Player: Billy Preston
Last Team: KK Igokea (Bosnian League)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-10, 222 pounds
NBA Team/NBA G League Affiliate: Cleveland Cavaliers/Canton Charge
Another #2WayPlayer for 2018-19!@nolimitbill signs with the @cavs & @CantonCharge. #NBAGLeague pic.twitter.com/MH4U5viqZ8
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) July 8, 2018
Professional Experience Breakdown: After leaving Kansas amid an NCAA investigation into an on-campus car accident, Preston opted to spend his post-graduate year with KK Igokea of the Basketball Championship of Bosnia and Herzegovina before declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft. He played in only three games with KK Igokea, averaging 7 points and 4 rebounds on 40% shooting from the field, before being sidelined with an injured shoulder. Preston was the 18h-ranked player in the Class of 2017, according to ESPN, and was named a McDonald’s High School All-American out of Oak Hill Academy.
Scouting Report: Preston is an above-average athlete who will be able to help the Cavaliers/Charge stretch the floor with his ability to shoot from all over the court. He can score off the dribble and is a dynamic offensive player for his size and position. If the Redondo Beach product works on his shot selection and motor, the Cavaliers may have gotten first-round value in an undrafted free agent.
Organizational Fit: Preston’s offense will make an immediate impact on a Canton Charge team that finished second-to-last in points per game during the 2017-2018 season. The Charge helped groom NBA SG/SF John Holland for the Association last season, while he was a two-way player, and have had some success the past couple of years. Canton has made the playoffs in six of the last seven NBA G League seasons.