Tag: Brodric Thomas

New two way wing Brodric Thomas to wear No. 97, a first for a Boston Celtics player

The Truman State standout will be the first player to ever don the jersey number for Boston.

New Boston Celtics two way shooting guard Brodric Thomas is already making history for his new team before he even sets foot on the court — and before you get too excited, we should probably explain what we mean by that.

The Celtics have more retired jerseys than any other team in the NBA (22 in fact!), which can make finding a jersey number for new players a bit of a challenge. And such was likely the case for the Truman State product when it came time to select the number he will wear for Boston this season when playing for the parent club and not the Maine Celtics (formerly Red Claws).

Brodric will reportedly be the very first to wear the Celtics’ No. 97 in the team’s 75-year history, first reported by Celtics Blog’s Keith Smith.

The Illinois native will likely spend most of his season playing in Portland in the G League wearing another jersey number, but when he’s with Boston, he will have the team’s highest-numbered jersey by quite a bit, with No. 71 Dennis Schroder being the next-highest worn by an active player.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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New Celtic Brodric Thomas looking to take advantage of opportunity

Brand new Boston Celtics guard Brodric Thomas has a huge chip on his shoulder coming from a Division II school, he said.

The Boston Celtics signed guard Brodric Thomas to a two way deal on Monday, a mere six days after he was waived by the Houston Rockets. Thomas told reporters that the deal came together quickly, but he is embracing the opportunity to come to Boston.

“The biggest thing is the culture and tradition and just the winning attitude,” Thomas related to the press after practicing with the team. “And I think coming here to this organization is going to be huge for me, just in a developmental aspect, just because learning from vets and things of that nature is going to be key for my progress and development.”

Thomas is a Division II product out of Truman State.

He last played with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2020-21 after a short stint with the Houston Rockets, and was keen to talk about the “huge” chip on his shoulder coming out of a small school where his name is not really known.

“I want to prove to everybody that it doesn’t really matter what division you come from. Put the work in and you’re going to be able to make a way,” Thomas said. “When an opportunity presents itself, you got to take advantage of it, regardless of your situation.”

With his signing, the Celtics have now filled both two-way roster spots.

Thomas also said his mom was a Celtics fan growing up.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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WATCH: New Boston two way wing Brodric Thomas 2020-21 NBA highlights

Get to know Boston’s newest two way player’s game in this clip.

When news broke of the Boston Celtics electing to sign shooting guard Brodric Thomas to the team’s final open two way slot to play alongside sharpshooting forward Sam Hauser, more than a few fans were taken by surprise, having heard little to nothing previously about this Division II prospect who went undrafted out of Truman State University in the 2020 NBA draft.

But astute Celtics fans will recall facing the 6-foot-5 wing in the 2020-21 season while he was playing as a two way player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, one of two stops (the other being the Houston Rockets) that the Bolingbrook, Illinois native has seen since coming into the league.

Able to do a little of everything, the unpolished wing could prove a valuable depth player down the road with enough reps, and he will get plenty playing for the Maine Celtics (formerly, Red Claws ) this season.

But don’t take our word for it — watch the highlights put together by YouTuber Tomasz Kordylewski in the clip embedded above.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Woj: Celtics sign wing Brodric Thomas to final open two way slot

The 6-foot-5 shooting guard will join Sam Hauser on the Maine Celtics and filling in with the parent club when possible.

The Boston Celtics have signed shooting guard Brodric Thomas to a two way contract according to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Thomas, a 6-foot-5 wing who went undrafted in 2020, played his college ball with the Truman State Bulldogs, a Division II team.

He inked a deal with the Houston Rockets, making a two way slot with that team, and has since had stints in the G League and most recently with the Cleveland Cavaliers as a two way player. He most recently averaged 4.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and just under an assist per game over 13.4 minutes per game, and at 24, is still young enough to refine his game into a potential rotation player.

He will fill the Celtics final remaining open two way slot while joining forward Sam Hauser with the Maine Red Claws this season where he will likely spend most of his time.

The Celtics now stand at 16 players counting both two way contracts, with one remaining regular roster slot open after waiving Jabari Parker.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Cavaliers to sign rookie Brodric Thomas to two-way contract

Thomas most recently played with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the G League, averaging 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and three assists.

On Wednesday, it was reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic that the Cleveland Cavaliers will be signing rookie Brodric Thomas to a two-way contract.

Thomas, who went undrafted out of Truman State University, played with the Houston Rockets this season, averaging 2.5 points in four appearances. The Rockets waived Thomas on Feb. 13 in order to sign Ray Spalding to a two-way contract.

After his release from the Rockets, Thomas played with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA G League. In eight games with the Vipers, Thomas averaged 16.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, three assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.

The Cavaliers will reportedly waive Marques Bolden to make room for Thomas.

According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cavaliers are still determining whether or not to have Thomas join them in Cleveland or stay in the G League. He would be moved from the Vipers to the Canton Charge if he should remain in the G League bubble.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Kevin Porter Jr. scores 25 in debut for Houston’s G League affiliate

Porter is spending time at the G League “bubble” as part of his reintegration plan after extended time off to begin the 2020-21 season.

Second-year guard Kevin Porter Jr. scored 25 points and dished out four assists in his debut with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, known best as the NBA G League affiliate organization of the Houston Rockets. The 6-foot-4 lefty guard hit 4-of-9 from 3-point range (44.4%).

Rio Grande Valley lost Wednesday’s game, 132-105 (box score), to Raptors 905, which is the affiliate club of the Toronto Raptors. Rookie guard Brodric Thomas — who is on a two-way contract with the Rockets — added 15 points and 7 rebounds for the Vipers, while prospect big man Ray Spalding had 21 points and 12 rebounds.

For the Rockets, Porter is the highest-profile player assigned to the Vipers. After being selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft, Porter averaged 10.0 points in 23.2 minutes per game during his rookie season with the Cavaliers. However, his 2020-21 activities in Cleveland were extremely limited due to numerous personal issues.

Since trading for Porter in January, Houston head coach Stephen Silas has stressed the importance of a slow reintegration plan, and time at the G League “bubble” in Florida is part of that process. If it goes well, it’s likely for Porter to receive minutes in Houston later this season.

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Rockets keeping Mason Jones, assigning Kevin Porter Jr. to G League

With the 2020-21 NBA G League season starting next weekend, the Rockets are assigning Kevin Porter Jr., Brodric Thomas, and KJ Martin.

With the NBA G League’s abbreviated “bubble” season set to begin in early February, the Houston Rockets are assigning Kevin Porter Jr., Brodric Thomas, and KJ Martin to their Rio Grande Valley affiliate.

Because the 2020-21 G League campaign is taking place at a “bubble” complex in Florida, participants are required to arrive early to ensure that they are negative for COVID-19 prior to engaging in any group activities. This is similar to the NBA’s entry protocols for its 2020 “bubble,” which was also held at various Disney World complexes.

For the Rockets, Porter is the highest-profile player who was assigned to the Vipers. As an NBA rookie last season with the Cavaliers, Porter averaged 10.0 points in 23.2 minutes per game. However, his 2020-21 activities have been extremely limited due to a myriad of personal issues.

Since trading for Porter a week ago, Houston head coach Stephen Silas has stressed the importance of a slow reintegration plan, and it appears that time in the G League could be a part of that process.

Similarly, Thomas and Martin are understandable additions, since both are rookies and neither appears close to cracking Silas’ rotation.

On the other hand, rookie guard Mason Jones — who has shown flashes of very solid play for the Rockets — is not being assigned to the G League. That would seem to signal that Silas anticipates potentially needing Jones to play at the NBA level during the weeks ahead.

Starting Feb. 10, the Vipers will play 15 games at the G League bubble over the ensuing four weeks. The top eight teams from the 18 squads who are participating in the 2020-21 regular season will then advance to a single-elimination playoff, which is set to begin March 8.

From there, the NBA G League Final will take place on March 11.

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Rio Grande Valley Vipers finalize roster for G League ‘bubble’ season

The roster for Houston’s affiliate features several players with NBA experience, including Josh Huestis, Ray Spalding, and Kenny Wooten.

The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Vipers, who are the NBA G League affiliate organization of the Houston Rockets, finalized their roster for the upcoming 2021 season at the Disney World “bubble” near Orlando.

The Vipers’ roster includes returning players William McDowell-White, Shawn Occeus, and Ray Spalding. In addition, 2021 NBA G League draftees Armoni Brooks and Jarron Cumberland are joining RGV.

The RGV roster now stands at 12, including two-way players Mason Jones and Brodric Thomas. All are eligible to join the squad at the “bubble” site when the season begins in February. (That said, since Jones currently has a rotation role with the short-handed Rockets, he might stay with the parent organization at the NBA level for a while longer.)

The complete roster can be seen below.

1  Armoni Brooks  |  Guard  |  6’3 | 195 |   Houston, | Draft
3  Jarron Cumberland  |   Guard  | 6’5 | 210 |   Cincinnati, | Draft
34 Josh Huestis  |  Forward  | 6’7 | 230 |   Stanford, | Returner
9 Mason Jones*  |  Guard  | 6’4 | 200 |   Arkansas, | Two-Way
5 William McDowell-White  |  Guard | 6’5 | 185 |   California State, | Returner
42 Trhae Mitchell  |  Forward  | 6’6 | 196 |   South Alabama, | Tryout
18 Shawn Occeus  |  Guard  |  6’4 | 210 |   Northeastern, | Returner
21 Trevelin Queen  |  Guard  | 6’6 | 190 |   New Mexico State, | Affiliate
23 Josh Reaves  |  Guard   | 6’4 | 214 |   Penn State, | Affiliate
26 Ray Spalding  |  Forward   | 6’9 | 225 |   Louisville, | Returner
33 Brodric Thomas*  |  Guard  | 6’5 | 185 |   Truman State. | Two-Way
0 Kenny Wooten  |  Forward   | 6’8 | 235 |   Oregon, | Affiliate

*Two-Way Player

The returning player rights to Josh Huestis were acquired by Rio Grande Valley via a trade with Austin Spurs during the 2019-20 season, and he returns to the United States after a stint with Bayern Munich (German Basketball League) last season. Josh Reaves, Kenny Wooten, and Trevelin Queen are joining the Vipers as affiliated players.

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Trhae Mitchell joins RGV as a local tryout player after finishing his collegiate career at South Alabama. In addition, nine players on the Vipers’ roster have previously signed an NBA contract, while seven have previously competed in the G League.

The 2021 NBA G League game and broadcast schedule will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit www.rgvipers.com. .

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Here is the projected rotation for the Rockets after trading James Harden

The Houston Rockets traded away 2018 NBA MVP James Harden in a blockbuster deal. But what will the new version of this team look like?

The Houston Rockets traded away 2018 NBA MVP James Harden in a blockbuster deal. But what will the new version of this team look like?

Under first-year head coach Stephen Silas, Houston will run their offense through John Wall and Christian Wood. They will also incorporate two-time NBA All-Star Victor Oladipo, who was acquired from the Indiana Pacers in the deal as well.

Overall, this move was more focused on the future than the present, as the Rockets landed a total of four unprotected first-rounders and four unprotected pick swaps.

There were also immediate financial implications considering, as noted by our own Yossi Gozlan, Houston went from $5.2 million over the luxury tax to $3.7 million under the tax. Houston can also generate a traded player exception worth $10.7 million if they want to continue tweaking this roster, per Gozlan.

Below, however, as what the rotation looks like for the Rockets after trading away their longtime superstar:

Here is the projected rotation for the Rockets after trading James Harden

The Houston Rockets traded away 2018 NBA MVP James Harden in a blockbuster deal. But what will the new version of this team look like?

The Houston Rockets traded away 2018 NBA MVP James Harden in a blockbuster deal. But what will the new version of this team look like?

Under first-year head coach Stephen Silas, Houston will run their offense through John Wall and Christian Wood. They will also incorporate two-time NBA All-Star Victor Oladipo, who was acquired from the Indiana Pacers in the deal as well.

Overall, this move was more focused on the future than the present, as the Rockets landed a total of four unprotected first-rounders and four unprotected pick swaps.

There were also immediate financial implications considering, as noted by our own Yossi Gozlan, Houston went from $5.2 million over the luxury tax to $3.7 million under the tax. Houston can also generate a traded player exception worth $10.7 million if they want to continue tweaking this roster, per Gozlan.

Below, however, as what the rotation looks like for the Rockets after trading away their longtime superstar: