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Pistons sign rookie Ausar Thompson

The Detroit Pistons yesterday signed Ausar Thompson to his rookie contract.

Thompson was drafted fifth overall by the Pistons in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Thompson, 6’7”, 215, averaged 17.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 29.1 minutes across 20 games for the City Reapers in the Overtime Elite League in 2022-23. He was named Overtime Elite MVP and later named Finals MVP after averaging 21.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the playoffs. In his second year in the league, Thompson led the City Reapers to a 14-1 regular season record and their first OTE Championship while earning Player-of-the-Week honors twice. The combo guard finished second in the league in assists while collecting at least three steals seven times.

A native of Oakland, Calif., Thompson was named the Broward County 5A Co-Player of the Year at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In addition to Overtime Elite, Thompson participated in The Basketball Tournament for Team Overtime in July of 2022.

Utah Jazz sign rookies Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh

The Utah Jazz have signed forward Taylor Hendricks, guard Keyonte George, and forward Brice Sensabaugh to rookie contracts.

Selected 9th overall in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Jazz, Hendricks (6-9, 210, Central Florida) put up averages of 15.2 points on 47.8 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from three, along with 7.0 boards, 1.7 blocks, and 1.4 assists in 34.7 minutes per contest during his sole collegiate campaign. He earned 2022-23 All-AAC Second Team and All-AAC Freshman Team honors in a season where he notched six games with 20-or-more points and five double-doubles.

George (6-4, 185, Baylor), drafted 16th overall by Utah, appeared in 33 games (all starts) in his lone collegiate season last year, averaging 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in 28.7 minutes per contest, garnering 2022-23 Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors. The 19-year-old also earned 2022-23 All-Big 12 Second Team, All-Big 12 Newcomer Team, and All-Big 12 Freshman Team accolades. In 2022-23, he posted 12 games with 20-or-more points, knocking down multiple threes in 22 contests.

Sensabaugh (6-6, 235, Ohio State), selected with the 28th pick, appeared in 33 games (21 starts) during the 2022-23 season, where he averaged 16.3 points. 5.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 24.5 minutes per game, garnering 2022-23 All-Big Ten Third Team honors. The native of Orlando, Fla., also received 2022-23 All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors, ranked third nationally in scoring average among freshmen, and was the first Ohio State player to lead the team in scoring since D’Angelo Russell in 2015.

Trail Blazers sign Scoot Henderson to his rookie contract

The Portland Trail Blazers yesterday signed rookie guard Scoot Henderson and forward Kris Murray.

Henderson, 19, spent the past two seasons with NBA G League Ignite and accrued averages of 16.1 points (44.5% FG, 76.2% FT), 5.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.4 blocks in 46 games (28 starts). During the 2022-23 season, Henderson averaged 17.6 points (44.4% FG, 32.4% 3-PT, 75.0% FT), 5.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.2 steals in 25 games (24 starts). A native of Marietta, Ga., Henderson competed in the Rising Stars game at NBA All-Star Weekend in both 2022 and 2023.

In three seasons at Iowa, Murray, 22, averaged 12.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.9 blocks and 0.8 steals in 77 games (29 starts). Murray was a 2022-23 All-Big Ten First Team honoree and consensus All-America Third Team selection, while also being named a finalist for the Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year, and a semifinalist for the John R. Wooden, Naismith Trophy and Lute Olson National Player of the Year awards. The Cedar Rapids, Ia., native was the only NCAA Division I player to average at least 20.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks while making at least 65 three-pointers during the 2022-23 season.

Henderson and Murray will participate for the Trail Blazers at the NBA 2K24 NBA Summer League 2023 in Las Vegas.

Sixers sign Ricky Council IV and Terquavion Smith to two-way contracts

Philadelphia 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed Ricky Council IV and Terquavion Smith to two-way contracts.

This past season, Council IV appeared in 36 games (29 starts) collegiately with the University of Arkansas, where he ranked fifth in the Southeastern Conference with a team-high 16.1 points to go along with 3.6 rebounds. The All-SEC Second Team selection scored in double figures in 31 of his appearances this season.

The Razorbacks earned a No. 8 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, upsetting No. 1-seeded Kansas in the second round to reach the Sweet Sixteen.

Prior to last season, Council IV spent his first two collegiate seasons at Wichita State University, where he posted combined averages of 9.9 points and 4.6 rebounds. He was voted the AAC Sixth Man of the Year as a sophomore in 2021-22, having led all conference reserves in scoring with 12.0 points.

Smith spent the past two seasons at North Carolina State University, where he averaged 17.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 66 career games (59 starts). The Atlantic Coast Conference’s second-leading scorer (17.9) as a sophomore this past season, Smith also ranked second in three-pointers made (91), eighth in steals (1.4) and 10th in assists (4.1) en route to an All-ACC Second Team selection. He led the Wolfpack to a 23-11 season and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Smith registered six 30-point games during his time with NC State, one of which represented the lone 30-point outing of the 2023 ACC Tournament (March 8 vs. Virginia Tech).

Both Council IV and Smith are currently on the 76ers’ 2023 summer league roster, which will compete in both the Salt Lake City Summer League and 2K24 Summer League 2023 in Las Vegas.

Pistons sign Jared Rhoden and Malcolm Cazalon to two-way contracts

The Detroit Pistons have signed guards Jared Rhoden and Malcolm Cazalon to two-way contracts.

Rhoden, 6’6”, 210, signed a two-way contract with Detroit on December 27, 2022. In 24 games with the Motor City Cruise, the NBA’s G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons, he averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He saw action in 14 games with the Pistons and averaged 3.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.1 minutes per game. Prior to joining the Pistons, Rhoden played for the College Park Skyhawks, the NBA’s G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks. In 16 games, he averaged 13.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

Rhoden, a Baldwin, NY native, played four years, collegiately, at Seton Hall University. In 122 career games (72 starts), he averaged 10.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists for the Pirates. In 31 games as a senior, he averaged 15.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 33.1 minutes per game, garnering 2022 All-Big East First Team honors. Rhoden left the program as one of only 12 players to record 1,200 points and 600 rebounds in school history.

Cazalon, 6’6”, 195, played the last three seasons with Mega MIS in Serbia’s ABA League First Division. Last season, he averaged 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 25 games while shooting 46% from the field. He began his pro basketball career with Bourg-en-Bresse in the French Basketball Pro A League in 2018.

Cazalon, a native of Roanne, France, teamed up with current Pistons guard Killian Hayes and won silver with Team France at the 2018 FIBA U-17 Basketball World Cup, where he averaged 16.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

Rockets re-sign Darius Days and Trevor Hudgins to two-way contracts

The Houston Rockets have re-signed forward Darius Days and guard Trevor Hudgins to two-way contracts.

Days (6-8, 240) was claimed off waivers by Houston from Miami prior to the start of last season and was converted to a two-way contract. He spent most of 2022-23 assigned to the Rockets G League affiliate, Rio Grande Valley, and earned All-NBA G League Second Team honors. In 29 regular season games for the Vipers, Days averaged 24.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.0 3-pointers made.

Hudgins (6-0, 198) was eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft following a stellar career at Northwest Missouri State, during which he won three Division II championships. He signed a two-way contract with Houston shortly after the draft and spent most of last season assigned to the G League. In 28 regular season games for Rio Grande Valley, Hudgins averaged 20.0 points, 6.1 assists and 4.5 3-pointers made.

Kings sign Harrison Barnes to contract extension

The Sacramento Kings have signed forward Harrison Barnes to a multi-year contract extension.

Barnes’ extension is reportedly a three-year, $54 million deal.

Barnes appeared in all 82 games (all starts) during the 2022-23 campaign and averaged 15.0 points (47.3 FG%, 37.4 3pt%, 84.7 FT%), 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 32.5 minutes per game. His scoring average of 15.0 points marked the third consecutive season he has averaged 15.0 or more points within a single season since joining the Sacramento Kings during the 2018-19 season. The seventh overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Barnes averaged 15.4 points (47.2 FG%, 38.7 3pt%, 82.7 FT%), 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 34.0 minutes in 317 games (all starts) during his time in Sacramento. Barnes registered 22 games with 20 or more points during the 2022-2023 season and ranks fifth on the Kings all-time 3-pointers list with 529 3-pointers.

During the 2022-23 season, Barnes helped lead Sacramento to the seventh-best record in the NBA and the third seed in the Western Conference, marking the Kings best finish since the 2002-03 season. The Kings finished with the third-most wins in the Western Conference (48-34) and matched a franchise record for most wins on the road (25-16), which also ranked first in the Western Conference.

Sacramento held the highest offensive rating in NBA history (118.6) and ranked first in true shooting percentage (60.8%), second in effective field goal percentage (57.2), second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.02), eighth in net rating (2.6), and seventh in assists percentage (62.6%).

Bucks to re-sign Brook Lopez

Per ESPN.com:

According to a source who spoke to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, free agency center Brook Lopez has signed a two-year, $48 million contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.

This offseason, the Bucks were successful in keeping both Lopez and star guard Khris Middleton, retaining the foundation of the team that won the title in 2021, led by two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Houston had a strong interest in re-signing Lopez, but Milwaukee was able to fend them off.

FULL ARTICLE

D’Angelo Russell reportedly re-signing with Lakers

Per ESPN.com:

Co-heads of CAA Basketball Austin Brown and Aaron Mintz, along with Antonio Russell, have confirmed that D’Angelo Russell has an agreement on a two-year, $37 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

A player option for the next year is part of the agreement.

In a three-team trade involving the Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Utah Jazz, Russell, who was originally selected by the Lakers with the No. 2 overall pick in 2015, returned to Los Angeles in February. He came from the Wolves to take the place of departing Russell Westbrook.

FULL ARTICLE

Overtime Elite forwards Tyler Smith and Izan Almansa sign with NBA G League Ignite

Overtime Elite forwards Tyler Smith and Izan Almansa have signed with NBA G League Ignite.

“As the basketball landscape evolves, the G League continues to solidify its place as a central development pathway for top talent throughout the world,” said NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim. “We are thrilled to welcome Tyler and Izan to the NBA G League family, where they’ll have the opportunity to learn from our NBA-caliber coaches and veterans and battle against top talent in our league. We’re excited to continue to build on the foundation started at OTE to help Tyler and Izan prepare for successful NBA careers.”

A Houston native, Smith attended George Bush High School in Fort Bend County, Texas, before signing his first professional contract with Overtime Elite in August 2021. Prior to joining OTE, the consensus five-star prospect was ranked by ESPN as the No. 8 player in the 2023 high school class.

In 2022-23 with OTE’s Cold Hearts, Smith averaged 15.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting 47.5 percent from the field, earning All-OTE Second Team honors. In his rookie season with Team OTE in 2021-22, Smith finished fourth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (36.2).

Almansa, who is from Spain, is currently projected as the No. 18 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by ESPN. He spent the past two seasons with Overtime Elite, averaging 9.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists during the 2022-23 season with YNG Dreamerz.

Last summer playing for Spain, Almansa became the first player to win MVP honors at both the FIBA U17 World Cup and the FIBA U18 European Championship.

“OTE’s mission is to develop players at a customized and accelerated rate, and Tyler and Izan are perfect examples of players who bought in and utilized every resource OTE offers for player development both on and off the court,” said Damien Wilkins, General Manager and Head of Basketball for OTE. “We have proven success in building a strong foundation for players as they look to continue their basketball careers, and we are proud and excited for both of these guys as they head to compete at G League Ignite.”

Smith and Almansa join 2023 McDonald’s All-Americans Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland, NBA Academy graduates Thierry Darlan and Babacar Sane, second-year Ignite player London Johnson and Texas high school standout Dink Pate on Ignite’s 2023-24 roster.

Ignite has produced four top 10 NBA Draft picks in the previous three years – the most by any program in that span – in Jalen Green (2021, No. 2, Houston Rockets), Jonathan Kuminga (2021, No. 7, Golden State Warriors), Dyson Daniels (2022, No. 8, New Orleans Pelicans) and Scoot Henderson (2023, No. 3, Portland Trail Blazers). Ignite has had a total of 10 NBA Draft picks in the last three years, which is the highest total for a program in that period.