Trevon Bluiett

And-Ones: Doncic, International Prospects, Playoff Contenders, Bluiett

Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic is hoping to win it all at EuroBasket this year, per Eurohoops. The 6’7″ guard is playing for his native Slovenia in the competition. Led by Doncic and countryman Goran Dragic, the Slovenian national team won EuroBasket in 2017. Dragic retired from international play after the event — but unretired in time to suit up this year’s event.

“We are going to Germany [the locale for the event] to win gold,” Doncic told reporters. “In every competition where we compete, the goal must always be the first place. We will do everything for it, but we will see if we make it. In 2017, no one took us seriously when we announced our attack on the gold medal, today is different. It’s nice when you see that everyone will make an extra effort against us to win.”

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

  • The 2022 FIBA U18 European Championship in Izmir, Turkey featured several intriguing international NBA prospects, as Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link) writes. Givony, evaluating the best candidates among the young talent, considers two French players – versatile shooting guard Sidy Cissoko and defensive-oriented small forward Rayan Rupert – to be the most exciting players at the event.
  • With NBA training camps just a month away and many of the summer’s big transactions in the rear view, Tim Bontemps and Kevin Pelton of ESPN assess which clubs have fully committed to succeeding in the present, and how much of their future leverage they have surrendered to get to this point.
  • Former Pelicans two-way player Trevon Bluiett has agreed to terms on a deal with Polish club MKS Dabrowa Gornicza, a source informs our own JD Shaw (Twitter link). The 27-year-old wing went undrafted out of Xavier in 2018 before joining the Pelicans via a two-way contract. He toiled with NBAGL clubs the Westchester Knicks and the Salt Lake City Stars until 2021, but never ended up making his regular season NBA debut. The 6’6″ swingman subsequently went overseas, playing for clubs in Turkey and Germany.

And-Ones: Cunningham, Whitehead, Law, Christon, Bluiett

Free agent forward Dante Cunningham has signed with France’s Le Mans, according to Sportando. Cunningham, a 10-year NBA veteran,  played 10 games in Puerto Rico with Cangrejeros de Santurce last season. During his NBA career, he played with the Blazers, Bobcats, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Pelicans, Nets and Spurs, Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw notes (Twitter link).

We have more overseas news:

  • Free agent Isaiah Whitehead has signed with Besiktas in Turkey, Shaw tweets. Whitehead played 89 games with the Nets from 2016-18. He last played in Montenegro.
  • Former Magic two-way player Vic Law has signed with Australia’s Perth Wildcats of the NBL, Shaw tweets. Law, who played college ball at Northwestern, saw action in eight regular season games and one playoff game with Orlando during the 2019/20 season.
  • Former Thunder guard Semaj Christon has signed with Germany’s Ratiopharm Ulm, Shaw relays in another tweet. Christon played 64 games with Oklahoma City during the 2016/17 season.
  • Italy’s Vanoli Cremona is targeting Trevon Bluiett, according to La Prealpina, Sportando relays. The former Xavier star averaged 10.8 PPG with the Cavaliers’ summer league squad in Las Vegas.

Jazz Waive Trevon Bluiett, Three Others

The Jazz have waived guard Trevon Bluiett and three undrafted rookies — center Romaro Gill, forward Tre Scott and guard Jake Toolson — according to a team press release.

Utah needed to make room on its 20-man roster for two new additions, guard Yogi Ferrell and forward Malcolm Miller.

Some or all of the players let go on Friday could wind up with the Jazz’s G League club in Salt Lake City if they clear waivers.

Bluiett appeared in 41 games with the Salt Lake City Stars last season, averaging 14.9 PPG,  3.4 RPG and 2.5 APG in 29.3 MPG.

Gill, an undrafted rookie out of Seton Hall, posted averages of 7.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 3.2 BPG in 30 games last season.

Scott was a four-year player at Cincinnati and averaged 11.4 PPG and 10.5 RPG in 33.7 MPG for the Bearcats last season.

Toolson spent two seasons at BYU before transferring to Utah Valley and then back to BYU last season. He averaged 15.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 3.9 APG as a senior.

Jazz Sign Trevon Bluiett To Camp Deal

DECEMBER 11: The signing is official, according to a team press release.


NOVEMBER 30: The Jazz are bringing back Trevon Bluiett on an Exhibit 10 deal, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.

Blueitt was with the club in training camp prior to last season but got waived. He’ll likely wind up with G League’ Salt Lake City Stars if his longshot bid to make the opening night roster doesn’t pan out.

The 26-year-old swingman played for the Stars last season. He saw action in 41 G League games, averaging 14.9 PPG.

Bluiett spent the previous season with the Pelicans on a two-way contract.

Jazz Sign Kyle Collinsworth, Waive Trevon Bluiett

The Jazz have signed free agent small forward Kyle Collinsworth, according to a team press release. The team has waived camp invitee Trevon Bluiett to accomodate the signing.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed but it’s likely a non-guaranteed contract. Collinsworth spent last season with the Raptors 905 of the G League.

The Utah native saw NBA action with the Mavs back in the 2017/18 season, appearing in 32 contests. During his stint in Dallas, he also played for the team’s G League affiliate, the Texas Legends.

Jazz Sign Trevon Bluiett, Juwan Morgan To Exhibit 10 Deals

The Jazz have added Trevon Bluiett and Juwan Morgan to their training camp roster, as the team announced on its Twitter feed. Both players will participate under Exhibit 10 deals.

Bluiett spent last season with the Pelicans on a two-way contract before finding himself on the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G League affiliate. The scoring wing played his collegiate ball at Xavier.

It was previously reported that Morgan had agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal. The forward was not selected in the 2019 NBA draft after spending four seasons at Indiana.

Neither player is expected to make the NBA roster, instead each will likely find their way to the Stars after training camp. The Jazz currently have 20 players under contract, which is the maximum allowed.

Western Notes: Davis, Warriors, Durant, Jordan, Bluiett

Amid all the trade talk, Anthony Davis has been on the sidelines due to a finger injury. That could change in the near future, whether or not he’s dealt by the Pelicans. Davis has been cleared to practice, ESPN’s Michael C. Wright reports. Davis has missed the last seven games with a sprained left index finger. However, it’s uncertain when Davis will return to action as coach Alvin Gentry was evasive on that topic.

We have more from around the Western Conference:

  • The Warriors will take a hard look at the buyout market after the trade deadline but won’t necessarily add another piece, ESPN’s Nick Friedell reports. GM Bob Myers feels comfortable with his roster at the moment. “We’ll see who’s bought out, first of all,” Myers said. “And then if it’s a player we think makes sense that can help us win a championship, then we’ll look at it. … We’re still probably a week or so away from those things happening.”
  • Speculation over Kevin Durant‘s future hasn’t impacted Golden State’s locker room, Myers claimed in the same report. “I don’t necessarily feel that in the locker room personally,” Myers said. “I don’t feel like it’s become part of our fabric.”
  • DeAndre Jordan is unlikely to return to the Mavericks as a free agent this summer, Matt Mosley of the Dallas Morning News speculates. Jordan was included in the blockbuster deal with the Knicks that brought Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas. The only way Jordan would consider re-signing with Dallas for the second straight summer is if he fails to land a multi-year deal elsewhere. The Mavericks wouldn’t view Jordan as part of their long-term plan, Mosley adds.
  • Pelicans two-way guard Trevon Bluiett underwent surgery last week to repair an ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb, according to a team press release. No timetable for his return has been announced. Bluiett has appeared in 24 G League games with the Salt Lake City Stars but has yet to make his NBA debut.

Southwest Notes: Doncic, Ginobili, Bluiett, Grizzlies

The third overall pick from the 2018 NBA Draft, Luka Doncic, will not be part of the Slovenian national team for September’s FIBA World Cup qualifiers, per a Sportando report. Instead, he will remain in the United States to prepare for the upcoming NBA season, Doncic confirmed with a tweet.

Doncic, 19, was drafted by the Hawks with the third pick in the draft but was immediately traded to the Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to Trae Young and a 2019 first-round pick. Given his past success internationally, it was possible that Doncic would have suited up for the Slovenian team before the NBA season started.

With Real Madrid this past season, Doncic racked up several major awards.  He became the youngest player to win the EuroLeague Final Four Most Valuable Player award in addition to being named the EuroLeague MVP and Rising Star.

Check out more Southwest Division notes below:

  • In an in-depth look at the recently retired Manu Ginobili, Gilbert Garcia of the San Antonio Express-News looked at how his presence around the organization made everyone appreciate him. After 16 seasons with the Spurs, the Argentina product announced he will retire instead of pursuing a 17th season.
  • Trevon Bluiett impressed at Summer League, which paved the way for him to ink a two-way contract with the Pelicans. As Scott Kushner of The Advocate writes, Bluiett is excited about the opportunity and is ready to prove himself. “All I know is that it’s a foot in the door,” Bluiett said. “I don’t look at it as, I signed a two-way so I’m good and everything is done. It’s just a foot in the door to get to my ideal goal.”
  • The Grizzlies finalized their basketball operations department, the team announced in a press release.

Pelicans Sign Trevon Bluiett To Two-Way Contract

JULY 17: Bluiett officially signed his two-way contract today, according to a photo published on his Twitter account.

JULY 12: Trevon Bluiett has turned an impressive summer league performance into a two-way deal with New Orleans, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Bluiett’s agent, Cervando Tejeda, confirmed the agreement to Charania.

Bluiett went undrafted out of Xavier after averaging 19.3 PPG during his senior season. He joined the Pelicans‘ entry in the Las Vegas Summer League and made an immediate impact, scoring 50 points in the team’s first two games while hitting 12 of 18 on 3-pointers. He was averaging 21.0 points per game heading into today’s contest.

The Pelicans will still have a two-way spot open once the deal with Bluiett is finalized. You can keep up with all the latest two-way deals in our 2018/19 NBA Two-Way Contract Tracker.

Pelicans Notes: Jackson, Bluiett, Payton, Trades

Pelicans guard Frank Jackson sprained his left ankle during summer-league action and will be out 2-4 weeks, according to Scott Kushner of the Baton Rouge Advocate. It’s another injury setback for Jackson, an early second-round pick last June. He has yet to appear in an NBA game after undergoing three right foot surgeries. Jackson will make a guaranteed $1.38MM next season.

In other developments involving the Pelicans:

  • Rookie swingman Trevon Bluiett has shown a good shooting stroke in summer-league play, William Guillory of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Bluiett scored a combined 50 points on the team’s first two games while making 67% of his 3-point attempts (12-for-18). The Xavier product went undrafted and is trying to earn a roster spot. “He can really shoot, and I like all the shots he’s taking,” assistant coach Kevin Hanson told Guillory. “That’s the biggest thing: he’s got to be concerned about his shot selection. But he’s been good.”
  • Playing for his hometown team was an easy decision for point guard Elfrid Payton, Guillory writes in a separate story. Payton, the former Magic and Suns point man, signed a modest one-year, $2.7MM free agent deal to join a playoff contender. “The losing he went through was something different for him,” his college coach Bob Marlin told Guillory. “It’s hard when you’re a competitor and you get to a situation where you lose 50 or 60 games in a year and you’re not used to that.”
  • The team is likely to make a trade in the coming weeks, according to Jeff Duncan of the Times-Picayune. The current roster is solid but not enough to concern the top teams in the West, Duncan continues. The Pelicans would like to rid themselves of a bad contract (Alexis Ajinca, Solomon Hill) and improve the rotation, something that will aid their desire to retain Anthony Davis beyond the next two seasons, Duncan adds.