G LEAGUE

The latter player is Moussa Diabaté, who was named the NBA G League Player of the Week (for Dec. 5-11). Diabaté has played in six NBA games as a rookie and totaled 23 points and 22 rebounds, less than his output on Thursday alone. In his second year in the league, Wagner is averaging 19.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. He’s averaging 17.8 points and 4.5 assists per game. His former Michigan teammate, Isaiah Livers, has appeared in 22 games with the Detroit Pistons.

Toronto Raptors clearly liked D.J. The Raptors announced just before midnight on Friday (Oct. 14) that they’d released the former Michigan forward. In advance of next week’s season opener, Toronto trimmed its roster to the league maximum 15 players, with two two-way players who can shuttle between the Raptors and their G League affiliate. In July, Wilson, 26, signed a two-year deal with Toronto for about $4.5 million. At Michigan, Wilson didn’t play much for two seasons before a breakout redshirt sophomore season in 2016-17.

The NBA has sent another strong indicator that the penalty for transition take fouls is about to change. Such fouls will result in a penalty of one free throw, plus retention of the ball, at all three summer leagues this season — first the two smaller ones in San Francisco and Salt Lake City that start this weekend, then the 30-team one in Las Vegas that opens next week. Changing the rule at the NBA level has been mulled for several years, with momentum moving toward finally making something happen in recent months.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday that he expects the oft-maligned “transition take foul” to come with stiffer penalties next season.

The G League season is over, but Zavier Simpson is not done playing. The former Michigan men’s basketball captain signed a 10-day contract with the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. Simpson, a point guard, appeared in 47 games with the franchise’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, this past season. In October, he signed a contract with the Thunder only to get waived and sent to the G League team. Oklahoma City, at 23-55, has the second-worst record in the Western Conference.

The Motor City Cruise, the G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons, have clinched their spot in the playoffs. Former Michigan guard Derrick Walton Jr. has led the Cruise, averaging 16.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and a league-high 9.5 assists in 20 games. Pistons center Luka Garza and guard Saben Lee have also had a strong season with the Cruise as assignment players. Garza is averaging 20.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in 14 games, while Lee is averaging 24.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in 14 games. Motor City concludes its regular season on Saturday, April 2 against the Cleveland Charge at Wayne State Fieldhouse.

Motor City Cruise point guard Derrick Walton Jr. picked up right where he left off with the restarted G League season. Fresh off a 10-day stint with the Detroit Pistons, Walton recorded his first triple-double as a professional. On Wednesday the Cruise downed the Windy City Bulls 112-108 to record their first win of the regular season. Walton’s triple-double is the first in Motor City Cruise history. Walton recorded a career-high 11 points, career-high six rebounds, six assists and a career-high four steals in 40 minutes.

Another G League referee was called up by the NBA to work a game Saturday as the league continued finding ways to play through the latest coronavirus outbreak.

The virus outbreak hasn’t just sent NBA teams looking for help from the G League.

DETROIT -- On Wednesday night the Detroit Pistons played with a team constructed of players who have spent much of this season in the G League. Nearly half of Detroit’s roster was unavailable due to injury or being in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. So the Pistons leaned on the remaining four players to navigate them through the match against the New York Knicks. Led by Saddiq Bey, Hamidou Diallo, Luka Garza and Frank Jackson, the Pistons pushed through an early shooting slump and kept pace with the Knicks. Then the Pistons lost Frank Jackson to a right ankle injury leaving them with even fewer offensive options.

The Detroit Pistons have already begun to use their new G League team, the Motor City Cruise, they wanted to. With the team on the road, some of its players who are nursing injuries, like Cade Cunningham, have remained in Detroit to practice with the Cruise. So far, Cunningham has missed the Pistons four preseason games, as well the team’s first four regular-season games. Cunningham did not travel with the team for its first road trip and has remained in Detroit. Our main, main mission with the Motor City Cruise is to serve the Pistons,” Bakker said at the Cruise Media Day on Tuesday.

One former Michigan basketball player will see the court on opening night, while others will follow in the coming days. Below is an attempt at a comprehensive list of Michigan men’s basketball alumni playing professional basketball this season. Ignas Brazdeikis, Orlando Magic“Iggy” played with three teams last season, but his longest and final stint was eight games with Orlando to close the season. Franz Wagner, Orlando MagicAfter two seasons at Michigan, Wagner was selected with the eighth overall pick in July’s draft. Moe Wagner, Orlando MagicWagner bounced around at the end of last season but finished strong with Orlando.

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Penny Hardaway says the new name, image and likeness rules have helped him land another top recruiting class at Memphis.

DETROIT -- On Tuesday, the Motor City Cruise and its NBA affiliate, the Detroit Pistons, announced who would lead the G League team during the 2021-22 season. The two teams tapped DJ Bakker as the first head coach of the incoming team. He’s served as an assistant and player development coach under Dwane Casey for the last three seasons and as the Pistons summer league head coach in 2019. He and the Pistons’ front office ultimately decided that Bakker was the best fit because of his long history with Casey. That means Casey, Weaver and Murphy, who was recently promoted to senior director of player personnel for the Pistons, will collaborate with Bakker on players’ needs.

DETROIT -- Basketball players in the city of Detroit, as well as the state of Michigan could be the members of the Motor City Cruise. The Detroit Pistons new G League affiliate is hosting open tryouts for prospective players in three weeks on Wednesday, Sept. 15. Members of the Cruise and Pistons front office and coaching staff will also be running operations while performing full evaluations of all participating players. The open tryout is limited to the first 105 people who complete the required registration forms and submit the tryout fee. The registration deadline for the tryout is Friday, September 10, 2021, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Three players who suited up for the Michigan men’s basketball team last season -- and another who could join the team this year -- have been invited to this weekend’s G League elite camp, a showcase for prospects in advance of the NBA draft. Getting the G League camp invite means he has his work cut out for him. A select number of participants, based on their performance, will be chosen for the NBA draft combine, also taking place in Chicago from June 21-27. In 2019, 40 draft-eligible players participated in the inaugural G League camp and eleven were extended late invitations to the combine. More Michigan basketball content:Jalen Rose talks Juwan Howard NBA rumors, tells Michigan fans to ‘breathe easy’Recruiting restrictions lifted, Michigan basketball set to host several top prospectsZeb Jackson will fight for minutes as sophomore on Michigan basketball’s talented roster

The Grand Rapids Drive will have a new NBA affiliate during the 2021-22 season. The G League team and the Denver Nuggets announced that the two sides agreed to a single affiliation “hybrid” partnership on Tuesday. Following the Pistons’ move, the Drive vowed to keep the team in Grand Rapids. As part of the hybrid partnership, the Nuggets will control the Drive’s basketball operations and existing local ownership in Grand Rapids. Only Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers remain as the two NBA teams without a G League affiliate.

Jenna Schroeder and Natalie Sago made up two-thirds of the officiating crew that night. She started refereeing when she was 17 to make some extra money, but now it’s her dream job and she’s breaking down barriers. There are currently five full-time women as referees in the NBA and two others who are not on staff during this season. Schroeder said women empowering women and supporting each other is how to break into male-dominated worlds. “I want my daughter to think her mom is strong enough to break barriers and do whatever she has to do,” Schroeder said.

For the G League Ignite, it was a beginning. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)For the G League Ignite, it was a beginning. “Can’t wait for the next game.”The 18 teams in the G League bubble will all play 15 games in the regular season. Not every NBA club sent its affiliate to the G League bubble, for a variety of reasons. “My understanding is they’re all just eager to play.”The G League did not crown a champion last season.

Washington Wizards' Russell Westbrook reacts to a call during the fourth quarter of the team's NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Houston. Portland will now visit Washington on Tuesday, a game that was originally set for the second half. And that means the Blazers, who were scheduled to visit the Hornets that day, will now go to Charlotte in the second half of the schedule. Boston and Phoenix have had three games postponed apiece so far, and it’s not yet known if their first-half schedules will be adjusted. Teams also began arriving Wednesday at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, to begin quarantine and prepping for the G League season, which — like the NBA did last season — will utilize a bubble.

On Wednesday, Caris LeVert was traded from the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets to the Indiana Pacers as part of the reported four-team deal that sent former league MVP James Harden from Houston to Brooklyn. Two members of last year’s Michigan team who went undrafted have joined G League teams. Zavier Simpson was chosen by the Oklahoma City Blue with the seventh pick in Monday’s G League draft. Simpson’s agent told MLive at the time that Simpson, not the team, decided he should leave and that more clarity on the NBA and G League seasons influenced the decision. Teske, a 7-foot-1 center, appeared in a preseason game with the Magic but, like Simpson, was waived before the season.

The 2020-21 NBA season starts on Tuesday night with the Warriors against the Nets, and each team has a former Michigan basketball player on its roster. Ignas Brazdeikis, New York KnicksThe former one-and-done Wolverine spent much of last year, his rookie season, in the G League, appearing in just nine NBA games. Simpson can try to catch on with a G League team, but perhaps not the Lakers’. Reports have indicated a G League season will take place, in an Atlanta “bubble” starting in January, though the Lakers’ affiliate is among those not expected to participate. Kameron ChatmanChatman, who transferred from Michigan in 2016 after his sophomore season, played in Belgium last year.

Former Saginaw Arthur Hill star Brian Bowen re-signed with the Indiana Pacers, agreeing to a two-way contract with the NBA team and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the G League. Bowen signed as an undrafted free agent before the 2019-20 season, averaging 16.1 points and 7.7 rebounds in 29 games with Fort Wayne. Bowen signed with Indiana as an undrafted free agent after the 2019 NBA Draft. After his sophomore season, he transferred to La Lumiere School in Indiana to finish his high school basketball career. MOREBrian Bowen’s return to Arthur Hill brings good luck to LumberjacksPistons look at Saginaw’s Brian Bowen after season in Australia

The former Michigan basketball player, who signed with the professional team Science City Jena in September, left the club before the first game last week. He’s back in the United States and will participate in a virtual workout for NBA and G League teams next week, his agent, Brian Jungreis, confirmed to MLive. Jungreis noted that more clarity on the NBA and G League seasons influenced the decision. For example, the G League Elite Camp, which gave less heralded prospects the chance to showcase their skills, was canceled. All NBA and G League teams will have access to the videos.

As the world awaits the return of hoops on the court, the National Basketball Association announced a pair of transactions that is certain to change the landscape of its G League. Top high school prospects Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd agreed to terms to play in the G League, the league said. But Green is expected to net over $1 million when factoring in possible endorsement deals he's eligible to sign. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, the president of the G League, told CNBC the new team would help monitor elite talent domestically, as the trend of seniors leaving high school and playing overseas continues to rise. "If you talk to a lot of the top high school seniors, all of them had options to go somewhere abroad," Abdur-Rahim said.

Michigan Man Dies In Fall From Bluff At Illinois ParkA coroner's office has released the name of a 31-year-old Michigan man who died Sunday after falling about 31 feet from a bluff at Starved Rock State Park. Police: 79-Year-Old Roseville Woman MissingThe Roseville Police Department is searching for a 79-year-old woman who was last seen July 26 around 7 a.m.Michigan Lawsuit Filed To Block Redistricting Commission, Voters Cite Voter SuppressionMichigan Republicans have sued to block the creation of a redistricting commission, contending people would be unconstitutionally prohibited from serving on the panel. Michigan Job Expo To Bring Over 50 Employers, Starts July 31The Michigan Job Expo will help job-seeking people get hired by over 50 employers. From 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the expo will be held at the Doubletree Hotel on Southfield Expressway. Feds Seek 15-Month Prison Term For Auto Union OfficialFederal prosecutors in Detroit are seeking a 15-month prison term for a labor leader who conspired to enrich himself and others by having Fiat Chrysler pay for meals, golf and other perks.

Police: 79-Year-Old Roseville Woman MissingThe Roseville Police Department is searching for a 79-year-old woman who was last seen July 26 around 7 a.m.Michigan Lawsuit Filed To Block Redistricting Commission, Voters Cite Voter SuppressionMichigan Republicans have sued to block the creation of a redistricting commission, contending people would be unconstitutionally prohibited from serving on the panel. Michigan Job Expo To Bring Over 50 Employers, Starts July 31The Michigan Job Expo will help job-seeking people get hired by over 50 employers. From 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the expo will be held at the Doubletree Hotel on Southfield Expressway. Feds Seek 15-Month Prison Term For Auto Union OfficialFederal prosecutors in Detroit are seeking a 15-month prison term for a labor leader who conspired to enrich himself and others by having Fiat Chrysler pay for meals, golf and other perks. Group Pours Glue, Garbage Over Roseville Park After Officials Take Down Bounce HouseA group of people retaliated by pouring glue and garbage at a Roseville park after their bounce house had to be taken down.

Police: 79-Year-Old Roseville Woman MissingThe Roseville Police Department is searching for a 79-year-old woman who was last seen July 26 around 7 a.m.Michigan Lawsuit Filed To Block Redistricting Commission, Voters Cite Voter SuppressionMichigan Republicans have sued to block the creation of a redistricting commission, contending people would be unconstitutionally prohibited from serving on the panel. Michigan Job Expo To Bring Over 50 Employers, Starts July 31The Michigan Job Expo will help job-seeking people get hired by over 50 employers. From 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the expo will be held at the Doubletree Hotel on Southfield Expressway. Feds Seek 15-Month Prison Term For Auto Union OfficialFederal prosecutors in Detroit are seeking a 15-month prison term for a labor leader who conspired to enrich himself and others by having Fiat Chrysler pay for meals, golf and other perks. Group Pours Glue, Garbage Over Roseville Park After Officials Take Down Bounce HouseA group of people retaliated by pouring glue and garbage at a Roseville park after their bounce house had to be taken down.

Stabenow Backs Trump Impeachment Inquiry, Cites ObstructionSen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan says she would back House Democrats if they launch an impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump. Police: Man Arrested In Connection With Fatal Beating Of 24-Year-Old Berkley ManPolice say a man in connection with the fatal beating of a 24-year-old Berkley man is in custody. Michigan Man Dies In Fall From Bluff At Illinois ParkA coroner's office has released the name of a 31-year-old Michigan man who died Sunday after falling about 31 feet from a bluff at Starved Rock State Park. Police: 79-Year-Old Roseville Woman MissingThe Roseville Police Department is searching for a 79-year-old woman who was last seen July 26 around 7 a.m.Michigan Lawsuit Filed To Block Redistricting Commission, Voters Cite Voter SuppressionMichigan Republicans have sued to block the creation of a redistricting commission, contending people would be unconstitutionally prohibited from serving on the panel.

Police: 79-Year-Old Roseville Woman MissingThe Roseville Police Department is searching for a 79-year-old woman who was last seen July 26 around 7 a.m.Michigan Lawsuit Filed To Block Redistricting Commission, Voters Cite Voter SuppressionMichigan Republicans have sued to block the creation of a redistricting commission, contending people would be unconstitutionally prohibited from serving on the panel. Michigan Job Expo To Bring Over 50 Employers, Starts July 31The Michigan Job Expo will help job-seeking people get hired by over 50 employers. From 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the expo will be held at the Doubletree Hotel on Southfield Expressway. Feds Seek 15-Month Prison Term For Auto Union OfficialFederal prosecutors in Detroit are seeking a 15-month prison term for a labor leader who conspired to enrich himself and others by having Fiat Chrysler pay for meals, golf and other perks. Group Pours Glue, Garbage Over Roseville Park After Officials Take Down Bounce HouseA group of people retaliated by pouring glue and garbage at a Roseville park after their bounce house had to be taken down.