D-League Re-Draft: Tulsa, You're on the Clock.

by Ridiculous Scott on Apr 28, 2025 10:45 AM EDT in D-League Comment 8 comments

Last season, I did a re-draft of the D-League draft. Granted this was before many of you learned of the wonderfulness Ridiculous Upside has to offer, but I liked the idea. Thus, we're doing it again this year, starting with Tulsa , who drew the first pick in the D-League draft this season.

The D-League is a little different - before the draft, you already have seven players on your roster - either returning players, allocated players (regional significance?), and local tryout players (longshots).

In Tulsa, they were already starting with fairly solid team: Tulsa started with two NBA vets - Keith Closs in the middle and Ryan Humphrey at the 4-spot. They also brought in widebody Chris Ellis to man the post, former Oklahoma point Terrell Everett, two veteran wings in Jeremy Kelly and Russell Carter, along with Keith Clark, the eventual runner up in the D-League Dunk Contest. Overall, not many (gaping) holes.

Since Keith Closs had decided against the D-League, apparently finding that the Phillipine National Team needed his services just a bit more, I've decided that Tulsa could most use a big man. They thought that too, picking Chris Richard originally in this spot. Unfortunately, Richard was disappointing, duplicatin, streaky, and vastly undersized for the center position - even in the D-League - before being shut down with a back injury in mid-January.

With Ryan Humphrey, Chris Ellis and Keith Clark all manning the undersized post role already, this team could have been truly dominant, D-League-wise, with a tall, lanky, athletic scorer to compliment the big bodied post players. It could have beautiful - and Tulsa could have finished much better than 15-35 record they mustered, ultimately leading to the dismissal of coach Paul Woolpert.

My choice: Jermareo Davidson. Davidson had NBA experience, being a second round pick of the Charlotte Bobcats the season before. Davidson had something Tulsa was lacking - height and athleticism. Jermareo (love that name) ended up being a pretty good D-League player for the Idaho Stampede before being called up by the Golden State of Mind Warriors, averaging 16.1 points, 10.8 boards, and 1.5 blocks in less than three quarters of action.

Now on the clock: the eventual D-League champion Colorado 14ers.

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Read More: Chris Richard (F - MIN), Jermareo Davidson (F - GSW)

Comments

I think Davidson would've been a good pick

but chances are good that he wouldn’t have spent much time in Tulsa either before getting called up. That’s actually a tricky variable to the draft that speaks to the sort of limbo many D-League teams find themselves in - it’s true they already have seven players before the draft, but should they roll the dice and grab an NBA guy who isn’t likely to be on the team for very long, or go with a still-talented-but-safer pick and ensure the team will have solid players for the entire season?

Now writing for Ridiculous Upside, where we think Trey Gilder could be the steal of the draft.

by Jon L on Apr 28, 2025 2:00 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

True

But if your player is signed for the rest of the season, you then move back to the top of the waiver wire. Jermareo was the first 10-day contract, which is what most could have projected. He was signed for the rest of the season after his two 10-days were complete, right around the end of January.

Idaho, the team that originally chose Davidson at third overall, picked up Demetris Nichols once moving back to the top (then traded him for Kevin Burleson). If they would have waited two days, they could have signed Pops Mensah-bonsu.

I’d be fine cycling players of that caliber on my team.

Also, in preseason, I’m not sure if Richard and Davidson weren’t pretty close in terms of call-up potential.

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by Ridiculous Scott on Apr 28, 2025 4:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also true.

Which once again reinforces how the front office and coach need to be well-versed with the D-League roster rules.

Now writing for Ridiculous Upside, where we think Trey Gilder could be the steal of the draft.

by Jon L on Apr 28, 2025 8:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

D-League roster rules confused the hell out of me when I first started getting into it, hell, they still do :p

I still am amazed at just how many players got trotted in and out of Tulsa throughout the season. Man alive, there were a lot. Is that pretty typical in the D-League? I’m still not too knowledgeable, outside of the 66ers.

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by Mr Pappagiorgio on Apr 28, 2025 9:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It depends

Teams owned by NBA teams or at least affiliated with NBA teams who are active tend to have more players in and out. Utah, for instance, had JR Giddens, Bill Walker, Kosta Koufos, Kyrylo Fesenko and Mo Almond get assigned and called up on and off all year. Austin had a lot of players get called up as well.

Now writing for Ridiculous Upside, where we think Trey Gilder could be the steal of the draft.

by Jon L on Apr 28, 2025 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Tulsa had a few assignments and callups, but mostly it was D-League players in and out.

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by Mr Pappagiorgio on Apr 28, 2025 10:54 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs