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Memphis Grizzlies Holding D-League Workouts; D-League Has A Summer League Team

We've been short on any major announcements since the D-League season ended other than the Bakersfield situation.  Two decent sized announcements tonight, however.

The Memphis Grizzlies are apparently hosting a large D-League audition, and it seems to be focusing mainly on defense.  Confirmed players there are Othyus JeffersBrent Petway, Dwayne Mitchell, Darius Washington Jr., Walker Russell Jr., Jelani McCoy, Marcus Hubbard, Brian Hamilton, Rodney White and Leon Jones for workouts starting tomorrow.  Don't be surprised if three or four of these guys play for Memphis in Vegas this summer at Summer League.  UPDATE: More players at the workout - Will ConroyTrey Gilder, Eddie GillStanley BurrellLongar LongarTim Pickett, Michael Dickerson, Desmon Farmer and Mustafa Shakur.

Speaking of the D-League, they'll apparently have a Summer League team in Vegas, along with 21 NBA teams.  The D-League fielded a team at the Rocky Mountain Revue last season, but with that folding, I assumed that this idea would be swept under the rug as well.  It wasn't.  It should be interesting to see who makes this team, as it'll be everyone that doesn't make an actual NBA team's Summer League roster.  My first pick: Dakota's Will Frisby.

After the jump, small bullets on each player that we know that are at this workout.

Star-divide

  • The D-League Defensive Player of the Year, Idaho's Brent Petway, and the D-League's Rookie of the Year Othyus Jeffers, were two of the best defenders in the D-League last season.  They also were both in the D-League Dunk Contest this season. (We'll have more on both of these guys tomorrow, as I feel they're the top two players at this tryout)
  • Dwayne Mitchell is a high-scoring lefty who played with the LA D-Fenders last season after not making the Lakers in the preseason.  
  • Walker Russell Jr. led the league in assists with Fort Wayne, smashing the season assist record in the process.  
  • Marcus Hubbard was in camp last season with the Atlanta Hawks and was the first round pick of the Dakota Wizards this season before being released and picked up by Rio Grande Valley.  
  • Jelani McCoy is a big that played in China this season after not making the Clippers out of camp.  If you're American and you play in China, you're going to put up big numbers.  McCoy was no exception:  42.7 min 25.4 pt 67% 2P 57% FT 11.8 RB (8.3D - 3.5O) 1.6 blocks 2.3 assist. 1.5 steals
  • Brian Hamilton was in camp with New Jersey this season after a good campaign with the Utah Flash last season when he led the D-League in steals.  
  • Darius Washington is a point guard that had a short stint with San Antonio last season.  He was with the Bulls this preseason, and according to Jefe53, he played in Russia for a bit this season.
  • Rodney White has played in 218 NBA games, but none since 2005.  
  • Will Conroy is a stud.  Finished the season first in scoring and averaged eight assists.
  • Trey Gilder played his rookie season with the Colorado 14ers.  Really impressed us off the bench.
  • Eddie Gill has plenty of experience playing the point in the NBA.
  • Tim Pickett is an interesting guy to put on this list.  Has had some previous bouts with cannabis, apparently, but was a second round pick out of Florida State in 2004.
  • Michael Dickerson is the guy everyone is talking about at this workout.  After not making it in Cleveland last season though, I'm just not sure how ready he is to endure another NBA season.
  • Desmon Farmer is a former D-League stud.  He was last in the NBA with the Spurs (as he played for Austin in the D-League, meaning this was all but a lock)
  • Stanley Burrell played defense pretty well for the Toros this season, though we didn't expect any NBA looks
  • Longar Longar came into the D-League this season, but suffered with some injury problems.  He played with Minnesota in Vegas last season.
  • Mustafa Shakur has a sweet name and stroke.
  • Last, but not least, Leon Jones went to Michigan.  I have no idea what he's done since 2002.

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Comments

Display:

Summer League Team Question

Ten days ago, the Iranian Basketball Association announced that “an American basketball team” had agree to play the Iranian National Team in Tehran in early June. Obviously, it cant be an NBA team or a college team. I wonder if the team that will go to Iran will be the D-League summer league team.

by Windy409 on May 11, 2025 12:20 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Originally

It was announced that the Utah Flash <a href="http://www.sltrib.com/ci_12166419?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com" target="new">would be this team. To me, this seems highly unlikely, as the entire team probably won’t be available this summer, plus they wouldn’t be under contract and, thus, not forced to play in this.
The Summer D-League team would be a much more likely possibility, as there was a team that played in the Stankovic Cup, a national tournament that was held in China, titled the D-League Amabassadors (which was made up of D-League players from the season before.

Blogging at RidiculousUpside, where we converse with recently fired mascots.

by Ridiculous Scott on May 11, 2025 12:33 AM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

thanks for the news...

im glad to see B-Ham back. hopefully he gets a legit chance.

by Fanaticflashfan.blogspot on May 11, 2025 12:24 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Othyus Jeffers looks intriguing

Say goodbye Darius Miles in Memphis if they bring him in. I want my Blazers to take a look at that guy, we need all good cheap defenders we can get to fill out the roster.

"Officiating has to be a science, not an art" - Rick Carlisle

by Norsktroll on May 11, 2025 8:04 AM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Not feeling

Air Georgia?

Blogging at RidiculousUpside, where we converse with recently fired mascots.

by Ridiculous Scott on May 11, 2025 1:46 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Isn't Miles's contract up anyway?

Now writing for Ridiculous Upside, where we think the Nuggets should play Sonny Weems more.

by Jon L on May 11, 2025 2:51 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

With Memphis yes unless they re-sign him (highly doubtful, at least not instantly)

But since he played his ten games the Blazers are still screwed for the final year of his contract at $9 mil. And since a medical retirement is similar to waiving a player, he is no longer a contract that can be traded.

"Officiating has to be a science, not an art" - Rick Carlisle

by Norsktroll on May 11, 2025 6:01 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Basically Memphis has invited

every solid defensive wing player they can find in the D

by IcemanCometh on May 11, 2025 2:05 PM EDT reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Yep

I think we’ve found what they’re looking for.

Blogging at RidiculousUpside, where we converse with recently fired mascots.

by Ridiculous Scott on May 11, 2025 2:08 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Makes sense

The only wing players they have under contract for next year right now are:

Rudy Gay
Marko Jaric
Greg Buckner

If you expand that to power forwards then you can add

Darrell Arthur.

Now writing for Ridiculous Upside, where we think the Nuggets should play Sonny Weems more.

by Jon L on May 11, 2025 2:52 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

Wow....

a lot of room on that roster. There has to be 3-4 of the guys listed above who are better than Marko Jaric.

by IcemanCometh on May 11, 2025 2:54 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

If I didn't know better

(and I don’t), I’d think they were maybe trying to follow this year’s Houston model of focusing their offense on one or two guard/wings and a center, then filling everything else in with defense.

Now writing for Ridiculous Upside, where we think the Nuggets should play Sonny Weems more.

by Jon L on May 11, 2025 4:09 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

True

And a huge amount of D-Leaguer’s… I think Houston has 6 former D-League guys on their roster! (Just pretend I’m D-League.com)

Blogging at RidiculousUpside, where we converse with recently fired mascots.

by Ridiculous Scott on May 11, 2025 4:12 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

If you were D-League.com

you would continually post headlines like this: “Follow D-Leaguers in the playoffs!!! Sun Yue gets Kobe Bryant an In-and-Out burger!!!”

by IcemanCometh on May 11, 2025 4:31 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   1 recs

Buckner will be waived, since the rest of his contract is unguaranteed.

So they really need help there. And Gay is not exactly a defensive specialist. Neither is Mayo. So that is a big big need, and the Grizzlies don’t seem in big dollar spending mode so one or two former D-Leaguers would make perfect sense.

"Officiating has to be a science, not an art" - Rick Carlisle

by Norsktroll on May 11, 2025 6:04 PM EDT to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs


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