NBA D-League Rosters Beginning to Fill With Allocated Players

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/10/30/nba-d-league-rosters-beginning-to-fill-with-allocated-players/

The NBA Development League’s annual draft isn’t until Monday evening, but the majority of teams around the league have a good idea of who they’ll be going into the regular season with already after finding out Saturday which players will be returning from last season as well as which players have been allocated to them through the new NBA training camp affiliation rule or via local player tryouts. 

Each team was allowed to bring nine total players into their training camp, which is scheduled to begin November 9, however only three players could be chosen from the players that were released from the D-League team’s NBA affiliate. 

Once again, the Nick Nurse-led Iowa Energy look to be one of the stronger teams on paper going into the D-League season as they will bring in four players who were in training camp with an NBA team: Othyus Jeffers (Utah Jazz, pictured), Kyle Weaver (Chicago Bulls), Courtney Sims (Denver Nuggets) and Connor Atchley (Sacramento Kings), along with All-NBA D-League First Team selection Curtis Stinson, who averaged 23.7 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the playoffs this past season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder-owned Tulsa 66ers will also be strong, returning six players from a team that made it to the D-League finals last season along with three of the players the Thunder released during their own training camp. They may have a bit of a logjam in the backcourt, however, as Zabian Dowdell (Phoenix Suns), Mustafa Shakur (New Orleans Hornets), Tweety Carter (Thunder) and Jerome Dyson (Thunder) all spent time playing point guard in NBA training camp this fall. 

Rounding out the 66ers’ preliminary roster is Steven Hill, a late addition to the Portland Trail Blazers’ training camp, Thunder Summer Leaguer Marcus Lewis, Thunder draft pick Latavious Williams, last year’s standout wing Larry Owens, and Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap’s brother, Elijah. Millsap was able to catch Kevin Durant’s eye during training camp as he told the The Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry earlier this month that, "One guy that I think has a great chance to make our team is Elijah Millsap. Great defender. Great all-around player." Another Millsap brother, John, will be attending training camp with the Sioux Falls Skyforce as a local tryout player. 

The expansion Texas Legends also have a strong start with their roster thanks to a bit of help from the Dallas Mavericks as both are operated by Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson. The Mavericks were able to pull some strings and sign former NBA first round draft picks Rashad McCants and Sean Williams to training camp contracts, thus giving the Legends the opportunity to bring them in to training camp. McCants’ camp had previously seemed unhappy with the move, though the Legends were apparently able to convince him that a strong stint in the D-League is probably his best route back to the NBA. 

With each team already having at least eight players heading into Monday night’s draft, the majority of whom are either returning players or recently cut from NBA training camps, the draft will more than likely be filled with teams looking to add a final piece to their team’s puzzle as opposed to fielding their entire team as it had been in year’s past. 

FanHouse has obtained the complete list of returning, allocated and local tryout players D-League teams will be bringing into their training camp, which can be found below. 

Austin Toros

Lewis Clinch – returning player

Squeaky Johnson – returning player

Michael Joiner – returning player

Cory Underwood – returning player

Marcus Cousin – affiliate player

Thomas Gardner – affiliate player

Kevin Palmer – affiliate player

Casaan Breeden – local tryout player

Andres Sandoval – local tryout player

Bakersfield Jam

Jeremy Wise – returning player

Reece Gaines – returning player

Patrick Mutombo – returning player

Trey Johnson – returning player

Longar Longar – returning player

Stephen Dennis – affiliate player

Andrew Naymick – affiliate player

Tyler Newton – local tryout player

Isaac Wells – local tryout player

Dakota Wizards

Darren Cooper – returning player

James Jackson – returning player

Renaldo Major – returning player

Mike Anderson – local tryout player

Cameron Benison – local tryout player

Steffon Farley – local tryout player

Willie Kemp – local tryout player

Erie BayHawks

Cedric Jackson – returning player

Kyle Goldcamp – returning player

Jarvis Gunter – returning player

Frank Tolbert – returning player

Maureece Rice – returning player

Tasmin Mitchell – affiliate player

Nate Linhart – local tryout player

Charles Parker – local tryout player

Fort Wayne Mad Ants

Carlos English – returning player

Chris Hunter – returning player

Anthony Kent – returning player

Walker Russell, Jr. – returning player

Rod Wilmont – returning player

Chris Kramer – affiliate player

Billy Rush – affiliate player

Tory Jackson – affiliate player

Nick Boyd – local tryout player

Idaho Stampede

Lance Hurdle – returning player

Eric Boateng – affiliate player

Seth Tarver – affiliate player

DeSean Hadley – local tryout player

Tony Roberts – local tryout player

Ryan Schmidt – local tryout player

Ben Voogd – local tryout player

Iowa Energy

Connor Atchley – returning player

Shy Ely – returning player

Othyus Jeffers – returning player

Marvin Phillips – returning player

Courtney Sims – returning player

Curtis Stinson – returning player

Kyle Weaver – affiliate player

Stefhon Hannah – local tryout player

Jason Bohanan – local tryout player

Maine Red Claws

Paul Harris – returning player

Darnell Lazare – returning player

Mario West – returning player

Tiny Gallon – affiliate player

Stephane Lasme – affiliate player

Jamar Smith – affiliate player

Lamont Ulmer – local tryout player

New Mexico Thunderbirds

Tony Danridge – returning player

Shane Edwards – returning player

Jason Horton – returning player

Ramon Dyer – local tryout player

Stephen McDowell – local tryout player

Jason Miller – local tryout player

Jamaal Smith – local tryout player

Reno Bighorns

Mo Charlo – returning player

Chris Davis – returning player

Patrick Ewing, Jr. – returning player

Doug Thomas – returning player

Marcus Landry – affiliate player

Donald Sloan – affiliate player

Aaron Miles – affiliate player

Darrin Govens – local tryout player

Roburt Sallie – local tryout player

Rio Grande Valley Vipers

Stanley Asumnu – returning player

Mickell Gladness – returning player

Terrel Harris – returning player

Jordan Eglseder – affiliate player

Jerel McNeal – affiliate player

Patrick Sullivan – affiliate player

Derrick Roland – local tryout player

James Cripe – local tryout player

Ramon Harris – local tryout player

Sioux Falls Skyforce

Chris McCray – returning player

Leemire Goldwire – returning player

Anthony Mason, Jr. – affiliate player

Jamal Abu-Shamala – local tryout player

Anthony Harris – local tryout player

Ralphy Holmes – local tryout player

John Millsap – local tryout player

Brandon Smith – local tryout player

Springfield Armor

JamesOn Curry – returning player

Jamar Brown – returning player

Trey Whitted -returning player

Brent Benson – local tryout player

Kyle Cuffee – local tryout player

Brian Leggett – local tryout player

Michael Williams – local tryout player

Texas Legends

Keith Clark – returning player

Dar Tucker – returning player

Rashad McCants – affiliate player

Sean Williams – affiliate player

Pierce Caldwell – local tryout player

Andre Gatlin – local tryout player

Tulsa 66ers

Zabian Dowdell – returning player

Steven Hill – returning player

Marcus Lewis – returning player

Larry Owens – returning payer

Mustafa Shakur – returning player

Latavious Williams – returning player

Tweety Carter – affiliate player

Elijah Millsap – affiliate player

Jerome Dyson – affiliate player

Utah Flash

Dontell Jefferson – returning player

Andre Ingram – returning player

Orien Greene – returning player

Brian Hamilton – returning player

Kevin Kruger – returning player

Jordan Brady – returning player

Evan Brock – affiliate player

Ryan Thompson – affiliate player

Terry Martin – local tryout player