Among the eligible players for the upcoming 2021 NBA G League Draft are several of the notable undrafted players from the 2020 NBA draft.
The upcoming 2021 NBA G League season may give several players not selected in the recent NBA draft another opportunity in the pros.
The NBA G League is hosting a bubble tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sport Complex in Florida. Once teams are assembled, they will arrive to the location by January 26 for physicals and onboarding. The first game is set for February 8 and teams are expected to play a “12-to-15 game schedule” before their single-elimination playoffs from March 5-March 9.
While teams may have the majority of their roster spots ready to go, they’ll supplement final spaces with the G League Draft. The event is scheduled for Monday, January 11, at 1:15 PM EST.
Some of the players with the most professional experience: Emeka Okafor, Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley, Lance Stephenson, Hollis Thompson, Terrence Jones, Quincy Pondexter, Shabazz Muhammad, Tyler Ulis, Festus Ezeli, Allonzo Trier, Antonio Blakeney.
Also among the eligible players for the upcoming 2021 NBA G League Draft are several of the notable undrafted players from the 2020 NBA draft.
Some of the top prospects who did not hear their name called on draft night were signed on two-way deals, which allow the player to be active for 50 of the 72 games for their franchise. Many others were invited to training camps to compete for roster spots via Exhibit-10 contracts.
Typically, players with that type of deal end up playing for the G League affiliate of the squad that signed them. This year, however, eleven of the teams around the league are not sending their affiliate to the bubble:
Atlanta Hawks (College Park Skyhawks)
Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws)
Chicago Bulls (Windy City Bulls)
Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends)
Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive)
Los Angeles Lakers (South Bay Lakers)
Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce)
Milwaukee Bucks(Wisconsin Herd)
Phoenix Suns (Northern Arizona Suns)
Sacramento Kings (Stockton Kings)
Washington Wizards (Capital City Go-Go; will utilize Erie)
That means, in addition to those who did not participate in an NBA training camp over the summer, any of the players who signed Exhibit-10 deals with these franchises are also sent into the draft pool for Monday.
While this draft will have three rounds, there will be a max of 26 players selected, though teams are not required to make a selection. All things considered, this is set to be an incredibly deep draft class on Monday.
Among the nearly 200 players who have NBA G League Standard Player Contracts but are not yet on a roster, here are some of the notable undrafted free agents who may have a chance to continue their professional journey:
Among the 2020 draft prospects the Brooklyn Nets have met with is SE Melbourne wing Terry Armstrong.
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So far, the Brooklyn Nets have been linked to 10 players ahead of the 2020 NBA draft:
Maryland big man Jalen Smith
TCU sharpshooter Desmond Bane
Memphis forward Precious Achiuwa
Stanford guard Tyrell Terry
Kentucky guard Immanuel Quickley
New Zealand Breakers guard RJ Hampton
SE Melbourne wing Terry Armstrong
ASVEL guard Theo Maledon
Prep-to-pro prospect Josh Hall
Prep-to-pro prospect Karim Mane
Of the group, only Maledon and Hampton confirmed they have worked out for the Nets. Smith and Bane confirmed they spoke with Brooklyn early in the pre-draft process.
Of the group, Achiuwa, Quickley, Maledon, Hall, Hampton, Bane, Mane, Smith and Terry took part in the NBA Combine.
Armstrong was the the only one of the bunch who did not participate.
However, he did have his own pro day, according to Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.com. And the wing put up some big numbers:
Pro day numbers for SE Melbourne’s Terry Armstrong, per source:
Armstrong was not included on Rookie Wire’s most recent Top-100 Big Board, which was put together ahead of the NBA Combine by USA TODAY SMG’S Bryan Kalbrosky.
The Rockets don’t currently have a pick in the 2020 draft, due to previous trades. However, their new GM says they might get one, anyway.
The Houston Rockets don’t currently have a selection in the NBA’s 2020 draft, owing to previous trades. However, that doesn’t mean they won’t eventually acquire one, according to new GM Rafael Stone.
In a new Q&A with Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Stone said this about their status for the league’s Nov. 18 draft:
We certainly wouldn’t mind getting into the draft, particularly if somebody becomes available we think will help us win now. We’re still in the win-now [mode], more than the develop four or five years from now mode. There are guys in the draft I think can play right away. We’ve had teams tell us they would be open to [a trade]. I think we probably can get draft picks if the right guy is there.
Besides using current players and/or future draft compensation to acquire a 2020 pick, the Rockets could also buy one. Houston still has most of its annual cash allotment available to use in trades during the 2019-20 league year, which does not conclude until after the draft.
Before Daryl Morey’s departure, Houston’s previous GM said there was a “reasonable chance” of his team buying a draft pick, which seemed to signal that owner Tilman Fertitta had authorized spending that cash.
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The Rockets have been active in recent weeks as it pertains to scouting and interviewing various draft prospects, including big man Daniel Oturu, shooting guard Terry Armstrong, and swingman Jay Scrubb.
While Stone says the Rockets have a clear win-now emphasis, given the presence veteran superstars James Harden and Russell Westbrook, it sounds as if the Houston front office believes that at least some 2020 draft prospects could still fit within that short-term mission.
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Pro day numbers for SE Melbourne’s Terry Armstrong, per source:
In addition, per source, he’s completed workouts with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Houston Rockets. Many love the potential of Scrubb. https://t.co/bmbpNfuLbf
Rookie Wire obtained every detail possible about the NBA G League pre-draft evaluation process, including all of the known invitations sent.
Rookie Wire obtained every detail possible about the NBA G League pre-draft evaluation process, including all of the known invitations sent.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many draft-eligible prospects not invited to the NBA combine have had trouble getting all of their information to team-decision makers in advance of the 2020 NBA Draft. To combat this, the NBA G League is offering a greater opportunity to be evaluated by team decision-makers.
This information included below was shared with USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire on the condition of anonymity because the person who shared the details was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Per source: Even though the G League Elite Camp was canceled this year, a "select number" of prospects who did not get NBA Combine invites have received invitations to participate in virtual evaluations and an NBA Pro Day. This includes eight shooting drills and an open workout.
While the G League Elite Camp was canceled this year, a “select number” of participants were given the chance to share virtual evaluations through both shooting drills and an NBA pro day.
Prospects who agreed to participate will use HomeCourt, a mobile basketball training application, to record on-court workouts. The results will be shared with NBA team staffers through the app.
Players were encouraged to have two staffers with them in the gym to assist with the process. The coaches and trainers were required to wear a face mask and gloves during the workout.
NBA Evaluation: 8 Shooting Drills (based on previous editions of the Draft Combine)
Warm-Up/free-throws (50 shots)
Spot-Up shooting (50 shots)
Shooting off dribble/pull-up jumpers (30 shots)
Mid-Range/off the catch (20 shots)
3-point drill /3-pointers off the catch (20 shots)
Side-mid-side/3-point jumpers on the move (2 minutes)
3-point endurance/catch-and-shoot at game speed (5 minutes)
Cool down/free-throws (50 shots)
Each shooting drill can be completed a max of three times. Only the best score is uploaded into the NBA Player Evaluation platform for all NBA teams to access the data and video.
This is how the results look, as obtained by Babcock Hoops’ Derek Murray:
Per source, John Mooney’s combine shooting numbers:
Mooney averaged 16.2 PTS and 12.7 REB last season at Notre Dame. He recently signed with Perth in Australia with an NBA out clause included in the contract. pic.twitter.com/pD8FwaCiu1
This workout allows the draft prospect to share the unique
aspects of his game through a 45-minute open workout.
Players are prohibited from partaking in live competition against any other draft-eligible and/or other players, including: informal scrimmages, pick-up games (e.g., 2-on-2), defensive drills (e.g., pick-and-roll coverage, post defense, etc.), offensive drills (e.g., Pick-and-Roll / Pop situations)
Pro Day must be a half-court workout.
Pro Day is an open workout for up to 45 minutes. If a player does NOT use the full 45 minutes, that is OK.
Must be completed on the same date as shooting drills. The player is allowed a 10-minute break in between.
KNOWN INVITATIONS
USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s Rookie Wire was able to obtain a list of prospects invited to participate in this process. Note that others may have been included as well, though these were the names we can confirm at this time.
Much like LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton, Terry Armstrong elected to play overseas rather than play at the NCAA level.
LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton may have received all the attention while the two played overseas for a season rather than go to college, but they were not the only Americans to do so in the 2019-20 season.
Michigan native Terry Armstrong also elected to play professionally overseas instead of college basketball in America, signing a deal with South East Melbourne Phoenix, which was a new team in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) in 2019-20.
But the 6-foot-6 wing didn’t exactly post big numbers in the 10 games he played in for South East Melbourne throughout their 30-game season, averaging 1.2 points and not even a full rebound, assist or steal a game while only playing 4.6 minutes a night, per RealGM.
Still, Armstrong decided to enter the 2020 NBA draft and has even interviewed with a few teams — including the Brooklyn Nets, per Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.
SE Melbourne’s Terry Armstrong remains an intriguing draft prospect, one source told @Stockrisers. In addition, the same source told me Armstrong has completed interviews with:
In addition to Armstrong, the Nets have also spoken to Moravian Prep wing Josh Hall, Maryland big man Jalen Smith, Memphis forward Precious Achiuwa, Stanford guard Tyrell Terry and Kentucky guard Immanuel Quickley.
Much like LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton, Terry Armstrong elected to play overseas rather than play at the NCAA level.
LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton may have received all the attention while the two played overseas for a season rather than go to college, but they were not the only Americans to do so in the 2019-20 season.
Michigan native Terry Armstrong also elected to play professionally overseas instead of college basketball in America, signing a deal with South East Melbourne Phoenix, which was a new team in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL) in 2019-20.
But the 6-foot-6 wing didn’t exactly post big numbers in the 10 games he played in for South East Melbourne throughout their 30-game season, averaging 1.2 points and not even a full rebound, assist or steal a game while only playing 4.6 minutes a night, per RealGM.
Still, Armstrong decided to enter the 2020 NBA draft and has even interviewed with a few teams — including the Brooklyn Nets, per Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.
SE Melbourne’s Terry Armstrong remains an intriguing draft prospect, one source told @Stockrisers. In addition, the same source told me Armstrong has completed interviews with:
In addition to Armstrong, the Nets have also spoken to Moravian Prep wing Josh Hall, Maryland big man Jalen Smith, Memphis forward Precious Achiuwa, Stanford guard Tyrell Terry and Kentucky guard Immanuel Quickley.
While college basketball players may capture more fame domestically, international prospects are fundamentally essential to the NBA Draft.
While college basketball players may capture more fame domestically, international prospects are fundamentally essential to the NBA draft.
Based on research conducted by HoopsHype, the average NBA draft over the past four years has featured 9.3 players who played basketball overseas the season prior to their selection. As such, we looked at the top international prospects (plus others worth considering) most likely to hear their names called in the 2020 NBA Draft.
For the sake of consistency in evaluation, American-born prospects who participated in the Australian NBL’s Next Stars program (e.g. LaMelo Ball, RJ Hampton and Terry Armstrong) were not included in this exercise.
Especially with so much uncertainty surrounding the 2020 NBA draft due to the coronavirus, the international class will be fascinating to watch. While it may be harder to evaluate them without a traditional NBA draft combine, some teams may prefer to “punt” on this year and opt for more of a “draft-and-stash” route.
Especially for teams (e.g. New Orleans Pelicans and Philadelphia 76ers) with surplus picks, it would make sense to select a player to own their draft rights with the intention of them playing abroad and continuing to develop.
1. KILLIAN HAYES, RATIOPHARM ULM (GERMANY)
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Killian Hayes is a 6-foot-5 guard who can play on or off the ball and has made a legitimate case for himself as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft. The French prospect led the German League in transition scoring (3.3 points per game) at just 18 years old, connecting on more than 84 percent of these attempts. Hayes ranked fifth-best for isolation scoring (2.3 ppg) in the EuroCup, shooting well off the dribble. Meanwhile, his distribution (5.1 assists per game) finished as the third-best during those games. The guard won MVP at the U16 Euro Championship in 2017 and All-Tournament Team at the 2018 U17 World Cup in 2018.
Prediction: Lottery
2. DENI AVDIJA, MACCABI TEL AVIV (ISRAEL)
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Deni Avdija is a 6-foot-8 forward who can be a secondary ball-handler and cutter for an NBA team. His draft stock has been up and down as his minutes were limited in Euroleague and his jump shot was fairly ineffective. But he scored 21 points with eight rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal while also shooting 3-for-6 from beyond the arc at the 2020 Eurobasket qualifiers. The prospect took home MVP honors at the U20 European Championship in 2019.
Prediction: Lottery / First round
3. ABDOULAYE N’DOYE, CHOLET BASKET (FRANCE)
Abdoulaye N’Doye is a 6-foot-7 guard who also boasts an enormous 7-foot-2 wingspan. He has a similar physical profile as NBA forwards like Robert Covington and Trevor Ariza, except he has experience playing on-ball for Cholet. N’Doye shot 44.1 percent from three-point range in the French League last season and 40.0 percent from long distance during the U20 Euro Championships in 2018. N’Doye, who previously tested the waters for the NBA last summer, is a bit older than other prospects on this list as he was automatically eligible this year rather than early entry.
Prediction: Late first / Early second
4. ALEKSEJ POKUSEVSKI, OLYMPIACOS (GREECE)
Aleksej Pokusevski is a 7-foot playmaker who has a similar physical profile to Thon Maker, Kostas Antetokounmpo and Bol Bol. There is less film to study for Pokusevski than other top international prospects because he plays in a low-level Greek league, though he has proven himself to be a solid transition finisher. The prospect put up splits of 14.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 5.8 blocks and two three-pointers per 36 minutes at the U18 European Championships in 2019. His wiry frame is the biggest concern on his way to the NBA, but if he adds size, he is someone who has the potential to be the ultimate sleeper of this class.
Prediction: Late first / Early second
5. LEANDRO BOLMARO, FC BARCELONA (SPAIN)
(Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
Leandro Bolmaro is a 6-foot-7 forward who has been skyrocketing on draft boards lately. With a unique blend of size and court vision, he is capable of serving as a secondary playmaker with experience as the ball handler in pick-and-roll sets or occasionally when pushing the break in transition. He has played well when the ball is not in his hands, too, shooting efficiently when coming off screens.
Prediction: Late first / Early second
6. THEO MALEDON, ASVEL (FRANCE)
(LUCAS BARIOULET/AFP via Getty Images)
Theo Maledon is a long, skinny point guard who was very solid in the pick-and-roll for ASVEL. The 6-foot-4 prospect has been accurate when shooting jumpers off the dribble, showing that he is able to create his own offense. His most notable accolade thus far was averaging 14.6 points and 3.1 assists per game in the U16 Euro Championships in 2017, leading France to gold.
Prediction: First round
Prediction: Late first / Early second
7. MARKO SIMONOVIC, MEGA (SERBIA)
Marko Simonovic is a 6-foot-10 prospect who was one of the top scorers in the Adriatic League, averaging 16.8 points per game. The 20-year-old prospect added 8.0 rebounds with 1.2 blocks per game in 2019-20. He also averaged 17.3 points while shooting 41.7 percent from three-point range, also adding 3.0 rebounds per game at the U20 European Championship in 2019. He has been especially productive when operating as the roll man out of pick-and-roll sets.
Prediction: Second round / Undrafted
8. YAM MADAR, HAPOEL TEL AVIV (ISRAEL)
Yam Madar is a 6-foot-3 point guard who averaged 13.7 points and 5.3 assists per 36 minutes in the Israeli BSL. He played extraordinarily well for Israel in the U20 European Championship in 2019, securing a gold medal behind 15.9 points and 7.7 assists per game. He looked especially comfortable running a fast-paced offense when pushing the break, recording the most transition assists per game among all participants at the tournament.
Prediction: Second round / Undrafted
9. GEORGIOS KALAITZAKIS, NEVEZIS (LITHUANIA)
Georgios Kalaitzakis was the overall leading scorer at the U20 European Championship in 2019. The 6-foot-8 prospect finished most of his opportunities as the ball-handler in pick-and-roll possessions, ranking among the leaders for assists in a set offense during the tournament.
Prediction: Second round / Undrafted
10. ROKAS JOKUBAITIS, ZALGIRIS (LITHUANIA)
Rokas Jokubaitis has thrived on unguarded catch-and-shoot attempts but has also been able to connect fairly well when shooting off the dribble as well. The 6-foot-4 guard was accurate when finishing possessions as the ball-handler in transition. He is most often used in pick-and-roll sets and when looking only at possessions in a set offense, his distribution also ranked near the best among all participants at the U19 World Cup in 2019.
Prediction: Second / Undrafted
HONORABLE MENTIONS
11. Borisa Simanic, Crvena Zvezda (Serbia)
He is a 6-foot-11 prospect with a 7-foot-3 wingspan who has been incredibly effective on unguarded jump shots off the catch. He has not been as sharp off the bounce but with his length and shooting ability, he projects as a potentially viable spot-up option in the NBA.
12. Paul Eboua, Victoria Libertas Pesaro (Italia)
A versatile scorer who can produce on spot-up and transition opportunities and as the roll man in pick-and-roll sets, he has struggled with efficiency. His frame (6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-3 wingspan) makes him a compelling NBA prospect.
13. Arturs Kurucs, Vig Riga (Latvia)
The younger brother of Brooklyn Nets forward Rodions Kurucs is a 6-foot-3 guard who has been accurate when shooting off the dribble. He ranked among the leaders in total scoring during the U19 World Cup in 2019, averaging 15.6 points per game.
14. Aleksa Radanov, FMP Belgrade (Serbia)
Aleksa Radanov is a 6-foot-7 forward who has operated as the ball-handler in pick-and-roll sets. He has impressed when finishing possessions as the ball handler in a transition offense as well. Radanov is 22 years old and automatically eligible for the 2020 NBA draft.
15) Gytis Masiulis, Neptunas Klaipeda (Lithuania)
A 6-foot-9 forward from Lithuania who has produced well in pick-and-roll actions as the roll man and on pick-and-pop opportunities. He was one of the most efficient high-volume scorers when he competed in the U20 Euro Championship in 2018, averaging 18.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
