Two-Way Tracker: Week 6
In the next regular season edition of the Two-Way Tracker, NBAGLeague.com highlights the success of a rebounding king in Angel Delgado and a rising leader in Jordan Loyd, all while Jaron Blossomgame makes a fast impact at the NBA level.
NBA G League 101: Two-Way Contracts
Beginning in the 2017 offseason, NBA rosters expanded from 15 to 17 players with the addition of two spots for players under “Two-Way Contracts.”
NBA teams may have up to two players under NBA Two-Way Contracts who will spend the bulk of the season in the NBA G League and no more than 45 days with their NBA team. Two-Way players are paid a corresponding daily amount based on the number of days they play in each league. Only players with four or fewer years of NBA service are able to sign Two-Way Contracts, which can be for either one or two seasons.
NBAGLeague.com’s Two-Way Tracker will bring you all you need to know about the league’s top prospects throughout the 2018-19 season.
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After averaging 19.1 points and 5.2 assists as a senior at St. Bonaventure, Adams earned himself Co-Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors. As the second-leading 3-point shooter in the A-10 (43.6 percent), he should bolster Erie’s long range shooting efforts. His ability to run the open floor and find teammates in transition will help the BayHawks maintain pace following the departure of Josh Magette.
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Poythress arrives in Erie with NBA experience, fresh off splitting time with the Indiana Pacers and Fort Wayne Mad Ants last season. He appeared in 25 NBA games and averaged 20 points per game while with the Mad Ants. As a physical and athletic big man, he has proven himself to be a strong finisher inside.
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Returning for his second NBA G League season, Dozier will play for the Maine Red Claws after spending last season with the OKC Blue. Dozier helped anchor a fast-paced defense last season, capably defending both guard positions and averaging 1.4 steals through 43 games.
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The Long Island Nets are gaining an efficient rebounder in Williams, who owns NBA career averages of 6.4 points and 5.7 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game. The former UC Santa Barbara star is known for using his physicality to gain an advantage on both ends and should be an asset as the anchor for Long Island’s frontline.
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Pinson is an NCAA national champion who emerged as the first ever Tar Heel to average at least 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists during the 2017-18 season. The Nets should benefit from his versality because he keeps an eye out for his teammates while exploring opportunities to score inside himself.
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Macura joins Greensboro following a four-year collegiate career at Xavier. A staple on the school’s all-time leaderboard, the guard finished ninth in steals, tenth in steals, and 19th in scoring. He comes to the Swarm as a player well known for his hustle and hard work ethic.
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Chealey enters his first professional season following a strong collegiate career, including two consecutive years earning both All-Colonial Atlantic Association First Team and All-Tournament honors. As a senior, he averaged 18 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
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Alkins comes to the Windy City Bulls as the former collegiate teammate of Chicago Bulls star Lauri Markkanen. Known for his defensive skills against both opposing shooting guards and small forwards, Alkins averaged 1.3 steals as a sophomore last season before turning his attention to the professional level.
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In his second NBA season, Ulis averaged 7.7 points, 4.4 assists, and 1 steal through 71 games for the Phoenix Suns in 2017-18. After making his mark at the NBA level, Ulis will look to take the lead and run the offense for a talented Windy City Bulls squad.
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Undrafted out of Clemson, Blossomgame averaged 17.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks through 61 games with the Austin Spurs and Canton Charge before signing a Two-Way Contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Undrafted in 2016 out of Texas A&M, Jones spent his first professional season with the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League, where he averaged 21.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steal, accumulating many G League honors. He played with the Texas Legends during the 2017-18 season, during two-way contracts with both the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks.
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Hailing from a successful basketball family, Antetokounmpo will look to follow in the footsteps of his brothers NBA All-Star Giannis and G League All-Defensive Second Team (2015) member Thanasis. The younger Antetokounmpo has great length and athleticism on the defensive end, as evidenced by his 1.1 blocks per game as a freshman at Dayton.
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Macon comes to Texas with the ability to make it rain after leading the SEC in 3-point shooting at 44% during the 2017-18 season. The guard also averaged 16.8 points and 3.9 assists as a senior Arkansas Razorback and now looks to bring high octane offensive skills to the Texas Legends.
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During his latter three years at UCLA, Welsh served as a consistent double-double threat. He continued to build on this success and took the next step in his development, also shooting 40% from three-point year as a senior. The former Bruin is a seven-footer with a unique skillset and will surely be an asset as a two-way player for the Denver Nuggets.
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After averaging 14.1 points as a senior at Illinois State, Akoon-Purcell has most recently gone on to experience more success overseas. He caught the attention of the Denver Nuggets this past July at NBA Summer League, averaging 12 points and 2 steals through four games. A physical guard who can defend both wing positions, Akoon-Purcell will look to make his mark this season.
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Evans is someone who can score in bunches, as demonstrated by his time at Texas Tech. He averaged 17.6 points as a senior in 2017-18. Throughout his collegiate career, he made an effort to carry his weight on the defensive end, averaging at least one steal per game in three straight seasons while taking on the responsibility of defending both guard positions.
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Lofton joins the Grand Rapids Drive after making a lasting impression on the affiliated Detroit Pistons in Las Vegas Summer League. He averaged an efficient 10.8 points in 19.3 minutes, which wasn’t a surprise following a strong senior season at New Mexico State University during which he scored 20.1 points per game.
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Lee returns to Santa Cruz Warriors for his second season, this time on a two-way contract. After starting last campaign with Santa Cruz, Lee was called up to the Atlanta Hawks and made the most of his time at the NBA level. The former Louisville Cardinal averaged 10.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals through fifteen games with Atlanta.
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Derrickson should be a perfect fit in Santa Cruz after serving as Georgetown’s leading 3-point shooter at 47% last season. In addition to his smooth shooting stroke, Derrickson is a physical force who averaged 15.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, good for Second Team All-Big East honors in 2017-18.
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Spent rookie season with Wizards after leading Texas A&M to Round of 16 as a senior. Key part of RGV Vipers' 13-game winning streak; subsequently signed two-way contract with Suns in early December 2017, and signed two-way deal with Houston in December 2018.
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After averaging 11.9 points and shooting 39% from downtown as a four-year collegiate athlete at Purdue, Edwards showed the potential to be a key cog in a run-and-gun offense. That could bode well for him as he looks to make his mark for the Vipers.
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Reed heads to Fort Wayne after spending his rookie season with the Phoenix Suns. Before embarking on his professional career, Reed impressed with the Miami Hurricanes. He averaged 14.9 points per game as a senior and demonstrated an ability to pick his spots and shoot efficiently from all around the perimeter. After an injury gave way to a late start to his rookie season, Reed will look to start fresh in the G League.
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Sumner enters his second year on a two-way deal with the Indiana Pacers and will look to pick up where he left off following a late start to his rookie campaign following a collegiate injury. As an NCAA athlete, Sumner showed flashes of the potential he could very well hold at the professional level. During his junior year at Xavier, the guard averaged 14.3 points, pushing the pace and finding teammates in transition with 4. 8 assists.
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During his four year collegiate career at Seton Hall, Delgado garnered a reputation as a consistent double-double threat. It took him little time to carry over his rebounding prowess at the pro level, averaging 6.2 rebounds per game in 16.4 minutes of action per game through five NBA Summer League contests. He will now look to continue developing additional aspects of his game with the Agua Caliente Clippers.
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As a two-way player for the Dallas Mavericks last season, Motley established himself as a 20P/10R threat before going on to experience NBA success with Dallas later on in the campaign. He averaged 8.7 points and 4.5 rebounds in 11 contests. As a senior at Baylor the year before, the big man logged 17.3 points and 9.9 rebounds.
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Caruso is now on the second year of his two-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers organization. He averaged 19 points, 7.7 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game with South Bay last season en route to All-NBA G League Second Team honors. He also played in 37 games with the Los Angeles Lakers, posting 3.6 points and 2 assists per contest.
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Williams comes to the Los Angeles Lakers fresh off of back-to-back All-West Coast Conference First Team selections with Gonzaga during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 NCAA seasons. The rookie forward averaged a career-best 13.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game on 56.5 percent shooting from the field during his junior and final season at Gonzaga. Williams offers an intriguing combination of length, athleticism and shooting.
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Stephens returns to the NBA G League following two seasons overseas. In 2015-16, he broke out with the Canton Charge and Iowa Wolves, averaging 16+ PPG with Iowa. The former Memphis Tiger is back in the city where he played his college ball. He's known for his high-flying athleticism, having recorded the highest max vertical (46 inches) in NBA Draft Combine history.
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Watanabe became just the second Japanese-born player ever to play in an NBA regular season game, making his debut on October 27, 2018. Watanabe is a rookie and was the 2018 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year during his senior campaign with George Washington University, recording a collegiate-high 16.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
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Robinson started his collegiate career at D-III Williams College before transferring to the University of Michigan, where he spent the final three years of his eligibility. The Wolverine-product shot 41.9 percent from beyond the arc during his career in Ann Arbor and is consistently deadly from long-range, adding immediate scoring to the perimeter. Robinson will develop in a Sioux Falls system that has produced NBA wings such as Tyler Johnson, Rodney McGruder and Okaro White.
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Maten comes to the Heat organization by way of the University of Georgia, where he spent four seasons with the Bulldogs, earning SEC Player of the Year honors in 2018 and All-SEC First Team honors in 2017 and 2018. The bruising power forward has a knack for dominating the paint, averaging 19.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game during his senior season at UGA.
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Duval spent one season at Duke before declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft, where he went undrafted before signing a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks organization. The former McDonald’s All-American totaled 10.3 points, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game for the Blue Devils last season. Duval played with the Houston Rockets during 2018 Las Vegas Summer League, notching 9.2 points per contest.
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Morris played his collegiate basketball at D-II Molloy College, earning 2017 All-East Coast Conference First Team honors. After going unselected in the 2018 NBA Draft, Morris competed in a local tryout with the Long Island Nets, eventually getting drafted by the Erie BayHawks in the 2017 NBA G League Draft. Morris spent the 2017-18 G League season with the BayHawks, posting 12.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. He also played 6 NBA games with the Atlanta Hawks last season.
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A 3-and-D wing, Williams flashed his potential on a two-way deal with the Clippers last season, appearing in 38 NBA games. He joined the Wolves already with 115 NBA G League games under his belt over three seasons in which he shot 40% from three-point range.
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The Rhode Island product was selected to the All-Atlantic 10 First Team following a 2017-18 campaign in which he averaged a career-best 16.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game on 41.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Terrell can certainly get a bucket and will add to the Wolves’ defensive prowess with his size and athleticism.
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Bluiett comes to the New Orleans Pelicans organization after a storied career with Xavier University, one of just 5 players in Xavier history to score over 2,000 career points. Bluiett was a consensus Second Team All-American last season and was named to the All-Big East First Team following his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.
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Back with the Knicks organization, the 2017 NCAA champion with the North Carolina Tar Heels spent most of his playing time in the NBA G League last season, posting 15.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game on 57.7 percent shooting from the floor in 37 contests with Westchester. Hicks played 18 NBA games during the 2017-18 season, tallying 4.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
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Burton’s high-flying, lefty dunk show comes to the Oklahoma City Thunder organization by way of Iowa State and the Korean Basketball League. After being named to the All-Big 12 Second Team following his senior season at ISU, Burton spent his first year out of college in the KBL with Wonju DB Promy. Burton averaged 15.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game during his senior season in Ames and notched a career-high 1.7 steals per game.
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Davis spent three seasons at Texas A&M before declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft. The former Aggie was named to the All-SEC First Team following his final season at TAMU in which he averaged career-highs in points (14.9 PPG), rebounding (8.9 RPG) and blocks (1.3 BPG). Davis had a strong Las Vegas Summer League as well, recording 11 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 4 Summer League contests.
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Caupain signed a two-way deal with the Orlando Magic organization after spending his entire rookie season with the Lakeland Magic, averaging 15.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 50 contests. Caupain comes to the NBA/NBA G League after a memorable career at Cincinnati in which he earned All-AAC First Team honors in 2016 and All-AAC Second Team honors in 2017.
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Jefferson signed a two-way deal with the Orland Magic organization after a successful 2017-18 NBA G League season in which he posted 17.8 points, 12.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game with the Iowa Wolves en route to All-NBA G League Second Team, NBA G League All-Rookie Team and NBA G League All-Defensive Team honors. Jefferson provides production across the board and won the 2015 NCAA title while with Duke during his collegiate career.
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Milton was named to the All-AAC Second Team in 2017 and 2018 with SMU before declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft and being selected by the Mavericks with the 54th overall pick before being traded to the Sixers. Milton broke out during his junior campaign with the Mustangs, posting career-highs in points (18 PPG), rebounds (4.7 RPG), steals (1.4 SPG) and 3-point percentage (43.4%).
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Jackson has spent time in both the NBA and NBA G League during his three-year career out of Notre Dame. Jackson has played 58 G League games with the Maine Red Claws, Delaware 87ers (Blue Coats) and Rio Grande Valley Vipers, while spending 20 NBA games split between the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets and Philadelphia 76ers. Jackson averaged a career-high 15.9 points per game in the final 16 games of the 2017-18 G League season, spent with the Vipers.
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Jawun Evans went to Oklahoma State, and was drafted 39th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. After time with the L.A. Clippers, he joined the Northern Arizona Suns this season, and was called up on a Two-Way deal with the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 7.
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King will spend his rookie season with the Phoenix Suns organization on a two-way deal after being drafted 59th overall by the team in the 2018 NBA Draft after four collegiate seasons with the University of Colorado-Boulder. King was named the 2018 All-Pac 12 Second Team in 2018 after averaging 12.9 points and a career-high 7.8 rebounds per game.
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Gabriel spent two seasons at the University of Kentucky before declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft, where he went undrafted. Gabriel averaged a career-high 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game during his sophomore campaign with the Wildcats. At 6’9”, 205-pounds, Gabriel presents an impressive wingspan and the length to make in impact in both the NBA and NBA G League his rookie season.
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Williams made waves in the G League after taking home the 2017 NBA G League Slam Dunk Contest title while playing with the Iowa Energy (Wolves). The third-year swingman out of Indiana has spent 51 games in the NBA and 52 games in the NBA G League headed into the 2018-19 season. Williams posted 19.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game during the 2017-18 season with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
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Eubanks spent three seasons at Oregon State before declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft, where he would go undrafted. The Beavers-product finished his career as one of only two players in OSU history to record 1,000+ career points, 600+ rebounds and 150+ blocked shots. Eubanks finished 1st in the Pac 12 in field-goal percentage (62.4%) during the 2017-18 season and is ranked 5th in Pac 12 history in effective field goal percentage (59.8%).
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Moore played college ball at SMU. He started the 2017-18 season as an affiliate player with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, before signing a Two-Way Contract with the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 12, 2018. He re-signed with the Pacers during the following offseason, before being waived and re-joining the Mad Ants. Moore earned a GATORADE Call-Up to the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 20.
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Loyd is the first player in University of Indianapolis (D-II) history to make it to the NBA. Loyd spent the 2017-18 season with Hapoel Eilat of the Israeli League, where he was named an all-star and a selection to the All-Israeli League Second Team. Loyd is no stranger to the NBA G League, where he spent 49 games with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants during the 2016-17 season, averaging 15.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4 assists per game.
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The Montreal native has returned home to Canada with the Raptors’ NBA G League affiliate. He spent his first two collegiate seasons in junior college with New Mexico JC and Northwest College before making it to the University of Oregon for his junior and senior campaigns. Boucher made his NBA debut in 2018 with the Golden State Warriors, but spent 20 games with the Santa Cruz Warriors during the 2017-18 season, posting 11.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
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NML made his NBA debut during the 2017-18 season with the Utah Jazz, but spent most of his rookie season with the Salt Lake City Stars, where he averaged 18 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game on 37.7 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The athletic floor general will help run an efficient Stars offense this season with goals of finding a permanent spot on the Jazz roster.
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Cavanaugh split the 2017-18 season between the Atlanta Hawks and Erie BayHawks, spending 11 games in the NBA G League and 39 games in the NBA. The former two-time All-Atlantic 10 Second Team forward possesses the ability to spread the floor with an improved three-point shot and can crash the offensive glass with efficiency as well. Cavanaugh posted 14.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the NBA G League with the BayHawks during his 2017-18 rookie campaign.
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Robinson split his rookie season in the NBA G League with the Delaware 87ers (Blue Coats) and Westchester Knicks, recording 13 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game on 50.1 percent shooting from the field. The long, versatile and uber-athletic forward out of the University of Florida will give the Go-Go a boost in their inaugural season following a standout Summer League (19.8 PPG).
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McRae spent the 2017-18 season overseas, but has played 62 games in the Association, split between the Toronto Raptors, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards between 2015 and 2018. McRae was an NBA G League All-Star in 2016 with the Delaware 87ers (Blue Coats) and has averaged 21.8 points, 4.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game in 42 NBA G League contests with Delaware.
