Five Players To Look Out For In The 2022 NBA G League Draft

Draft day for the NBA G League has arrived. At the moment, 127 players are eligible to be selected once the draft kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 22, at 1 pm/et. 

The pool of players for this year’s draft includes a G League great, past NBA contributors, college standouts and players hoping to make a bit of NBA history at some point. 

Here are some of the names worth keeping an eye on.

Vander Blue

After spending the last two years playing abroad, Blue, who is second all-time in scoring in G League history, is set to make his return to the league.

Blue played for seven teams across parts of seven G League seasons from 2013-19. He established himself as one of the league’s most prolific scorers, averaging 20.3 points per game for his career and ranking in the top three in scoring between 2015-17. The D-League MVP in 2017, he’s been named to three All-Star teams and has earned First Team All-D-League honors twice.

Most recently, as a member of Libertadores de Queretaro of Mexico’s National Professional Basketball League in 2021, he won the scoring title and was named MVP of its West District. He also played for Club Atletico Penarol of the Uruguayan Basketball League in 2022.

Norris Cole

Cole, a two-time NBA champion, recently entered his name into the draft following extended stints in Europe and Puerto Rico.

The 2011 first-round pick out of Cleveland State played for the Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder from 2011-17. He was part of the Heat’s back-to-back title-winning teams in 2012 and 2013 and also helped contribute to the Pelicans' playoff run in 2015. 

His international playing career has included an Israeli League championship in 2018, a French Cup victory in 2021, and a Pro A championship also in 2021.

Ryan Turell

Despite not being selected in the NBA draft, Turell is looking to become the first Orthodox Jewish player in NBA history.

Playing for Yeshiva University, an Orthodox Jewish school in New York City, Turell’s 27.1 points per game in the 2021-22 season was tops in all of college basketball across all divisions. He led his team to the Skyline Conference championship, a run that included a 50-game winning streak from November 2019 to December 2021. 

Turell, a two-time conference player of the year and Yeshiva’s all-time leading scorer, told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony in March that he plans to continue observing his religion at the professional level. That includes wearing a yarmulke on the court when he plays and walking to the gym during the Sabbath.

Joe Wieskamp

The 41st overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, the 6-foot-6 Wieskamp settled into his role with the team's G League affiliate in Austin last season. He averaged 13.2 points on 36.3 percent from 3-point range during the Showcase Cup to provide a nice outside shooting presence for the Spurs, a role he continued to fill after hitting at a 41.2 percent clip from long distance in three years of college play at the University of Iowa.

The two-time All-Big Ten selection improved during the regular season, bumping his scoring average up to 17.1 points per game while shooting 7.8 triples per game and eventually earning a two-way contract with San Antonio. Wieskamp suited up for San Antonio in 29 games during his rookie season - including a 13-point effort where he shot 5-for-8 from the field against the Raptors in January - to show that he can be a reliable perimeter shooting bench presence when his shot is falling in the NBA, or a go-to shooter at the G League level.

Remy Martin

A productive college player and recent national champion, Martin will be entering the G League after going undrafted by the NBA in June. 

Martin started his college career at Arizona State, winning Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year honors following his freshman season in 2018. He went on to be named All-Pac-12 the next three seasons, two of which were First Team honors. 

Upon transferring to Kansas prior to the 2021-22 season, he played a key role in that team’s NCAA Tournament run. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest regional, logging 20 points and seven rebounds in the Jayhawks’ second-round matchup against Creighton and 23 points in the Round of 16 against Providence. His 11 points in the second half against North Carolina helped Kansas secure its fourth national championship in school history.