Tag: Cody Williams

Cody Williams, Tristan da Silva impressing many in NBA 2K25 summer league

Colorado’s two first-round selections are impressing many in the NBA 2K25 summer league

In their first few games of the NBA 2K25 summer league, former Colorado Buffaloes Cody Williams and Tristan da Silva have proven their worth as first-round draft picks.

Da Silva’s Orlando Magic set the tone early, securing the league’s first game with a 106-79 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 6-foot-9 forward posted 13 points in his first NBA action, highlighted by three 3-point makes and an all-around strong performance. Two days later, da Silva knocked down three more deep balls en route to 23 points in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

His efficiency, offensive read-making and two-way prowess shined in the two victories.

Williams, on the other hand, already had two games under his belt in the Salt Lake City Summer League. He struggled in front of his new home crowd early, but the lottery pick bounced back when he got to Vegas. In his first game there, Williams posted a game-high 21 points, hit three 3-pointers and slammed down a left-handed posterizing dunk while leading Utah to a one-point win over the Dallas Mavericks.

He couldn’t will his team to success in Utah’s next game against the Sacramento Kings, but scored an efficient 14 points.

Da Silva will try to continue his role as a smart catch-and-shoot forward this summer with a budding Orlando squad. Williams, with great potential on a poor team, will have different goals in mind as he and the Jazz wish to find stardom.

Both former Buffs will play again on Wednesday with Williams’ Jazz taking on the Toronto Raptors at 3 p.m. MT (ESPN2) and da Silva’s Magic facing the Memphis Grizzlies at 5 p.m. MT (ESPN+/ESPN3).

KJ Simpson, the No. 42 overall pick of the Charlotte Hornets, is missing the entire summer league due to a hamstring injury.

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Cody Williams goes quiet in Utah Jazz summer league debut

Cody Williams’ summer league debut with the Utah Jazz was less than ideal

Cody Williams, Colorado men’s basketball’s first-ever one-and-done player, didn’t make the impact he wanted in his NBA summer league debut with the Utah Jazz.

Tad Boyle’s first lottery pick since Alec Burks started for Utah, but the Jazz’s 2023 first-round selections were the top scoring options against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. With few touches, Williams only posted six points, five rebounds, a steal and a turnover on 3-for-5 shooting from the field. Despite having a plus-four plus-minus, Williams only played 20 minutes and was replaced by Utah’s other 2024 first-rounder and former USC Trojans guard Isaiah Collier for the fourth quarter’s final minutes and the entirety of overtime.

Behind Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh and Collier, who combined for 59 points on 44 of Utah’s 75 shots, the Jazz managed to fight off the Grizzlies in overtime, 97-95. Williams’ three baskets consisted of a euro-step layup, a tough midrange jumper and a layup off a backdoor cut.

Williams and the Jazz play again at 7 p.m. MT on Tuesday. They take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, broadcast on ESPN2.

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Colorado’s three NBA draft picks officially sign rookie contracts

All three of the new NBA Buffs have signed their rookie contracts

All three former Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball players selected in the 2024 NBA draft have officially signed their rookie deals.

Cody Williams, the highest draft selection of the three at No. 10 overall, was the first to agree to terms with his new team, the Utah Jazz. Tristan da Silva, selected with the No. 18 pick by the Orlando Magic, and KJ Simpson, the No. 42 pick of the Charlotte Hornets, have inked their contracts since then. Simpson signed a two-way deal, meaning he’ll spend time with the Hornets’ G League affiliate Greensboro Swarm.

Contract details have yet to be announced, per each team’s policy. However, sports contract database Spotrac says Williams and da Silva signed four-year contracts. Williams’ deal is potentially worth $24.9 million total and da Silva’s could be $17.6 million.

Two of the Buffs’ top three scorers from last season will see their first NBA action in the summer league while Simpson recovers from a pre-draft hamstring injury. Williams and the Utah Jazz play Monday (July 8) at 7 p.m. MT (ESPN) while da Silva and the Orlando Magic open on Friday at 2 p.m. MT (NBA TV).

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Jazz first-round picks Cody Williams, Isaiah Collier sign rookie contracts

The Utah Jazz signed Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier to their rookie-scale contracts on Tuesday.

The Utah Jazz signed Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier, the 10th and 29th picks in the 2024 NBA draft, to their rookie-scale contracts on Tuesday, the team announced.

Williams was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team after averaging 11.9 points, three rebounds and 1.6 assists on 41.5% shooting from 3-point range in 24 games. He was second at Colorado in shooting percentage and blocks (16) while ranking third in scoring.

Collier averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals on 49% shooting from the field in 27 games at USC. He was selected to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team after finishing fifth in scoring and eighth in assists in the country among true freshmen.

The Jazz are in talent-collection mode and have added two highly touted players in Williams and Collier in the first round of the draft. They both project to have bright futures ahead and were highly ranked coming out of high school.

The two players will suit up for the Jazz in summer league, beginning in Salt Lake City on Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies. They will play at least five games in the NBA Summer League starting on July 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Williams and Collier will be joined by No. 32 pick Kyle Filipowski and roster players Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, Walker Kessler and Brice Sensabaugh, among others.

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A photographic look at Tristan da Silva and Cody Williams’ NBA draft night

It was a special night

Last week, head coach Tad Boyle watched three players from last season’s Colorado men’s basketball team hear their names called at the 2024 NBA draft in Brooklyn.

Forwards Cody Williams and Tristan da Silva went to the Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic, respectively, and guard KJ Simpson landed with the Charlotte Hornets in the second round. The Kentucky Wildcats (three) and two-time defending national champion UConn Huskies (four) were the only other college programs that produced at least three NBA draft picks.

As Colorado’s former stars transition to the NBA, check out the best pictures from da Silva and Williams’ draft night:

Analyzing Cody Williams’ fit with the rebuilding Utah Jazz

We examined where Cody Williams will fit in with the Jazz

The Utah Jazz selected Colorado men’s basketball forward Cody Williams with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft on Wednesday.

As a Buffs fan, I’m excited for Williams. But as a Denver Nuggets fan, this pick stings because this is a perfect fit for Williams and the Jazz.

The Jazz needed wing talent, and Williams fits that role perfectly. Williams should slot in at the small forward position between NBA All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen and last year’s 16th overall pick shooting guard Keyonte George. While there will be growing pains for both the team and Williams during his rookie season, the Jazz have built a young core around this trio that can grow under the leadership of head coach Will Hardy.

In year one, I expect Williams to come off the bench at the beginning of the season as he learns the NBA game, but he will eventually get starting minutes. Williams is a polished shooter and slasher but will need to grow into the NBA game, especially on defense.

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One-and-done Colorado star Cody Williams selected by Utah Jazz in NBA draft

Welcome to the NBA, Cody Williams

Cody Williams, the first-ever one-and-done player in Colorado men’s basketball history, was selected by the Utah Jazz during the first round of the 2024 NBA draft on Wednesday evening.

With Williams on hand at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Utah dedicated its 10th overall pick to the 19-year-old forward from Arizona.

The former five-star prospect becomes the fourth-ever former Buff selected in the first round. Derrick White, who recently helped the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship, was Colorado’s last first-rounder, going 29th overall to the San Antonio Spurs in 2017.

During his lone season with the Buffs, Williams played in only 24 games (19 starts) while fighting through multiple injuries. He finished the year averaging 11.9 points (55.2% field goal shooting), 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 points per game.

Williams’ older brother, Jalen, was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft.

The Jazz finished 31-51 last season under head coach Will Hardy.

As of this writing, fellow former Buffs Tristan da Silva and KJ Simpson have yet to be selected in the NBA draft.

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How to watch Colorado players’ big night at the NBA draft

Three Colorado players are expected to be drafted either tonight or tomorrow. Here’s how you can watch the NBA draft:

Three former Colorado men’s basketball players — Cody Williams, Tristan da Silva and KJ Simpson — are set to hear their names announced in the 2024 NBA draft.

Projected first-round picks Williams and da Silva have accepted green room invitations to attend the first-round festivities at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday evening. Both forwards, Williams spent only one season with the Buffs while da Silva played four years in Boulder.

Simpson, an All-Pac-12 point guard coming off a stellar junior season, will likely be selected early in the second round on Thursday.

Here’s how you can watch the first round of the 2024 NBA draft:

First Round Time: Wednesday, June 26 at 6 p.m. MT

Location: Barclays Center (Brooklyn, New York)

TV Channel: ESPN, ABC

Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)

The second round will be held at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York on Thursday at 2 p.m. MT. ESPN will provide the broadcast.

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A conversation with Cody and Jalen Williams: ‘It’s really easy to get lost in this business’

There are currently 10 sets of active brothers in the league (Curry, Antetokounmpo, Ball, Morris, Holiday, Martin, Wagner, McDaniels, Mobley, Champagnie). There will soon be another set as Cody Williams is set to be selected in the upcoming draft, …

There are currently 10 sets of active brothers in the league (Curry, Antetokounmpo, Ball, Morris, Holiday, Martin, Wagner, McDaniels, Mobley, Champagnie). There will soon be another set as Cody Williams is set to be selected in the upcoming draft, and he will finally share the NBA spotlight with his up-and-coming star brother, Jalen Williams.

On behalf of Starry and Buffalo Wild Wings, Cody talked about his pre-draft process and the “alpha” narrative while Jalen discussed his first postseason experience, the departure of his friend Josh Giddey, and more with HoopsHype.

Rob Dillingham is among the second group of players invited to the draft green room

Dillingham conducted his required combine testing on Friday, clearing the way for him to become eligible to be selected in the draft.

Former Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham reportedly conducted his required combine testing, clearing the way for him to become eligible to be selected in the 2024 NBA draft.

Dillingham wasn’t able to participate in on-court testing last month at the combine because of an ankle injury. He was cleared this week from the injury and completed the requirements in front of teams on Friday at the Los Angeles Lakers‘ practice facility.

The 19-year-old was among the second group of prospects who received invitations from the NBA to attend the draft in the green room on June 26-27 at the Barlcays Center in Brooklyn, New York, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

Teams with first-round picks each year vote on the players they believe will be drafted early, typically the top 20-25 prospects. Last year, 25 prospects were invited to the green room and only one wasn’t selected in the first round (Rayan Rupert, 43rd overall pick).

Included in the second batch of invitations were Serbian guard Nikola Topić, Duke players Jared McCain and Kyle Filipowski, Miami forward Kyshawn George, USC guard Isaiah Collier, Baylor center Yves Missi and Kansas forward Johnny Furphy.

The first group of players invited to the green room included French players Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr and Tidjane Salaün; UConn players Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle; G League Ignite players Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland; and Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard.

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