The
Grizzlies have lined up deals with a pair of notable undrafted free agents, according to reports. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link) says Tennessee’s
Yves Pons is expected to sign with Memphis, while Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) hears from sources that DePaul’s
Pons – the 19th-best available undrafted rookie, according to ESPN’s list – is a 6’6″ forward who earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2019/20. After becoming a full-time starter for Tennessee as a junior, Pons averaged 9.9 PPG and 5.3 RPG in 57 games (31.4 MPG).
It’s not clear what kind of contract Pons will sign with the Grizzlies, but an Exhibit 10 deal or a two-way pact are the most likely options.
Freddie Gillespie
Photo Credit: NBA.COM
The Toronto Raptors inked rookie Freddie Gillespie to a two-year deal on April 28. The 23-year-old Minnesotan previously signed two 10-day contracts with the team.
Prior to signing the 10-day contracts with the Raptors, “Freddy G” put up big numbers for the Memphis Hustle. He averaged 10.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game over his 15 games with the Hustle, the Memphis Grizzlies’ G-League team.
Toronto head coach Nick Nurse’s confidence in Gillespie is evident in his minutes. In his 10 games played, he averaged 5.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in only 16 minutes per game.
After Gillespie’s 5-block performance against the Brooklyn Nets on April 21, Nurse had nothing but praise for the rookie. “It’s been a while since we had that happen. Maybe in the Serge Ibaka days.”