Monday, December 21, 2015

UConn Football is Back

The Connecticut Huskies are going bowling for the first time since 2010 - when they faced off against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. This time around they’ll see a 9-3 Marshall team in a matchup in the St. Petersburg Bowl in Florida.
The Huskies were projected to finish in the basement of the AAC in multiple preseason polls and after a promising 2-0 start, they dropped to 3-5, and with ECU, Houston, and Temple still on the schedule, a bowl game didn’t look like it was in the picture. But if there’s one thing that stands out about UConn athletics, it’s that you can never count the Huskies out.
I have to give it to Bob Diaco. After finishing 2-10 in his first season with the team last year, and losing what looked to be the “QB of the future” in Casey Cochran (concussions), I thought that it could be another couple of years until UConn football would be competitive again.
From 2007-2010, UConn football went 33-19 finishing with at least 8 wins each season and reaching 4 straight bowl games. What stands out on those teams was UConn’s reliable defense. Those were teams led by dominant defensive players like Danny Lansanah, Scott Lutrus, Tyvon Branch, Darius Butler, Robert McClain, Lindsey Witten, Sio Moore, Dwayne Gratz, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, etc. Their defense always seemed to keep them in games, getting to the quarterback and making big plays, which was especially important considering they themselves never really had a great quarterback. During that same 4-year span, UConn quarterbacks threw just as many interceptions as touchdowns (45).
There are a lot of parallels that one can draw between this year's UConn team and those of the Randy Edsall era. And the best part is, UConn is returning a lot of firepower next season. I’ll start out with the defense. On the front 7, they’ll return Cole Ormsby, Folorunso Fatukasi, Junior Joseph, Cameron Stapleton, and Luke Carrezola. Carrezola and Fatukasi (both sophomore’s) lead the team with 12.5 combined sacks. This is an incredibly athletic group with a bunch of guys who can move around and play in different formations. Linebacker, Graham Stewart, will be a huge loss for this defense. The transfer from Florida is a ballhawk with a high motor who will most likely get a shot to play on Sunday’s. However, EJ Levenberry, is a transfer from Florida State who sat out this season but will be eligible to play next year and will be looked big upon to fill the shoes of Stewart.
Lindsey Witten (#9) led the Huskies with 11.5 sacks in 2009
In the secondary, the Huskies will lose safety Andrew Adams, who has 9 career interceptions. That loss will hurt just as much as Stewart, but cornerback, Jamar Summers, who’s currently tied for 5th in the nation with 5 interceptions, will be looked upon to become the staple of this secondary.

Bottom line: UConn’s defense is back
Offensively, sophomore quarterback, Bryant Shirreffs, was the big surprise. The NC State transfer fended off Timmy Boyle for the starting job. He tossed for 9 touchdowns but it was his ability to move around in the pocket (420 rush yards, 3 rush TD) that made him such a threat. Combine his running ability with the likes of Arkeel Newsome (1,500+ total yards, 8 total TD) and Ron Johnson (220 rush yards, 4 rush TD) and the Huskies had a formidable rushing attack. The real question coming into the year: who would the quarterback be throwing to? They graduated their top 2 receivers (Geremy Davis & Deshon Foxx) and prior to the season it was announced that starting TE, Sean McQuillan, had been arrested and removed from the football team. Enter Noel Thomas. The 6’1 junior emerged as The Shirreffs top target and reminds me of a young Marcus Easley...Sophomore’s Tommy Myers and Alec Bloom filled in for McQuillan and their NFL size (6’5, 250 & 6’6, 260, respectively) provided additional beef in the blocking game. Shirreffs, Newsome, Johnson, Thomas, Myers, and Bloom are all set to return next season.
Bottom line: UConn has an offense

UConn will return their trio of backs in 2016
The future looks bright and the Bob Diaco era is off to a promising start. Win or lose to Marshall in the St. Petersburg Bowl, there is no reason that UConn football can’t compete for an AAC championship in the near future.



Wednesday, November 11, 2015

General Electric Spins Off Synchrony Financial

On October 14th, the Federal Reserve announced that they had approved General Electric’s (GE) plan to spin off Synchrony Financial (SYF) as part of GE’s mission to reduce the size of their North American financial entity. On October 19th, General Electric officially announced an exchange offer to shareholders: to exchange their General Electric shares for those of Synchrony Financial, with that offer expiring on November 16th.
So what does this mean for General Electric shareholders? Do they take the offer or stay put?
Synchrony Financial has some serious appeal. Prior to their IPO, Synchrony Financial was a division of General Electric (formerly General Electric Capital Retail Finance) and was able to bring in nearly one-half of General Electric’s revenues. It was the third largest IPO of 2014 after raising roughly $2.88 billion in their initial public offering. In their first 15 months on the NYSE, Synchrony Financial’s stock has raised over $7/share (while GE has raised roughly $3.5/share over the same period).

General Electric’s (red line) and Synchrony Financial’s (blue line) stock growth dating back to Synchrony’s IPO in August of 2014 (click to enlarge)

All this sounds good, so why the split?
The financial division of GE ran into some distress during the monetary crisis a few years ago when it held some risky loans. Once Lehman Brothers collapsed, GE’s shares started to drop as the public grew concerned with GE’s financial division. It was at this point that General Electric set its sights on becoming less dependent on that area of the company, and the split is part of an ongoing effort to trim down that sector of its business.


If you’re someone who holds stock in GE, this exchange might be something to seriously consider. Despite the potential risk, there’s a lot of upside in Synchrony Financial. They are currently the largest provider of private-label credit cards in the U.S. (based on purchase volumes and receivables) -- a significant statistic as a Federal Reserve study found that the private-label credit card business has outpaced general-purpose credit card growth. Synchrony is also in the works of striking a deal with Apple to include their multi-purpose cards in Apple Pay.
While Synchrony doesn’t pay out a dividend, if management continues moving in the right direction, there could be some real value with SYF. Keep the offer’s expiration of November 16th in mind if you’re considering pursuing this opportunity!

Saturday, October 17, 2015

The Crimestopper Breaks into Houston

According to Aquille Carr’s twitter and other sources reporting the like, the 5’6 guard has signed with the Houston Rockets and will compete on their preseason roster. For those basketball fans out there that have never heard of Carr (aka “The Crimestopper”), you are in for a treat. Carr is listed at 5’6, 150 pounds (that’s nearly 3 inches shorter than Nate Robinson for comparison) but doesn’t lack the talent. The ball skills of Jason Williams combined with the scoring ability of a young Steve Francis, on the court, Carr is most known for his dazzling handles and his ability to score with some emphasis - 50 points in a game was not out of the ordinary for Carr at Patterson High school in Baltimore, Maryland.
He quickly became a YouTube sensation making his high school counterparts look as if they were playing on skates. After showing out in a tournament playing for Team USA in Milan, Virtus Roma (a professional team in Italy) offered the then high school sophomore $750,000 to drop out of high school and come play for them (the same team Brandon Jennings played for before turning pro). Carr would pass on the offer and return to finish high school at Princeton Day Academy. In 2012, he verbally committed to play collegiately at Seton Hall University, but would never step on campus and instead play overseas in China for a brief time, perhaps to support his newborn daughter.
Carr was drafted to the Delaware 87ers (affiliate of the 76ers) in the 3rd round of 2013 NBA D-League draft but was subsequently released a few months later. He was eligible for the 2014 NBA draft but went undrafted and signed to play with the Saint John Mill Rats of the Canadian National Basketball League. His time in Canada didn’t last as he was released 9 games into the Mill Rats season after two suspensions during his tenure. He was officially released on December 13, 2014 and it looked like the 21 year-old’s basketball career was on the decline and certainly the aspirations of an NBA career were an afterthought.


On October 14, 2015, Carr tweeted this:


As a basketball fan you have to be happy for this kid. He didn’t come from much in Baltimore, which is perhaps an understatement, and despite his stat line was often overlooked. I’ll definitely be tuning into a few Rockets preseason games to hopefully watch this kid continue to ball.





I could keep going but I'll leave it to 3.



Sunday, September 6, 2015

Time To Trade Robert Griffin III

An elite-level QB with elite-level swagger, RG3 more than deserves a shot elsewhere
The NFL's cut down to 53 players has come and gone and Robert Griffin III was not one of those cut by the Redskins despite the uneasy relationship with management, embarrassing on the Washington Redskins part. As a Giants fan I certainly don't like the Redskins but when it comes to the NFC East I'll root for Washington over Philly and Dallas any day of the week, especially when RG3 is under center. One could argue I'm bias after I closely followed and relished his college career at Baylor, or maybe one could just look at the facts/numbers. The facts are Robert was drafted #2 overall (!) not because of his arm but because of his arm/feet combo, in other words he can make plays running (ran for 815 yards, 7 TD, 6.8 yards per carry as a rookie). And it somehow seems that Robert's best attribute (his ability to take off and run) has become his biggest weakness. The Redskins (and it's primarily Jay Gruden) have taken away RG3's running game which has limited him as a player. When you take away his running capabilities then teams preparing for RG3 focus solely on his passing which come gameday has showed the last 2 seasons. I understand the injuries that come with a mobile QB, and which are certainly tied to RG3, but again, he wasn't drafted #2 overall because of strictly his passing ability. If the front office is all the sudden going to say "don't run" then they basically wasted a #2 overall pick, and if they didn't weight out the positives and negatives of drafting a scrambler #2 then shame on them. RG3 is a consummate pro who can play the game of football and certainly deserves a starting role elsewhere in the league. Say what you want about RG3 publicly saying he's the best QB in the league but how do you not love that fire and cockyness? - It kind of reminds me of Tom Brady (disclaimer: I'm not comparing RG3 to Tommy Terrific). Those are certainly qualities I want in my QB. Since the team did not cut Robert then hopefully they trade him for not only his sake, but their own as well since we all know that as long as RG3 is a 'skin, this will drag on. But from a team in such disarray that isn't going to finish above .500 this season, what else can you expect?

Link to his stats (click here)

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Osi Umenyiora Tribute


My favorite image of Osi has to be his sack of Matt Ryan (and tackle Will Svitek) in the 2011 Wild Card game. From that moment on, I knew the Giants were clicking, and indeed they were as Osi and the Giants went on to capture their 2nd Super Bowl victory in 5 years.

“Umi” was a 2nd round pick to the Giants in 2003 out of Troy University. He recorded 1 sack in 13 games his rookie season but followed that with a promising 7-sack sophomore campaign. In 2005 Osi recorded 14.5 sacks (good for 2nd in the league) accompanied by 4 forced fumbles and was selected to the Pro Bowl as well as receiving the prestigious “All-Pro” tag. He missed 5 games in ‘06 but got back up to speed in 2007 and teamed up with Michael Strahan, Justin Tuck, and Mathias Kiwanuka to combine for 36.5 regular season sacks (6 of which came from Osi in one game vs. the Eagles) en route to a Super Bowl victory over the then-undefeated New England Patriots.

Strahan retired after the ‘07 Super Bowl victory leaving Osi and Tuck the keys to the kingdom, but things took a turn for the worst when Umi injured his knee in the ‘08 preseason and missed the regular season.

Nobody knew what to expect in 2009 coming off the injury but Osi still managed to sack the quarterback 7 times and recover 4 fumbles. Not knowing if Osi was truly back, the Giants drafted a raw defensive end by the name of Jason Pierre-Paul with the 15th pick of the 2010 draft. Paul got to the QB 4.5 times as a rookie which was nothing compared to Osi’s 11.5 sacks, and maybe more impressively his 10 forced fumbles. Umenyiora was perhaps snubbed by the Pro Bowl voters that season but had bigger plans in 2011. He missed a lot of time to injury that year, but in 9 games he still had 9 sacks, and he added 3.5 more sacks in the postseason - a postseason that ended with Osi and the Giants hoisting another Lombardi Trophy.

The following season, the 31 year-old Osi only had 6 sacks in 16 games (only 4 starts) and the Giants appeared that they were more committed to their new star, Pierre-Paul. Osi spent the last 2 seasons in Atlanta where he tallied 10 sacks and had a couple big return touchdowns.

It was only appropriate that he retired as a Giant. I thought that he might reunite with Coach Spagnuolo for one last run in a blue uniform but that was not the case. 85 sacks, 5 touchdowns, and 2 Super Bowl victories later, what else is there for Osi to prove? I wish him the best of luck in his life after football and thank him for his 9 years of playmaking for the New York Giants.


Tuesday, August 18, 2015

The (Proposed) Manning Deal


Eli Eli Eli. Highest paid QB in the NFL? Come on now. Making Eli Manning the highest paid QB in the league would be a contract solely based off what he’s done (2 Superbowls - of which I’m very grateful for) but a sane front office knows that a contract should be based on predicted future performance, to avoid leaving, what I call, dead money, on the table. Eli’s 34 now and it’s hard to make the argument that his best days lie ahead. Yes, he does have one of the best young receiving corps on his side but the Cruz-Nicks duo of 2013 wasn’t bad on paper and Eli still threw a whopping 27 picks (yes, I suppose that offense was a debacle all around). I say see what Eli can do this year. 2nd year with the new offense, healthy RB’s, uber-talent receivers, the o-line is so-so but it has been and will be until they can find a legitimate anchor. If Eli can get the G-Men back to the playoffs, which [t]he[y] haven’t managed to do since winning it all in 2011, then sure, go ahead and pay the guy. But if you pay him now and the Giants struggle, then what? In that scenario (one where the Giants miss the playoffs), Coughlin is most likely gone (McAdoo too?), and you’ve spent all this money on Eli that could be allocated towards other upcoming team free agents (Amukamara, J. Brown, DeOssie, Jenkins, McClain, RANDLE, J. Jones? Fells?) and the outside free agency pool (which the Giants never seem to win). I’m just saying, letting Eli go isn’t the worst thing for the future outlook of this franchise. Especially if the timing is right for him to leave with Coughlin, paying Eli his due diligence - if there is such a thing. There’s plenty of good young college QB’s (Hackenberg, Cook, 12 Gauge, Goff, Kiel, Kessler, etc.) that will be draft eligible in the upcoming drafts that would look mighty fine in big blue. 

I love the goof ball and I think in the end he will be a Giant, but I think Jerry Reese needs to look at this proposed deal long and hard before any ink is set to paper.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Seth Curry Signs With Sacramento

^That’s SETH not to be confused with STEPH ( Don’t worry GSW fans, you have Steph locked up until 2017). Seth Curry is the journey-man younger brother of Steph who’s played in 4 career NBA games with 3 different teams over the past 2 seasons (most recently with Phoenix). He’s spent the majority of his first 2 professional years in the D-League with Santa Cruz and Erie where he’s torn it up appearing in the D-League All-Star game both seasons. Last year in Erie he averaged 24 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 1.5 steals and shot 47% from three in 43 games. 

I’ve never been an avid fan of Seth until I really got to see him play on a consistent basis in this past Summer League (for New Orleans) where he was practically running the show. In 6 games he averaged over 24 points (to lead all players), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. The kid’s performed well at every level he’s played at and at 24 I think he’s finally ready to step into the shoes of dad and brother and be an everyday guard in the NBA.

This evening, Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that Seth has signed a 2 year, $2 million contract with the Sacramento Kings where he’ll play 90 minutes away from his big brother, Steph. The signing will make Seth the 8th guard on the Kings roster. However, I think this guard is here to stay if he continues where he left off in Vegas (hopefully what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas won’t apply). Forget Rondo & Cauley-Stein, I really think Seth could be low-key, vital, signing for Sacramento and I think this team is now a legit playoff contender.


Friday, July 17, 2015

Time For Sandy Alderson To Make Something Happen

Cameron Maybin
I’m no proclaimed Mets superfan by any means but when I look at what could be with this pitching rotation, I see a World Series contender (if that doesn't grab the attention of you Mets fans then I don't know what will). The New York Mets (47-42) are 1 game out of the 2nd Wild Card spot (held by the Cubs) in the National League. It’s hard to imagine them out of the playoff scenario considering they may have the best pitching staff in the MLB that have a combined 3.23 ERA, which is good for the 3rd best ERA in all of MLB. But a good pitching staff is rather worthless when they don’t have hitters backing them up. Offensively, the Mets are currently last in batting average (.233), 26th in on-base percentage (.298), and 28th in total runs scored (310). 

A look at the Mets starters this year (average age: 27). ERA's are low
but W-L aren't sensational due to a lack of run support
It hasn’t helped that the teams best player, David Wright, missed 81 of their 89 games (back injury) in the first half of the season. If you’ve been following his rehab, a return any time soon doesn’t seem to promising and it’s still unclear if the 32 year-old will be the same .300 hitter that Mets fans are accustomed to. Best case scenario with Wright is a return around the playoffs that could provide the franchise with a spark moving forward. But first they have to get to the playoffs which will not happen unless Mets GM, Sandy Alderson, makes something happen by the July 31st trade deadline. I’m going to take look at 4 different players who’s names have come up as potential targets for the Mets that could help bolster them into the playoffs.

Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies, Shortstop, 30 years old, due roughly $20 million/year until 2021Tulo came out and spoke highly of the Mets organization a few weeks back and immediately he became a part of the Mets trade rumors. While Tulo has mummed all the talk, a move to NYM isn’t out of the question. Wilmer Flores has played 69 games at SS for the Mets this year but his .286 OBP is laughable compared to Tulowitzski’s .351. If Troy was acquired then Flores could be used as a utility infielder at SS and 2B, where he also has experience, behind current second baseman, Daniel Murphy, as it seems prospect, Dilson Herrera, needs a bit more time to develop in Triple-A before he’s the Mets backup 2B. Tulo has hit better than .302 5 of the past 6 seasons and better than .310 each of the past 3 seasons. He will cost the Mets a lot and I’m sure Colorado won’t just give him away for next to nothing but a potential infield of Wright, Tulowitzki, and Duda is frightening. 

Justin Upton, Padres, Outfielder, 27 years old, due $14.5 million this year and becomes FA at the end of this seasonUpton’s coming off his 3rd All-Star game nomination (went 1-1 with a steal). He’s only hitting .253 this season but he’s got some pop (on pace for 25 homers) and has proven that he’s still got some burst in him as he’s stolen more bases in the first half of this season (17) then the past 2 seasons combined (16). The Padres (41-49) aren’t completely out of the playoffs just yet so if the Mets inquire about Upton, Padres GM, A.J. Preller, will most likely have the upper edge in terms of what he gets in return. Upton is set to be a free agent at the expiration of this season and the Padres will most likely pay him if he’s willing to come back. However, the Padres haven’t been to the playoffs since 2006 and have since suffered 6 losing seasons since so Upton may not want to re-sign. He’s most comfortable in left field but has a lot of experience in right as well. If acquired, the Mets could bump Cuddyer (who I like but is only hitting .244) to a reserve outfielder role or do something (DFA, minors, trade) with current center fielder, Juan Lagares and move Granderson back to center, where he played primarily in Detroit and NYY, and have Upton play right. 

Carlos Gomez, Brewers, Centerfielder, 29 years old, due roughly $9 million/year until 2017Mets fans will remember that Gomez originally signed as an amateur free agent with and made his debut with the Mets back in 2007. He played 58 games that season as a rookie and showed promise every now and then but Mets fans never really saw him progress as he was traded prior to the 2008 season to Minnesota in deal that made Johan Santana a Met. He really emerged in 2013 as Brewer hitting 24 homers, stealing 40 bases, and getting an All-Star nod. He missed 28 games in the first of this season and his batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage have all declined from over the past 2 seasons but he’s hitting .273 which is 17 points better than any current Mets outfielder...The Brewers are done for this season and with a group of good outfielders in the organization, Gomez could quickly be on his way out.

Cameron Maybin, Braves, Centerfielder, 28 years old, due roughly $8 million/year until 2017 (team option)I’ve been a fan of Maybin ever since his days as a Marlins prospect. He was the 10th pick of the 2005 draft who has great speed, a lot of range in the outfield, and is just learning to hit the baseball. Aside from 2008, in which he played just 8 games, he has a career high in batting average (.289) and OBP (.356) this season and at 28 may just be hitting his peak. The Braves know this though, and being a division rival of the Mets, may ask for a few of those dynamic pitchers that the Mets have in return for Maybin which I don’t think the Mets are interested in, but should listen to.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

The Greg Gurenlian MVP Case

Brendan Fowler (Hounds) faced-off at about 61% during his time at Duke. In 2 games
vs. Gurenlian this year he is 19/63 (30.16%). Who says it's a young mans game?
The MLL regular season is wrapping up, the playoff picture is is coming into focus, and the MVP chatter is getting hot. Some of the obvious names in the mix are once again Rabil, McArdle, Pannell, Wolf, Abbott, Schreiber - all guys who are consistently getting it done on the offensive end in what what is an offensive league. In the 14 year history of the MLL MVP award, just once has a non-offensive player won the award (2002 in goalie, Greg Cattrano). The other 13 years it’s been attackmen and middies bringing home the hardware. But could that be different this year with the numbers that Lizards FOGO, Greg Gurenlian, is producing? The 31 year-old is having a historic year at the face-off x winning roughly 78% (77.68% exactly) of his draws, to date. The closest player behind him (min. 100 draws) is Mike Poppleton of Rochester who’s won 58%.

If that’s not staggering to you then this will be: in the league’s 14 year history, the highest face-off win % (min. 100 face-offs) in a regular season is just 64% (set by Greg Gurenlian, circa 2013). I’ll say it again, he’s winning roughly 78% this year.

Perhaps he’s overshadowed by a star-studded team that includes the likes of Drew Adams, Joe Fletcher, Ned Crotty, Paul Rabil, Rob Pannell, and a terrific supporting cast. Or maybe it’s that his position is, and has never been, the most glorified.

Gurenlian is re-writing the history books, literally. I will reiterate that MLL is an offensive league filled with explosive offensive players and until the league expands and evolves it will stay that way. What’s vital to winning in an offensive league is scoring goals. The Lizards currently lead all of Major League Lacrosse in total goals scored with 183. That’s 18 more goals or about 11% more goals than the 2nd highest scoring (goals) team in the league, the Ohio Machine who’ve scored 165 goals. While it helps that the Lizards are shooting at a high rate and have those offensive weapons, the offense wouldn’t have the ball if they weren’t winning faceoffs at such a high rate (the Lizards have 20 more possessions, via face-offs, per 100 face-offs than the next best FO team in the MLL). If anything, let this post just serve as an appreciation for a remarkable feat by the man they call “The Beast”.


Some visuals for you...
You can see that (other than Charlotte) there is a correlation between a teams face-off win % and their total goals scored.

Greg Gurenlian is no rookie to the MLL record books. Here's a look at the all-time top face-off percentages in a single season entering 2015.

*all statistics and rankings are of 7/16, 7pm

Sunday, July 12, 2015

NBA Summer League Preview: Las Vegas

The 2015 NBA Summer League will wrap up in sin city, Las Vegas. The action has been exciting thus far and expect that to continue in Las Vegas where 24 teams will be participating. This is a preview of a few players to watch for from those teams participating in the Las Vegas Summer League from July 10-20.

Atlanta Hawks
Brandon Ashley, Power Forward (6’9, 230), will wear #16
Undrafted forward from the University of Arizona. Needs to polish his rebounding and defensive skills before he’s an everyday association player but I believe he can get there.

Jon Horford, Forward/Center (6’10, 250). #51
Another undrafted big man who played collegiately at Michigan and Florida. He’s the younger brother of Hawks star center, Al Horford. Only averaged 3.7 points per game over a 138 game NCAA career.

Walter “Edy” Tavares, Center (7’3, 260), #22
43rd pick of 2014 to ATL who’s spent the past few seasons overseas. Was born in Cape Verde. Actually signed a multi-year deal last week. Eager to see what this kid flashes in Vegas

Also have an eye on: DeAndre Kane, Mike Muscala, Lamar Patterson

Boston Celtics
C.J. Fair, Forward (6’8, 215), 49
Very productive 4-year career at Syracuse. Went undrafted in 2014 and spent his first professional season in the D-League as an affiliate player. Shot 54% from the field in the Utah Summer League.

Jonathan Holmes, Power Forward (6’8, 240), #68
Undrafted rookie from the University of Texas. Has a wide range of capabilities but only shot 39% his senior year (down from 51% as a junior). Shot just 33% in 3 games in the Utah SL.

R.J. Hunter, Small Forward (6’6, 190), #28
Boston’s 28th pick of the ‘15 draft. Averaged 20 points per contest this past season at Georgia State where he played for his father, Ron. Was vital part of the memorable 2015 NCAA Tournament run with the Panthers. Shot just 27% in 3 games in the Utah SL.

Colton Iverson, Center (7’0, 255), #63
The real “White Iverson”. 53rd overall pick from 2013 to Indiana who was traded to Boston on draft night. Was invited to the Celtics summer league roster the previous two summers but has yet to sign into the NBA.

Jordan Mickey, Power Forward (6’8, 235), #55
33rd overall pick of this past draft. Averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, and 1 steal per game last season at LSU. Could prove to be valuable pick down the road.

Terry Rozier, Point Guard (6’1, 190), #12
Terry was the Celtics first pick (16th overall) of this past draft. The pick was questioned and you can imagine Rozier will be out trying to prove something this summer.

James Young, Guard/Forward (6’6, 215), #13
Split time last year (his rookie season) between Boston and their D-League affiliate, Maine. 19 year old still has a lot he can improve on.

Also have an eye on: Ralph Sampson III

Brooklyn Nets
Cliff Alexander, Power Forward (6’8, 240), #34
The undrafted rookie from Kansas possess a ton of upside. He was a 2014 McDonald’s All-American who maybe could have benefited from another year in school (still 19 years old). Averaged 7 points, 5 rebounds, & 1 block per game in 28 games for the Jayhawks last season. Shot just 39% in 5 games for the Nets in the Orlando Summer League.

Ryan Boatright, Point Guard (6’0, 175), #31
Boatright also went undrafted in this past draft. His size has been questioned but his heart hasn’t as he was a vital part of the 2014 National Championship run for the Huskies. He impressed at the Orlando Summer League.

Earl Clark, Forward (6’10, 234), #55
Clark, 27 now, appeared in just 10 games last year (all with Brooklyn). Could just be playing for foreign scouts at this point as the Nets are his 6th team in a 6 year career.


Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Forward (6’7, 220), #24
Hollis-Jefferson was the 23rd pick of this past draft to the Trail Blazers but he was traded shortly after to Brooklyn for Mason Plumlee and the draft rights to the Nets 41st pick, Pat Connaughton. Good bring Richard Jefferson-esque swingman capabilities to the Nets. This could end up as a steal of the draft in a few years down the road.
Forward, Cory Jefferson, possesses a lot of athleticism
Cory Jefferson, Forward (6’9, 218), #21
Was the last pick of the 2014 draft out of baylor University to Portland. Was eventually traded to Brooklyn and would appear in 50 games for the Nets last season.

Juvonte Reddic, Power Forward (6’9, 240), #53
Powerful bruiser who went undrafted in the 2014 NBA draft and played overseas last season. Played college ball at VCU.

Chicago Bulls
Vander Blue, Guard (6’4, 200), #2
Undrafted in 2013 who’s bounced around between 5 D-League teams with stints in in LA and Boston along the way.


Doug McDermott, Small Forward (6’8, 225), #3
The 11th pick a year ago. After a brilliant NCAA career at Creighton, he struggled to excel in his rookie season averaging just 3 points per game in 36 appearances. I still believe the future is bright for "Dougie McBuckets".

Bobby Portis, Power Forward, (6’11, 246), #5
The Bulls got him 22nd in the past draft. That will be a steal in a few years when Portis blows up. I think he’s Kenneth Faried 2.0. Another hat tip to Gar Forman and his staff.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Rakeem Christmas, Power Forward (6’9, 250), #28
Drafted 36th to Minnesota but his rights were traded to Cleveland. Emerged last year for Jim Boeheim averaging 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game. This is the right organization for him to grow in.

Quinn Cook, Guard (6’2, 185), #14
Averaged 15 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1 steal per game last year at Duke. Also won a National Championship, but apparently that wasn’t enough to impress NBA general managers as he went undrafted in the 2015 draft. Played for OKC in the Orlando Summer League averaging 10 points and 4 assist per game in 5 games.

Tyler Haws, Shooting Guard (6’5, 195), #35
Elite scorer in college at BYU averaging 20 points per game thru his entire career (139 career games). Also shot 88% from the line, 38% from three, and 48% from the field. Those impressive numbers and he yet still went undrafted. Prospect to watch closely.

Sir’Dominic Pointer, Guard/Forward (6’6, 192), #16
53rd pick in the draft. Kinda reminds you of Kawhi Leonard - that’s the best case scenario.

John Shurna, Small Forward (6’9, 215), #24
Undrafted in 2012 out of Northwestern. Averaged 20 points his senior year (44% from three) and has since played overseas. Don’t think this anything more than a “camp-body”.

Keifer Sykes game is similar to Norris Cole's
Keifer Sykes, Point Guard (6’0, 180), #15
Smaller frame but he can ball. Played collegiately at Green Bay in the Horizon League. Averaged 19 points per game last year. Really curious to see how his game translates. Most likely a D-Leaguer in his rookie campaign. (Don’t know what the better name is; Sir’Dominic or Keifer?)

Talib Zanna, Power Forward/Center (6’9, 230), #30
Undrafted in 2014 out of Pitt. Spent last year in the D-League. Was a dominant force in college but at 25 may be past his prime for the NBA. Also played for OKC in the Orlando Summer League averaging 6 points and 7 rebounds per game in 3 games.

Also have an eye on: Jerrelle Benimon, Joe Harris


Dallas Mavericks
Darius Miller, Forward (6’8, 225), #20
Spent the last 3 NBA seasons with New Orleans. Actually ended last year in Germany. Played at Kentucky under John Calipari.


Kevin Pangos, Point Guard (6’2, 180), #4
Played significant minutes in each of his 4 seasons at Gonzaga. Went undrafted in this past draft. Very European style to his game but if Matthew Dellavedova can play in the Association than a case can be made for Pangos. I can see why Cuban would love his game.

Satnam Singh, Center (7’2, 290), #52
52nd overall pick form the IMG academy in Florida. First ever Indian born player to be drafted into the NBA. Not sure a long NBA career awaits.

Maalik Wayns, Point Guard (6’1, 195) #18
Undrafted player in 2012 from Villanova who played 2 seasons in the NBA with Philly and LAC. Spent last year in the D-League and in Puerto Rico.

Also have an eye on: Justin Anderson, Alex Stephenson, Okaro White

Denver Nuggets
Gary Harris, Shooting Guard (6’4, 210), #14
19th overall pick to Chicago in 2014 whose rights were traded to Denver. Played in 55 games as a rookie. Big week and a half in Vegas for Harris.

Emmanuel Mudiay, Guard (6’5, 200), #0
7th pick in the 2015 draft from China where he played overseas (Guangdong Tigers) for a year rather then play college ball. The NBA is definitely a lot different than the CBA but Mudiay should excel in Summer ball.

Roscoe Smith Forward (6’9, 215), #24
Won a National Championship as a freshman at UConn and contributed greatly. Transferred to UNLV when Jim Calhoun retired and kind of fell off the radar. In one season there he averaged 11 and 11 decided to enter the draft but went undrafted. Spent last year in the D-League after an invite to Laker camp and was named to the D-League All-Star game. I’m not sure the Spurs are the best fit for Roscoe but he can definitely play in the NBA and he will for sure have the eyes of scouts on him. Played for the Spurs in the Utah Summer League.

Also have an eye on: Nikola Jokic, Joffrey Lauvergne

Golden State Warriors
Aaron Craft, Guard (6’2, 195), #4
Undrafted in 2014 and spent the 2014-2015 campaign with the Santa Cruz Warriors (D-League affiliate of GSW) where he won a D-League Championship and was also the league’s defensive player of the year. Could have a legitimate shot of making this team.

Michael Frazier II, Guard (6’4, 194), #21
Rookie undrafted free agent from the University of Florida. Can score and shoot the basketball at a pretty modest rate. This would probably make for a good organization for Frazier to grow into but that could take some time.

LaDontae Henton, Small Forward (6’6, 215), #32
Undrafted from Providence college where he averaged over 19 points, 6 rebounds, and a steal per game as a senior. Still raw but can potentially find a niche in the NBA.

Doron Lamb, Shooting Guard (6’4, 210), #22
42nd pick to Milwaukee in 2012. Spent his rookie year in Milwaukee and then in Orlando with the Magic. Spent the ‘13-’14 season with Orlando and has since bounced around in the D-League.

Kevon Looney, Power Forward (6’9, 220), #36
Looney will fit in schematically-nice with GS. The 30th overall pick averaged 15 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assist, 2 steals, and a block per game in his lone season at UCLA.

Chasson Randle, Guard (6’2, 185), #15
Averaged 20 points per game and shot 88% at the line his senior year at Stanford. I think the undrafted rookie is Europe-bound if not the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Matt Stainbrook, Center (6’10, 270), #55
Big kid who was a star at Xavier. Went undrafted in this past draft after a senior season at Xavier where he averaged 12 points and 7 boards per game. Played for Indiana in the Orlando Summer League.

Also have an eye on: David Kravish, Ognjen Kuzmic, James McAdoo, Stefan Nastic

Houston Rockets
Clint Capela played more minutes in the postseason than the regular season for the Rockets
Clint Capela, Center (6’10, 245), #15
Rockets 25th pick of 2014 from France (via Switzerland). Appeared in 12 games as rookie, mostly down the home stretch of the season and into the playoffs. Still raw but I think he can develop into a nice role player for H-town behind Dwight.


Sam Dekker, Forward (6’9, 230), #7
18th overall pick from Wisco. Averaged 14 points per game and shot 53% last season.

Montrezl Harrell, Power Forward (6’8, 240), #35
32nd overall pick from Louisville who averaged 16 points and 9 rebounds last season. Menacing player who could fit in well with this group.


D.J. Kennedy, Guard/Forward (6’6, 215), #50
Undrafted in 2011 from St. John’s. Appeared in 2 games as a rookie with Cleveland. Has since bounced around in the D-League and overseas. Possesses good size and athleticism but at 25 years old he’s considered an NBA long shot at this point in his career.

Alan Williams, Power Forward/Center (6’8, 261), #51
Put up huge numbers at UC Santa Barbara. In 112 career games he averaged 15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 steal per game. Still went undrafted due to the fact he played at a smaller school. Most likely will start career in D-League. Played for Charlotte in the Orlando Summer League.

Also have an eye on: Nick Johnson, Chris Walker

Los Angeles Lakers
Tarik Black, Forward/Center (6’9, 250), #28
Undrafted in 2014 from Memphis and Kansas. Played in 63 games (39 starts) as a rookie last season with Houston and LAL. Averaged 7 & 6 in 38 games with the Lakers.


Jabari Brown, Shooting Guard (6’4, 215), #15
Another undrafted rookie who played well for the Lakers last season. Averaged 12 points in 19 games for the team

Dwight Buycks, Shooting Guard (6’3, 190), #20
Undrafted in 2011 after playing collegiately at Marquette. Played in the D-League, Belgium, and France before being signed by the Raptors for the 2013-2014 season - which came after an impressive Summer League with OKC. Played in 14 games with Toronto that year. He then went to China, back to the D-League, and then was signed by LA and played in 6 games with the Lakers last year.

Jordan Clarkson, Guard (6’5, 185), #6
The 3rd of the trio of brilliant undrafted FA’s for Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers from 2014. Started 38 games as a rookie averaging 12 points per game and was named to the All-Rookie team.


Larry Nance Jr., Forward (6’9, 230), #7
The son of 3x NBA All-Star, Larry Nance Sr. Junior played at Wyoming and averaged 16 points and 7 rebounds per game, shooting the ball at 51%.

Julius Randle, Power Forward (6’9, 250), #30
D'Angelo Russell has been dubbed Russell Westbrook 2.0
7th pick in the 2014 draft who broke his leg 14 minutes into the 2014 home-opener and missed the season. Still just 20 years old but we’ll see how much, if any, the injury set the bruiser back. Could be key piece that people are forgetting about come the '15-'16 season.

D’Angelo Russell, Guard (6’5, 195), #1
The #2 pick in the 2015 draft who averaged 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game after a brilliant one-and-done year at Ohio State. Russ Westbrook in the making.

Robert Upshaw, Center (7’0, 258), #12
Rangy big man who averaged 11 points, 8 boards, and 4.5 blocks at the University of Washington last season. Could take Robert Sacre’s job eventually.


Miami Heat
Zoran Dragic, Guard (6’5, 200), #12
Brother of Heat point guard, Goran Dragic (who just got paid). Was acquired via trade from Phoenix (alongside brother, Goran). Appeared in 10 games with Miami. Impressed in the Orlando Summer League.

James Ennis, Forward (6’7, 208), #32
50th overall pick in 2013 to Atlanta but pick was traded to Miami. Played in Australia and Puerto Rico before re-joining the Heat in 2014. Appeared in 62 games (including 3 starts) during his rookie campaign last year with Miami. He could potentially develop into a good swingman. Showed flashed at Orlando SL.

Kenny Gabriel, Forward (6’8, 210), #27
Undrafted player in 2012 from Auburn. Has played overseas his whole career. Slashing scorer at Auburn in the SEC.

Juwan Howard Jr., Guard/Forward (6’5, 228), #38
Father played 19 NBA seasons and was a ‘96 All-Star as well as 2x NBA champion. Junior averaged 17.5 points and shot 41% from three as a senior with Detroit Mercy last season. Went undrafted.

Tyler Johnson, Guard (6’4, 190), #8
Went undrafted out of Fresno State in 2014 and spent his rookie year with the Heat D-League affiliate, Sioux Falls. Played in 32 games with Miami last season and showed some spark.
Shabazz Napier was originally drafted in an effort
to retain LeBron James

Rodney McGruder, Guard (6’4, 205), #26
Could score the basketball at Kansas State. Went undrafted in 2013 and has played in Turkey and the D-League.

Shabazz Napier, Point Guard (6’1, 175), #13
The Heat' 24th pick in 2014. Played in 51 games (including 10 starts) as a rookie last season. Important year for him.

Joshua Smith, Center (6’10, 360), #51
Started his career at UCLA and ended it with Georgetown. At 6’10, 360 he is certainly a force but also a fatigue-liability. Even if he can shave of 30 pounds he is no Shaq.

Travis Trice, Guard (6’2, 177), #36
Shot the ball pretty well and averaged 15 points per game as a senior at Michigan State last year. Played 4 years under Izzo and could make noise in the D-League.

Seth Tuttle, Forward (6’9, 225), #29
Big man who can score and rebound. Overlooked because he played at a small school in Northern Iowa. Interesting prospect. Consensus All-American at UNI last season.


Hassan Whiteside, Center (7’0, 265), #21
Drafted 33rd to Sacramento in 2010 out of Marshall. Played 19 games in 2 years there. Bounced around to the D-League, Lebanon, China, back to Lebanon, then back to China, then back to the D-League then to Miami over the next 2 seasons. Got the call in 48 games last year (including 32 starts) and showed some promise averaging 12 points, 10 rebounds, and almost 3 blocks a game. Not even costing the Heat $1 million this upcoming season but will get PAID next summer if he can improve upon last year. 26 years old.

Justice Winslow, Small Forward (6’6, 225), #20
The steal of the draft, thus far, for Pat Riley and the Heat. Fell to #10 when he was as high as #4 on a lot of boards. Could be the future in Miami.

Also have an eye on: Bradford Burgess

Milwaukee Bucks
Jorge Gutierrez, Guard (6’3, 191), #13
Undrafted from Cal in 2012. Played in Mexico and the D-League before being acquired by the Nets. Spent last year with Brooklyn and Milwaukee. 26 years old.

Damien Inglis, Forward (6’8, 225), #17
31st pick in last years draft. Kevin Seraphin 2.0?

Kevin Jones, Power Forward (6’8, 251), #6
Undrafted in 2012 after a fantastic 4 year career at WVU. Appeared in 32 games for the Cavaliers during the ‘12-’13 season. Played in the Philippines and France last year.

Jerome Randle, Guard (5’10, 172), #24
Played with Gutierrez in college at Cal-Berkley. Undrafted in 2010 and has since played professionally for 10 teams since, ranging from the D-League to Ukraine.

Also have an eye on: Sean Kilpatrick, Johnny O’Bryant III, Durand Scott

Minnesota Timberwolves
Brady Heslip, Guard (6’2, 180), #3
Undrafted in 2014 after a nice career at Baylor. Career 44% from three at BU.

Tyus Jones, Guard (6’2, 180) #1
24th pick of the draft to Cleveland, however, was sent to Minnesota in part of a trade. Brilliant one-and-done year at Duke winning a national championship averaging 12 points, 6 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals along the way.

Zach LaVine, Guard (6’5, 180), #8
13th pick in the draft last year who played in 77 games as a rookie averaging 10 points and 4 assists per contest. Won the slam dunk contest and was All-Rookie 2nd team.

Jordan Morgan, Power Forward (6’8, 249), #52
Undrafted in 2014 after an outstanding career at Michigan. Played in Italy last year. Could definitely play in the NBA this season. Played with the Magic in the Orlando Summer League.

Adreian Payne, Power Forward/Center (6’10, 245), #33
The Hawks 15th pick last season. He was traded to Minnesota after 3 appearances with Atlanta. Played in 29 games (22 starts) with the Timberwolves averaging 7 points and 5 rebounds per game.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Forward/Center (6’11, 250), #32
The #1 pick of the ‘15 draft. Will be the first glimpse of the big man in a ‘Wolves uniform.

Also have an eye on: Sam Thompson

NBA D-League Select
Matt Bouldin, Guard/Forward (6’5, 225), #5
Undrafted from Gonzaga in 2010. Has played for 7 teams since; 4 different D-League teams. At 27, not a lot of time left.

Scotty Hopson, Small Forward (6’7, 205), #7
Undrafted from the University of Tennessee in 2011. Played in 2 games with the Cavs during the ‘13-’14 season. Has some bounce.

Casey Prather, Guard/Forward (6’6, 211), #6
Undrafted in 2014 after a great 4 year career at the University of Florida. Played with the Bakersfield Jam last year. Awkward size has perhaps contributed to his lack of NBA looks.

Hasheem Thabeet, Center (7’3, 265), #12
Former #2 overall pick back in 2009. Played in the NBA from ‘09-’14. Was part of the 76ers and Pistons last season (never played a game with either) and ended the year with the Grand Rapids Drive of the D-League (Pistons affiliate). At 28, that body’s taking a beating but he might have some reserve-minutes still in the tank.

Also have an eye on: Justin Dentmon, Taylor Griffin (Blake's brother), Joe Jackson

New Orleans Pelicans
Seth Curry, Guard (6’2, 185), #12
The son of Dell and brother of Steph. Played just 4 career games with 3 different teams over the last 2 seasons. Most recently with Phoenix last season (2 games). 24 years old with a lot of upside. Was D-League All-Star each of the past 2 seasons and was All-NBA D-League First Team last year.

Larry Drew II, Guard (6’2, 180), #7
Son of Larry Drew Sr. who enjoyed a long career in the NBA and is now an assistant with the Cavaliers. Larry II played in 12 games last year with the 76ers, his only NBA experience after going undrafted in 2013.

Fuquan Edwin, Guard/Forward (6’6, 215), #25
Undrafted in 2014 after a nice career at Seton Hall. Spent last year in the D-League and in Venezuela.

Jarvis Varnado, Forward/Center (6’9, 230), #32
In 2 NBA seasons he played in 37 games for 4 different teams (won a title in Miami in ‘13). Spent last season in the D-League and in Puerto Rico. Was once an elite shot blocker at Mississippi State - his 564 career blocks is the all-time record.

Also have an eye on: He Tianju

New York Knicks
Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Forward (6’7, 215), #43
51st pick to the Knicks in 2014. Played in the D-League last year. His brother, Giannis, is an emerging star on Milwaukee.
T. Antetokounmpo might be a secret weapon in this NYK organization
Jimmy Baron, Shooting Guard (6’3, 195), #16
29 year old who was just signed by the Knicks. Undrafted in ‘09 after 4 years at URI. Since then has played in Turkey, Spain, Russia, and Italy. Don’t know what Phil Jackson sees that nobody else hasn’t/doesn’t/won’t see.

Jerian Grant, Shooting Guard (6’4, 198), #13
NYK 19th overall pick. Dad, Harvey, played in the NBA and uncle, Horace, was a 4x NBA champion. His brother, Jerami, currently plays for the 76ers.

Alex Kirk, Center (6’11, 252), #53
Undrafted last year after a nice career at New Mexico. Played 5 games with the Cavaliers last season and spent the majority of his season with their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge.

Ricky Ledo, Shooting Guard (6’7, 195), #11
43rd overall pick in 2013 to Dallas. Primarily played for their D-League affiliate and was eventually waived last year and scooped by Knicks. Only 22 years old.

Kristaps Porzingis, Forward/Center (7’3, 233), #46
4th overall pick of the draft. Everyone, including myself, hates this pick for this team. Everyone keeps associating the word “time” with Kristaps but that’s someone that the Knicks don’t have...(trust Phil).

Also have an eye on: Cleanthony Early, Langston Galloway


Philadelphia 76ers
T.J. McConnell, Guard (6’3, 200), #17
Undrafted rookie from the University of Arizona. In 139 career NCAA games he shot the ball at 49%. Made some plays in the Utah Summer League.


Jahlil Okafor, Center (6’11, 270), #8
3rd overall pick in this past draft. Still not sure if he fits in Philly but he’s one heck of a basketball player nonetheless. Averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds in 3 games at the Utah Summer League.


J.P. Tokoto, Guard/Forward (6’6, 200), #11
Rookie who was selected 58th in the draft. Played 3 years of college ball at UNC under Roy Willams. Most likely a D-League player this coming season.

K.T. Harrell, Guard/Forward (6'4, 212), #43
Undrafted rookie from Auburn. Averaged 19 points per game last season and shot 43% from deep. Will most likely have to work on up from D-League.

Pierre Jackson, Guard (5'10, 180), #55
42nd overall pick in 2013 to Philly. Was D-League All-Star in 2014. Missed last year due to ACL injury.

Scott Wilbekin, Point Guard (6'2, 176), #na
Pitbull-type player who emerged his senior year at Florida. Went undrafted in 2014 and played overseas. Off-the-court issues will prevent him from an NBA future. Only shot 31% in 5 games for the Magic at the Orlando Summer League.

Also have an eye on: JaKarr Sampson, Jordan McRae

Phoenix Suns
Devin Booker, Guard/Forward (6’6, 206), #1
13th overall pick of the 2015 draft. Just 18 years old. Played one year of college ball at Kentucky under Calipari.

Archie Goodwin, Shooting Guard (6’5, 200), #20
Another Kentucky guy who spent just one year there. He was the 29th pick of the ‘13 draft. He’s a scorer who’s yet to blossom. Important year for him but still just 20 years old.

Luke Harangody, Forward (6’8, 245), #81
52nd pick of the 2010 draft after a spectacular career at Notre Dame. Played in 70 games over his first 2 seasons for the Celtics and Cavaliers. Recently played in the D-League, Russia, and Spain.

Justin Harper, Forward (6’10, 225), #32
Big man who can shoot. Drafted 32nd overall in 2011 by the Cavs but would end up playing with the Magic his rookie season. Only made 14 appearances before bouncing around to the D-League then overseas. Played for the Pistons in the Orlando Summer League.

Josh Harrellson, Forward/Center (6’10, 275), #55
45th pick in 2011. Played for 3 different teams in his first 3 seasons. Has since played in China. 26 years old, not sure if that body is still in great shape.

Jerel McNeal, Shooting Guard (6’3, 200), #8
28 year old who went undrafted back in ‘09 out of Marquette. Would play (in order) in Belgium, the D-League, Italy, back to the D-League, China, the D-League again, and then finally get signed by the Suns last season and played in 6 games for Phoenix. A guy to root for, no doubt.

Also have an eye on: Alex Len, Mickey McConnell

Portland Trail Blazers
Kenny Chery, Guard (5’11, 180), #6
Exciting young guard from Baylor. Undrafted. Probably a D-Leaguer this coming year.

Blazers rookie, Pat Connaughton
Pat Connaughton, Shooting Guard (6’5, 215), #5
41st pick of the draft to Brooklyn but immediately traded to Portland. Played 4 years at Notre Dame and did a bit of everything. Shot the three-ball at over 42% last year. NCAA tournament exposure really helped his stock.

Meyers Leonard, Center (7’1, 255), #11
Blazers 11th pick from 2011. Showed glimpses last year. Contract year for him and with departure of Aldridge look for him to possibly breakout. Shot 94% from the line last year.

Daniel Orton, Center (6’10, 255), #18
29th pick in 2010 who’s played for 10 different professional teams in his career. 51 career NBA games with the Magic, Thunder, and 76ers

Also have an eye on: Arnett Moultrie, Andre Dawkins, Noah Vonleh

Sacramento Kings
Sim Bhullar, Center (7’5, 360), #32
The big fella went undrafted in last year’s draft after 2 years at New Mexico State. Played primarily in the D-League last season, however, was called up to play in 3 games for the Kings.

Willie Cauley-Stein, Center (7’1, 242), #0
6th overall pick in the draft. Was a Consensus All-American at Kentucky last season.

Alex Oriakhi, Power Forward (6’9, 255), #42
57th overall pick to the Suns in 2011. Has since played in France, Israel, the D-League, and Lithuania. I think transferring from UConn to Missouri his senior season was the worst decision of his career.

Juwan Staten, Guard (5’11, 186), #5
Undrafted rookie from WVU. Tough kid who has a few different tools. Don’t be surprised if he makes this team.

David Stockton, Point Guard (5’11, 165), #9
Yes, the son of the legendary, John Stockton. Spent the majority of last season in the D-League (averaging 20 points, 9 assists, and 2.5 steals per game) but did play in 3 games for SAC-town.

Also have an eye on: DeAndre Liggins, Julyan Stone

San Antonio Spurs
Wayne Blackshear, Small Forward (6’5, 215), #25
Undrafted rookie from Louisville. Won a National Championship there in 2013. Might be able to find a role as a swingman.

Brandon Davis, Power Forward (6’10, 240), #0
Great player collegiately at BYU. Went undrafted in 2013 but found a home with Philadelphia for the ‘13-’14 season with the 76ers where he played in 51 games. Played in 27 games last year with Philadelphia and then Brooklyn. Played with the Magic in the Orlando Summer League.

Nate Wolters, Guard (6’4, 190), #36
38th pick in 2013 out of South Dakota State where he amassed over 2,300 career points. Played in 21 games with Milwaukee and New Orleans last year. Averaged 14 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals per game in 3 games with the Clippers at the Orlando Summer League.

lso have an eye on: Treveon Graham, Shannon Scott

Toronto Raptors
Jordan Bachynski, Center (7’2, 254), #13
Undrafted in 2014 out of ASU. Played in Turkey and the D-League. His height is attractive to NBA scouts. Canadian.

Bruno Caboclo, Forward (6’9, 212), #20
20th pick in 2014 who played in just 8 games as a rookie last season. Still just 19 years old - a ton of upside here.

DeAndre Daniels, Small Forward (6’9, 195), #12
37th pick last year who opted to play overseas. Was a force at UConn while he was there. According to his twitter, he just had surgery so I don’t think you’ll see him on the court, unfortunately.


Delon Wright may have been the most
underrated prospect in the '15 draft
Lucas Nogueira, Forward/Center (7’0, 233), #92
16th overall pick from 2013. Played in 6 games with Toronto last year. Basically see Bruno Caboclo.

Norman Powell, Guard (6’4, 215), #4
46th pick in the ‘15 draft. Averaged 16 point and 5 rebounds per game as a senior at UCLA last season.

Delon Wright, Guard (6’5, 190), #55
20th overall pick in the draft from the University of Utah. Younger brother of Dorrell Wright (currently a free agent). Jammed the stat-line at Utah last year earning Consensus All-American honors. More upside than his brother, I think. Probably my candidate for Summer League MVP, dark horse.



Utah Jazz
Jack Cooley, Power Forward (6’9, 246), #45
Bruiser from Notre Dame who went undrafted in 2013 and played in Turkey and the D-League before catching the eye of Utah last season. Appeared in 16 games averaging just 5 minutes per contest as a rookie. Averaged 10 points and 10 boards in 3 games at the Utah Summer League.

Bryce Cotton, Guard (6’1, 165), #8
Providence grad who could score the basketball. Averaged over 21 points per game as a senior. Spent his rookie year (‘13-’14) in the D-League and broke into the NBA with the Jazz last season making 15 appearances with the club.

Dante Exum, Guard (6’6, 190), #11
Exum was the Jazz’ 5th pick last year and you wouldn’t know it by his numbers. Did play in all 82 games (41 starts) but averaged sub-5 points and didn’t shoot the ball at a high rate. The bright side is the Aussie is just 19 years old so don't give up on him just yet.

Olivier Hanlan, Guard (6’4, 186), #21
Rangy guard who was selected 42nd in the draft (Boston College). Will provide some energy off the bench but I’m not sure he's in the long-term plans.

Rodney Hood, Small Forward (6’8, 215), #5
23rd overall pick to the Jazz last year who quietly had a nice rookie season averaging 9 points per game. If he can work diligently on the defensive side to his game he could be in this league for a bit.

Trey Lyles, Power Forward (6’10, 241), #41
12th overall pick to the Jazz after a one-and-done year at Kentucky. Give him a few years before you go judging this kid right out of the gate.

Nick Wiggins, Guard (6’6, 192), #63
Brother of Andrew Wiggins, the #1 pick of 2014. Unlike his brother, Nick was undrafted in 2014 (Wichita State) and has played professionally in Germany and in the D-League.

Also have an eye on: JaJuan Johnson

Washington Wizards
Jarrid Famous, Center (6’11, 240), #36
Undrafted in 2011 out of USF. Has since played for 11 different teams in 5 different countries including 3 stints with the Iowa Energy of the D-League. Talk about a journey-man. 26 years old.

Scott Machado, Guard (6’1, 205), #14
Undrafted in 2012 out of Iona. Played in 6 games with the Rockets during the ‘12-’13 season. Has since bounced around between the D-League, France, and Estonia. Can shoot the three-ball well.

Toure’ Murry, Guard (6’5, 195), #1
Also undrafted in 2012 out of Wichita State. Spent the last 2 seasons bouncing between the NBA and D-League. Appeared in 4 games with the Wizards last year.

Kelly Oubre Jr., Small Forward (6’7, 205), #12
The Wizards hit a homerun nabbing Oubre from the Hawks on draft day (15th overall pick). No better replacement for Pierce then Oubre - in the long run too. Love this kids ability. His HS mistape is fire...

LaQuinton Ross, Small Forward (6’8, 220), #20
Undrafted in 2014 and played in Italy. Can shoot the ball pretty well. Averaged 15 points and 6 rebounds during his final year at Ohio State.

Also have an eye on: Traeveon Jackson, Damion James, Orlando Johnson, Dez Wells