By R.L. Bynum
Drake Powell on Monday became the ninth former North Carolina player assigned to a G League training camp. He joined Long Island Nets camp, along with fellow Brooklyn rookie Danny Wolf.
G League training camps opened on Monday, with teams allowed to have up to 18 players. Opening-day rosters must be trimmed to 12 by 5 p.m. Nov. 6, with the G League Tip-Off Tournament starting on Nov. 7 with a full slate of games.
Powell is the only one of the nine former UNC players at cama rps on an NBA contract. He scored two points in Brooklyn’s opening-night 136–117 loss Wednesday in Charlotte but missed both Nets games over the weekend because of a right ankle sprain. Wolf suffered a left ankle sprain.
Powell missed the entire NBA preseason with left knee tendinopathy.
It isn’t clear if Powell or Wolf will remain on the Long Island roster when its season starts. Also on the 16-player Long Island roster are former Virginia Tech guard Hunter Cattour and former Alabama forward Grant Nelson.
Five other former Tar Heels went through NBA training camp and are in G League camps: rookie RJ Davis with the South Bay Lakers, second-year San Antonio player Harrison Ingram with the Austin Spurs, Portland rookie guard Caleb Love with the Rip City Remix, as well as Milwaukee center Pete Nance and guard Cormac Ryan with the Wisconsin Herd.
Others returning to the G League are guard Leaky Black with the Capital City Go-Go (Wizards) and center Sterling Manley with the Noblesville Boom (Pacers). Manley played last season for the Rip City Remix, who traded him to Noblesville on Thursday for the rights to Keisal Tominga.
Garrison Brooks, who played in the G League in 2022–23 for the Westchester Knicks, returns to the G League with the Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans) after playing in Korea in 2023 and in the Lithuanian Basketball League for three seasons. Last season, he averaged 7.0 points and 4.6 rebounds for the BC Wolves.
Ingram, Love and Nance are under two-way contracts. Each NBA team has three two-way players, who can spend up to 50 regular-season days with the NBA team.
Black, Brooks, Davis and Ryan are under Exhibit 10 contracts, which are one-year, non-guaranteed minimum-salary deals.
The only players of the group who played in the NBA preseason were Davis, Ingram, Nance and Ryan.
Leaky Black, Capital City Go-Go (Wizards) guard
Age 26 | 6–6, 209 | 3rd season | Exhibit 10 contract | UNC 2018–23 (5 seasons)
G League statistics last season (Capital City Go-Go) — 33 games, 17 starts, 8.4 points, 49.8FG%, 39.9 3P%, 66.7 FT%, 4.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals
Preseason NBA statistics — Didn’t play
Season opener — 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at Long Island Nets
Garrison Brooks, Birmingham Squadron (Pelicans) center
Age 26 | 6–9, 230 | Exhibit 10 contract | UNC 2017–21 (4 seasons)
Last season statistics (BC Wolves; Lithuanian Basketball League) — 37 games, 19.6 minutes, 7.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 0.6 of a steal
Season opener — 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, vs. Austin Spurs
RJ Davis, South Bay Lakers guard
Age 23 | 6–0, 180 | rookie season | Exhibit 10 contract | UNC 2020–25 (5 seasons)
Last season statistics (UNC) — 37 games, 37 starts, 17.2 points, 41.3 FG%, 35.4 3P%, 87.3 FT%, 3.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.0 steal
Preseason statistics with Lakers — 5 games, 16.1 minutes, 8.6 points, 54.2 FG%, 4–5 3FG, 13–14 FTs, 1.4 rebounds
Best preseason game — 18 minutes, 14 points, 5–8 FGs, 1–2 3FG, 3–3 FTs, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, -1 in 104–81 loss to Phoenix on Oct. 3
Season opener — 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, vs. Valley Suns
Harrison Ingram, Austin Spurs forward
Age 22 | 6–5, 230 | 2nd season | Two-way contract | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Last season NBA statistics (Spurs) — 5 games, 35 minutes, 4 points, 2 of 4 FG, 0 of 1 3PG, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Last season G League statistics (Austin) — 48 games, 12.3 points, 40.7 FG%, 28.9 3P%, 58.1 FT%, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.7 of a block
Preseason NBA statistics (San Antonio) — 4 games, 12.9 minutes, 4.3 points, 44.4 FG%, 35.7 3P%, 1–6 FT, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist
Only NBA game: Spurs 125, Mavs 92 (Wednesday) — 4:04; 3 points, 1–1 FG, 1–1 3FG, 1 rebound, +4
Next game — 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at Birmingham Squadron
Caleb Love, Rip City Remix (Blazers) guard
Age 24 | 6–3, 212 | Rookie season | Two-way contract | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
Last season statistics (Arizona) — 37 games, 37 starts, 17.2 points, 39.8 FG%, 34.0 3P%, 88.9 FT%, 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.2 steals
Season opener — 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at Santa Cruz
Sterling Manley, Noblesville Boom (Pacers) center
Age 26 | 6–11, 250 | rookie season | UNC 2017–21 (3 seasons; redshirted 2019–20)
Last season statistics (Rip City Remix) — 33 games, 2 starts, 12.4 points, 63.0 FG%, 58.9 FT%, 5.9 rebounds, 0.4 of a block
Rip City traded the player rights to Noblesville in return for the player rights to Keisel Tominga on Thursday
Season opener — 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at Grand Rapids
Pete Nance, Wisconsin Herd center
Age 25 | 6–9, 225 | 3rd season | Two-way contract | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Last season statistics (Cleveland) — 6 games, 1 start, 70 minutes, 23 points, 52.9 FG%, 41.7 3P%, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Last season G League statistics (Cleveland) — 42 games, 13.2 points, 46.8 FG%, 35.8 3P%, 74.5 FT%, 8.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 blocks
Preseason NBA statistics (Milwaukee) — 4 games, 9.4 minutes, 5.5 points, 44.4 FG%, 35.7 3P%, 50.0 FT%, 2.0 rebounds
Season opener — 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Windy City Bulls
Drake Powell, Long Island Nets forward
Age 20 | 6–5, 195 | Rookie season | 4-year NBA rookie contract | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Last season statistics (UNC) — 37 games, 24 starts, 7.4 points, 48.3 FG%, 37.9 3P%, 64.7 FT%, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 of a steal, 0.7 of a block
Missed the NBA preseason because of left knee tendinopathy
Season opener: Hornets 136, Nets 117 (Wednesday) — 7:12, 2 points, 1–1 FG, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover, -2
Friday: Cavaliers 131, Nets 124; Sunday: Spurs 118, Nets 107 — Missed both games with a right ankle sprain
Season opener — 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, vs. Capital City Go-Go
Cormac Ryan, Wisconsin Herd (Bucks) guard
Age 26 | 6–5, 195 | 2nd season | Exhibit 10 contract | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Last season statistics (G League Oklahoma City Blue) — 37 games, 12.3 points, 41.6FG%, 38.4 3P%, 97% FT%, 3.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.9 of a steal
Preseason NBA statistics (Milwaukee) — 2 games, 4.5 minutes, 1–2 FG, 1–2 3FG, 7–8 FTs, 1.0 rebound, 1.0 steal, +5
Best preseason game — 4 minutes, 7 points, 1–2 FGs, 1–2 3FG, 4–4 FTs, 1 rebound, 2 steals, +6 in 103–93 win Oct. 6 at Miami
Season opener — 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at Windy City Bulls
Photo via @BrooklynNets
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