LiAngelo Ball, Stephenson among notables selected in G League draft
LiAngelo Ball, Lance Stephenson, Zaire Wade, and Brandon Knight were among the notable players selected Saturday in the first round of the 2021 G League draft.
Ball was taken 14th overall by the Greensboro Swarm. The 22-year-old spent the summer league with the Charlotte Hornets, averaging 9.6 points, two boards, and 1.6 steals in 17.4 minutes per game. He's the older brother of reigning NBA Rookie of the Year and Hornets guard LaMelo Ball.
The Grand Rapids Gold selected Stephenson one spot ahead of the Swarm at No. 13. The veteran wing last played in the NBA two seasons ago with the Los Angeles Lakers. He spent the 2019-20 campaign in the Chinese Basketball Association with the Liaoning Flying Leopards.
Zaire, the son of Utah Jazz minority owner Dwyane Wade, went 10th overall to the Salt Lake City Stars. Zaire played his high school basketball alongside Los Angeles Clippers guard BJ Boston and Bronny James on a star-studded Sierra Canyon squad.
Knight was the highest draft pick among the aforementioned group, going sixth overall to the Sioux Falls Skyforce. The Kentucky product was originally selected No. 8 by the Detroit Pistons a decade ago. He then played for four different clubs before returning to the Motor City in 2020 for a brief nine-game stint.
Here's the full list of players taken in the first round:
| Pick | Player | Team/Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shamorie Ponds | Delaware Blue Coats (76ers) |
| 2 | Tyler Hagedorn | College Park Skyhawks (Hawks) |
| 3 | Gabe York | Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Pacers) |
| 4 | Justin Turner | Westchester Knicks (Knicks) |
| 5 | Nate Darling | Agua Caliente Clippers (Clippers) |
| 6 | Brandon Knight | Sioux Falls Skyforce (Heat) |
| 7 | Eddie Stansberry | Texas Legends (Mavs) |
| 8 | Jaylen Johnson | Motor City Cruise (Pistons) |
| 9 | Michael Gbinije | Iowa Wolves (T-Wolves) |
| 10 | Zaire Wade | Salt Lake City Stars (Jazz) |
| 11 | Loudon Love | Texas Legends (Mavs) |
| 12 | Alan Griffin | Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors) |
| 13 | Lance Stephenson | Grand Rapids Gold (Nuggets) |
| 14 | LiAngelo Ball | Greensboro Swarm (Hornets) |
| 15 | TJ Haws | Lakeland Magic (Magic) |
| 16 | BJ Taylor | Cleveland Charge (Cavs) |
| 17 | Scottie Lindsey | Windy City Bulls (Bulls) |
| 18 | Isaiah Ross | Maine Celtics (Celtics) |
| 19 | Ruot Monyyong | Iowa Wolves (T-Wolves) |
| 20 | Marlon Stewart | Lakeland Magic (Magic) |
| 21 | Joe Young | Stockton Kings (Kings) |
| 22 | Samir Doughty | Iowa Wolves (T-Wolves) |
| 23 | Chudier Bile | Greensboro Swarm (Hornets) |
| 24 | Rodney Pryor | Capital City Go-Go (Wizards) |
| 25 | Tim Bond | Windy City Bulls (Bulls) |
| 26 | Tyree White | Greensboro Swarm (Hornets) |
| 27 | Montell McRae | Cleveland Charge (Cavs) |
| 28 | Cullen Russo | Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Rockets) |