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Should they stay, or should they go? Some of the top talent found in the NBA D-League last season have been left with the decision to wait out a potential non-guaranteed training camp invite from an NBA team, or bolt overseas for a more lucrative contract.
Plenty of former NBA D-League players from a season ago have decided to take overseas opportunities, however, there still remains a healthy group of NBA hopefuls that graced the NBADL hardwood last year, that are contemplating their next move. Below are the top six free agents who spent 10 games or more in the NBA D-League during the 2012-2013 season.
1. Chris Douglas-Roberts
CDR played 11 games with the Texas Legends last season, and ultimately received a Call-Up from the Dallas Mavericks. However, his stint in Dallas lasted just 6 games, and the former Memphis standout averaged 2.8 points in 10.5 minutes. It was a far cry from his totals with the Legends, Douglas-Roberts averaged 22.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in 38.5 minutes for the Mavs' affiliate.
Douglas-Roberts played for the Los Angeles Lakers Summer League squad, and enjoyed some success during the process. The Purple and Gold have expressed interest in Douglas-Roberts before, and CDR averaged 8.6 points, 1.6 rebounds,1.8 assists in 23.2 minutes in Las Vegas.
Will the Lakers, or any other NBA team extend a training camp invite to the versatile scorer? Surely, CDR has put in the work to dismiss previous thoughts about his game, and mental approach, in hopes of landing a deal for the upcoming NBA season.
2. Lester Hudson
No stranger to the NBADL, Hudson once again played in the D-League with the Austin Toros last season. Hudson received a Call-Up late in the season from the Memphis Grizzlies after an impressive 11 game stretch with the Toros.
Hudson was apart of a workout for the Knicks on August 7, and is likely hoping for a training camp offer from an NBA team. The past two seasons Hudson has played overseas, so a move back to an international team wouldn't be too surprising either.
Statistically, Hudson has proved he can be a solid contributor at the NBA level, he averaged 10.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in the 2011-2012 season. Hudson played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies that year. With the Toros last season, Hudson averaged 18.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.4 steals in 36.6 minutes. Will another NBA team take a chance on the 29-year-old?
3. Henry Sims
Sims is a 7-footer from Georgetown, and historically speaking, players with a pedigree similar to his, have fared quite well in the NBA. It's still early in his career, and Sims can certainly develop into a serviceable center option at the NBA level.
Sims had a brief stint with the New Orleans Pelicans last season after posting impressive totals for the Erie BayHawks. Sims played in 41 games for the BayHawks, and averaged 16.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks.
Sims has been linked as a possible training camp candidate for the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to this tweet:
Hearing #Cavs are interested in bringing former Georgetown forward Henry Sims (7-0, 245) to training camp, but nothing finalized yet.
— M.S. Boyer/J. Valade (@PDcavsinsider) August 13, 2013
4. Kris Joseph
Joseph was another rookie standout in the NBADL last season, the Syracuse product earned First Team All-Rookie, and Second Team All-NBA D-League honors. Joseph did see some action for both the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets last year, but in very limited minutes.
In 12 of his 27 games, Joseph scored 20 points or more, and finished his NBADL season with averages of 18.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Joseph played in 15 games for the Nets' affiliate (Springfield Armor), and 12 games for the Boston Celtics' affiliate (Maine Red Claws).
5. Hilton Armstrong
Armstrong has played in the Association before, in fact, in his first three seasons he played in 191 contests. Last season, the 6-11 shot blocker played for Santa Cruz, and demonstrated his low post skills at the NBADL level. Armstrong finished with Second Team All-Defensive honors as he averaged 13.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in 29 games.
Armstrong has flirted with becoming an everyday NBA big man before, but will his time in the NBA Development League ultimately pay off? During NBA Summer League, Armstrong played with the Los Angeles Clippers, and averaged 7.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.
Despite his more valuable production coming in the NBADL and at NBA Summer League, it appears that Armstrong has what it takes to be an asset for a NBA team looking for front court depth.
6. Kevin Jones
Jones was a beast for the Canton Charge during the 12 games he played in. This summer, Jones was waived along with Chris Quinn (who also played in the NBADL last season) by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Canton's NBA affiliate. Jones did play in 32 games for Cleveland this past season, but averaged 2.9 points, and 2.4 rebounds.
The often described undersized power forward put up incredibly strong numbers in the NBA D-League last year. Jones averaged 22.4 points, and 11.1 rebounds in 37.1 minutes. The former West Virginia bruiser showcased an ability to rebound the ball and play with a high motor, but will that be enough to catch the attention of NBA teams this fall?