pryor
Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Tim Bond
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Tyree White
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Montell McRae
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Cullen Russo

Round Two:

Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Karim Mane
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Kalob Ledoux
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): Gerard Tarin
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): Barra Njie
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Tahj Eaddy
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Trevon Duval
Lakeland Magic (Magic): Gary Chivichyan
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Ryan Daly
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Keaton Wallace
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): Pedro Bradshaw
Austin Spurs (Spurs): Alexis Wangmene
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Ian DuBose
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Mike Smith
Lakeland Magic (Magic): Jaire Grayer
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Blake Francis
Cleveland Charge (Cavaliers): Jack Pagenkopf
Lakeland Magic (Magic): Devonte Patterson
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Jordan Allen
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Devearl Ramsey
Long Island Nets (Nets): Chris Walker
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Eric Demers
Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans): Derrick Griffin
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): JaQuan Lyle
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Jachai Taylor
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Lydell Elmore
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Ikenna Ndugba
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Tevin King
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers): Kammeon Holsey

Round Three:

South Bay Lakers (Lakers): Elijah Cain
College Park Skyhawks (Hawks): Landon Taliaferro
Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers): Will Vorhees
Westchester Knicks (Knicks): Asante Gist
Stockton Kings (Kings): Princepal Singh
Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets): Trevor John
Raptors 905 (Raptors): Tristan Jarrett
Motor City Cruise (Pistons): Devon Baulkman
Wisconsin Herd (Bucks): Jaylen Bland
Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz): J.C. Show
Austin Spurs (Spurs): No pick
Memphis Hustle (Grizzlies): No pick
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat): Joel Ntambwe
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Texas Legends (Mavericks): Lamonte Bearden
Stockton Kings (Kings): No pick
Delaware Blue Coats (Sixers): No pick
Maine Celtics (Celtics): Lindsey Drew
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Artur Labinowicz
Long Island Nets (Nets): Jaylen Fisher
Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (Clippers): Randy Onwuasor
Iowa Wolves (Timberwolves): Seth Allen
Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors): Jovan Mooring
Capital City Go-Go (Wizards): Jermaine Haley
Windy City Bulls (Bulls): Kerwin Roach
Greensboro Swarm (Hornets): Isaiah Blackmon
Oklahoma City Blue (Thunder): Marlon Taylor
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets): Jimond Ivey

Teams will fill out their rosters with affiliate players, returning-rights players, tryout players, and players who are assigned to the G League from the NBA roster (including those on two-way contracts).

G League training camps open on Monday, with the Showcase Cup tournament tipping off on November 5.

Southeast Notes: Dragic, Heat, Unseld, Hornets

July 17th, 2021 at 1:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

Goran Dragic has been with the Heat for over six seasons, and has played some of the best basketball of his career in Miami. He was arguably the third-best player during the Heat’s run to the Finals last season before a foot injury limited him to two games against the Lakers. But the 35-year-old point guard is coming off an injury-plagued season and owed over $19MM next season.

According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Heat don’t want to trade Dragic this offseason. But if a deal for a star presents itself, the team would be willing to do so.

We have more news from around the Southeast Division:

The Heat have traded away both their picks in this year’s draft, but that hasn’t stopped team president Pat Riley for setting the edict to the scouting department to find and secure useful players from the draft, writes Winderman. “We don’t have any picks, but I can guarantee you we’ll probably get a couple of good players out of this year’s draft, somehow,” Riley said at the end of the season. The Heat have a track record of landing productive players like Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson despite scant draft resources. They’ll try to repeat history this year.
Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald looks at how the Olympics experience could help the Heat‘s Nigerian trio of Gabe Vincent, KZ Okpala and Precious Achiuwa. Team Nigeria has been dominant during exhibition games, but if they don’t make the medal round, it’s possible the three young players will be back in Las Vegas for Summer League, looking to build off the momentum and confidence they’ve gained from this experience.
Wes Unseld Jr. is not just a familiar name, he’s also an experienced coach who has paid his dues, writes Fred Katz in a piece for The Athletic on the Wizards’ newest head coach. Katz writes that Unseld sold the Wizards based not only on his track record, but also on ideas for how to better utilize star Bradley Beal and last season’s lottery pick Deni Avdija.
The Hornets are working out six prospects today, per a tweet from the team: Derrick Alston Jr., Ian Dubose, Romeao Ferguson, Ariel Hukporti, Carlik Jones, and Ruot Monyyong. The Hornets have the 56th and 57th picks in the draft, the range in which most of said prospects may be available.

Kings Notes: Haliburton, Draft Workouts, Wagner

July 10th, 2021 at 5:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton is enjoying his experience with the U.S. Select Team, which is giving him a chance to test his skills against some of the NBA’s best players, writes Jason Jones of The Athletic. Haliburton had previous experience in the international format as part of the USA under-19 National Team while at Iowa State.

Haliburton has fully recovered from the hyperextended left knee that brought an early end to his first NBA season. Although he played just 58 games, he was an All-Rookie First Team selection and finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting. He has been working out in Sacramento for the past month and now gets to see how his expanded game fares against elite competition.

“For me to get out and use that stuff against other guys and see it work against them in live action, it helps a lot,” Haliburton said. “And just kind of seeing what other guys are working on at the same time, how other guys are improving. Just taking bits and pieces of that, putting that into my training and things like that.”

There’s more from Sacramento:

The Kings, who hold the ninth pick in the draft, have conducted interviews with several projected lottery picks, sources tell Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. The list includes Florida State forward Scottie Barnes, Tennessee guard Keon Johnson, Baylor point guard Davion Mitchell and Arkansas guard Moses Moody. The team hasn’t met with a few other players expected to be taken in that range, such as Duke forward Jalen Johnson, Michigan forward Franz Wagner and Gonzaga forward Corey Kispert, but they may be brought in before the July 29 draft. The Kings’ pre-draft workouts are being held privately this year, so all information is second-hand.
Sacramento also has pick No. 39 and has reportedly met with a number of players who could be available in the second round, Anderson adds. Some of the names are Utah Valley center Fardaws Aimaq, Belgian guard Vrenz Bleijenbergh, Texas point guard Matt Coleman, Michigan center Hunter Dickinson, Coastal Carolina point guard DeVante Jones, Loyola Illinois center Cameron Krutwig, Little Rock forward Ruot Monyyong, Virginia guard Trey Murphy, Alabama guard Joshua Primo, Tennessee forward Yves Pons, Texas center Jericho Sims, Austin Peay forward Terry Taylor and Colorado point guard McKinley Wright IV.
A high basketball IQ and the ability to play either forward position make Wagner a good fit for the Kings, writes James Ham of NBC Sports California.

Draft Notes: Executive Roundup, Duarte, Monyyong, Lakers, Mini-Combine

July 10th, 2021 at 1:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

In a Draft Confidential column for The Athletic, Hall-of-Fame reporter David Aldridge interviews anonymous team executives and college coaches to get their inside scoop on the 2021 draft’s burning questions.

Some of the topics discussed: the Jalen Green versus Jalen Suggs debate, who will be the fourth guard taken after Suggs, Green, and Cade Cunningham are off the board (James Bouknight, Moses Moody, Davion Mitchell, and Keon Johnson are the top candidates), draft promises, some of the late risers (Joshua Primo, Nah’Shon Hyland, Miles McBride, and others), and a whole lot more.

We have more news from the draft:

Former Oregon guard Chris Duarte worked out for the Wizards on Thursday, tweets Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. The 24-year-old sharpshooting guard also had workouts scheduled with the Thunder and Pelicans.
Ruot Monyyong had a workout with the Kings on Thursday, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Monyyong isn’t expected to be drafted, but could be a candidate for a two-way contract or Summer League invitation.
The Lakers worked out six players today, tweets Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register: Nah’Shon Hyland, Austin Reaves, Trey Murph y III, Oscar Da Silva, DJ Funderburk, and Chaundee Brown Jr. Hyland and Murphy are projected to be first-round picks, and could be in play for the Lakers with the No. 22 selection.
11 players participated in a mini-combine in Minneapolis, in front of 25 teams, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. The participants were: McKinley Wright IV, Jalen Crutcher, Denzel Mahoney, Moses Wright, Nikita Mikhailovskii, Matt Coleman III, Colbey Ross, Jordan Schakel, Matt Mitchell, Brandon Rachal, and M.J. Walker.

Southeast Workouts: Wizards, Magic, Hornets, Hawks

July 6th, 2021 at 7:09pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Wizards worked out six draft prospects today, and there are four more scheduled for tomorrow, according to team announcements. Western Kentucky’s Charles Bassey, Texas’ Greg Brown III, and Isaiah Todd, of the G League Ignite, headlined today’s workouts, along with Jay Huff, Blake Francis, and Colbey Ross.

Tomorrow’s slate of workouts will include Troy Baxter Jr., Obadiah Noel, Jamorko Pickett, and Devontae Shuler.

We have more draft workout news from around the Southeast Division:

Corey Kispert, the sharp-shooting senior out of Gonzaga, worked out today for the Magic, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The 6’6″ guard/forward would fill a much-needed role for a Magic team that is well-stocked at some positions but still low on shooters.
The Hornets worked out potential lottery pick Jalen Johnson today, according to a tweet from the team. Johnson had a turbulent year at Duke, and eventually withdrew from the program, but came in with a high pedigree and an intriguing point-forward skillset.
Ruot Monyyong, out of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will work out for the Hawks on Wednesday, tweets Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. The 6’10 big man was the 2019/20 All-Sun Defensive Player of the Year.

Draft Notes: Monyyong, Hornets, Bleijenbergh, Castleton

July 4th, 2021 at 2:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Little Rock big man Ruot Monyyong is set to work out for the Kings on July 8, tweets Jason Jones of The Athletic. Jones adds that the 6’10” Monyyong was the 2020 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and was twice named to the All-Sun Belt team during his college career. Monyyong averaged 11.9 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 1.5 APG, and 0.9 SPG across his two NCAA seasons.

There’s more on the draft:

The Hornets tweeted their draft prospect workouts for Saturday, July 3. The club took a look at the following players: Western Kentucky center Charles Bassey, Marquette guard D.J. Carton, Oregon guard Chris Duarte, Tennessee guard Keon Johnson, Kentucky forward Isaiah Jackson, and Alabama guard Joshua Primo. Charlotte currently possesses the No. 11 and No. 56 picks in the upcoming 2021 draft.
6’10” Belgian wing Vrenz Bleijenbergh has pre-draft workouts scheduled with the Thunder, Grizzlies, Pistons and Kings, tweets Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. Wasserman notes that the oversized small forward is thought of as a solid play-maker and shooter.
Florida power forward Colin Castleton plans to return to school for the 2021/22 season, and will accordingly withdraw from the 2021 NBA draft, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium. The 6’11” Castleton averaged 12.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 1.1 APG last season.