NBA Notebook: How Oshae Brissett became a top Celtics free agent target

Oshae Brissett's mother McKeitha McFarlane developed a strategy as he grew up near Toronto trying to discover what interested him. Sports didn't click. He quit around age 10, preferring to play the trombone. McFarlane bought it for him and locked him in the bathroom so he wouldn't disturb the house, only asking that he attend Dejon's games, his older brother who now plays for the CFL's Toronto Argonauts. 

"If you tell him you can't do it, he's going to show you not only can I do it, I will do it to the very best of my ability," she said.

The trombone grew old, and McFarlane recalled Brissett calling out plays before they happened on the field. Dejon's coaches let him play in practices and pick-up games across sports. McFarlane heard the sound of the soccer ball hitting his flat chest as he tried to emulate Neymar moves as a skinny child, his imagination sparked by the ball, outpacing his physique. After two summers of wanting to be a normal kid watching cartoons, Brissett returned, motivated to beat his brother. When his grades dipped, teachers caught him trying to be the class clown, or karate instructors punished him for not following instructions, McFarlane used the trait that nudged him -- his competitiveness.

"I would say to him, 'You know, that your teacher thinks that you can't do that?'" 

"She said that?" Brissett responded.

"That was my little superpower whenever I saw him slipping," McFarlane said "I would be like, 'Gosh, I just had a meeting with your teacher and your teacher said that she doesn't think that you belong,' and that's how I would get him to show me, show everyone that he's capable." 

The Celtics affirmed Brissett belonged in the NBA with a two-year contract complete with a player option, largely because he received the right backing. He joins the NBA's most talented roster after signing undrafted out of Syracuse with his hometown Raptors 905 and their renowned development program, then earning a roster spot on the Pacers for three seasons through the G-League Draft. One decade earlier, his mother suggested going to high school in the United States to compete for an athletic scholarship, the route his brother pursued with football. Brissett didn't want to go. 

He needed inspiration. Belief. He worried. How quickly could his mother meet him in Las Vegas? Talented teammates like Kelly Oubre and Dillon Brooks challenged and overshadowed him, then Brissett suffered a catastrophic knee injury in the lead-up to his first season at Findley Prep. While a setback for his career, the time off the floor spent with Findley assistant Rodney Haddix helped Brissett acclimate to America. 

They ate at restaurant chains and watched movies, Brissett was an avid Spiderman and Marvel fan. They played video games, which Brissett loved since McFarlane bought him his first Gameboy and PlayStation. Haddix also nervously taught Brissett how to drive. He didn't belong on the road, but Findley soon felt right. 

"I'm just glad we're both still here," Haddix joked of the lessons. 

Brissett shined at multiple positions when he returned for the next season, without much of a handle or jump shot. He played the post offensively, a position he arrived unfamiliar with. Haddix remembered his loud tip dunks and a memorable performance guarding future No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons when Findley faced Montverde Academy. Brissett defended multiple positions tough, but when he returned to Canada to play for Orangeville Prep near Toronto for an extra year, he still lacked Division I prospects and went underrated by the American high school ranking system. 

"(We) had a lot of talks about being mentally tough and how these small setbacks don't mean anything, they're part of life and I just think it's who Oshae is," Haddix said. "It's a picture of what his journey has been. He's always persevered, kept grinding and it's one of the big things we talked about, the next day, 1% (better) every day." 

Jesse Tipping, Orangeville's president, saw an NBA player in Brissett, a 6-8 wing who moved fluidly and sported seven-foot length. The program developed relationships with schools like Syracuse (Tyler Ennis), Arizona State (Lu Dort) and Oregon (Brooks). Orangeville's two teams allowed Brissett to play opposite Ignas Brazdeikis in practice, a similarly-sized wing with NBA prospects who later starred at Michigan and went No. 47 overall in 2019 to the Knicks. 

Despite improving as a ball-handler and shooter, Brissett ranked no higher than 130th (24/7 Sports) in his high school class despite emerging as the top Canadian prospect in 2017. Oregon and USC took notice, while Hall-of-Famer Jim Boeheim and his top assistant Adrian Autry regularly spent time north of the border. When Brissett brought his options to McFarlane, Boeheim's credentials had moved him, and while Boeheim rarely favored freshmen, Autry went to work with Brissett immediately, knowing they'd start him. McFarlane often made choices for Brissett. She left this one to him. 

"I knew based on the roster that we were gonna need him to be productive," Autry, now Syracuse's head coach, told Boston Sports Journal. "We sat down and we talked about that and every time we got in the gym, he was all about his business and we really got after it. He would go home sometimes on a weekend and he would play in the pro-am and he started seeing the results of his work pay off there. That confidence really led him into his freshman year ... he just kept wanting more and going for it ... his numbers may not show it, but he improved so much shooting, and his rebounding. When he came in, I don't think rebounding kind of was something that popped out coming in." 

Brissett started in all 37 games as a freshman, one of only three double-figure scorers needing to help carry one of the worst offenses in the country. He broke Carmelo Anthony's free throw record by making 174, drawing 6.0 per game and over seven in March. He only trailed Anthony and Derrick Coleman among all-time Orange freshmen with 13 double-doubles. Brissett shined in the back line of the zone next to a pair of big men in a defense that suffocated Desmond Bane's Horned Frogs, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Miles Bridges' Spartans, then nearly knocked off a Duke team with four future NBA starters in the Sweet 16. Mike Krzyzewski raved about Brissett's improvement after he posted 17.0 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the tournament.

He struggled to shoot though, and returned for a sophomore season to work on his naturally low shot release point. Autry reminded him to never shoot from the bottom of his hands, but those bad habits would return, so Autry rarely left Brissett's side when he shot at Syracuse's facility. They spent time between seasons in Las Vegas repeating that form so it'd stick. Autry used buzz words like pinch, referring to the alignment of Brissett's fingers as he gripped the ball with his index finger and thumb. He'd yell fingertips, when the ball fell into the back of Brissett's hands again. Other times, he'd say release point. Student managers needed to learn that terminology to work with Brissett, Autry never wanted the forward to overthink. 

Brissett's personality began showing on the floor. Elijah Hughes, a future first-round pick in his first season with Syracuse after transferring there, remembered getting into a dust-up with a Boston College player and turning to see Brissett as the first orange jersey arriving behind him to back him up. 

"He was a late bloomer, I do believe that," Autry said. "He didn't start realizing, believing probably until his senior year of high school, where a lot of people kind of had that confidence and they were ingrained and thought that way ... he's just a year like six or seven of being (confident)." 

Shooting remained his inconsistency through an uneven 2019 season (27%) that finished with a first-round exit for the Orange, and he committed to the draft at 21 without hearing a team call his name that June. That allowed him to return home, play with a familiar face in Ennis and receive strong coaching from the Raptors' G-League program, posting strong scoring and rebounding stats before the pandemic hit that fall and cancelled his season. 

When basketball returned, Brissett's agent Mike George saw an unconventional path to the league through Pacers' G-League affiliate. He told other teams to pass on him, allowing the Mad Ants to take him in the second round as the team prepared to play in the 2021 G-League Bubble under new head coach Tom Hankins. Brissett found another right landing spot. 

Hankins went to Orlando with instructions to emphasize Indiana's assigned roster players, and that left Brissett coming off the bench despite emerging as the team's best player in the early days of practice. Amida Brimah, Cassius Stanley, Brian Bowen and Jalen Lecque started over Brissett initially, and he understood. Hankins promoted Brissett to the Pacers' front office, but the shift came inside the Bubble. Brissett's personality proved so infectious that his teammates deferred to him, anointing him the leader of the team and helping him average 18.6 PPG and 9.8 RPG while hitting 33% of his threes in an effort that earned him a role that spring with the Pacers. Indiana soon signed Brissett to a three-year, $4.3 million contract that kicked off his career.  

"The more you're in those locker room situations or even time out huddles, game situations where it's intense, things aren't going well and it's easy to be emotional, point fingers, (we) never had any of that stuff from Oshae," Hankins said. "He was always a positive leader and after a few games it was basically established that he was the best player on our team, and such a genuine, good guy that the rest of the team, out of respect and admiration, they really liked him, and would start to listen to him ... he became more of a leader, because he found his voice and felt the trust from the rest of the team. You can see it happen. It's really neat because that usually happens over the course of a seven-month season, and it just happened in a five or six-week span." 

The Pacers received a 42.3% three-point shooting burst from Brissett's 78 attempts to close that season. His rebounding ability remained, he grew more comfortable in man-to-man defense, generating deflections, emerged as a transition playmaker and showed strong defensive instincts in providing help that Hankins credited to Brissett's experience in Nick Nurse's scrambling system. He blocked shots in spurts of rim protection throughout his career. One of his posterizing dunks made SportsCenter's top-10 plays, putting him on the map. Brissett followed it with another for the pro team next year, sending Justin Anderson and the Pacers' bench into a frenzy. 

A beat-up Indiana team called him up and asked him to play some center in 2021 on a 10-day deal, something he'd never done, and he competed. Brissett also accepted stints on the bench through the following two seasons as the Pacers shuffled through young players. Multiple additions at the wing position took the team in a different direction this summer. Teammates like Andrew Nembhard and Isaiah Jackson raved about his personality, and touted his limitless hustle.

Boston saw him at his best through those three seasons. He finished strong through Daniel Theis and Jayson Tatum last February, causing Lance Stephenson to shimmy along the sideline. Brissett's 27 points and six threes that night stands as the best performance of his career. Two summers later, with Grant Williams headed for Dallas, Brad Stevens targeted Brissett as the Celtics' first free-agent signing of the period.

"It feels right," Brissett said, calling his mother when presented with a choice for the first time as a pro. "They feel genuine." 

"Your feeling matters and it's real," she told him. "So stand in that and make it happen, and his response was, 'amen.' I believe that he's at peace with his choice. He's at peace with his feelings and it's only going to be magic from here." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta: More reporting emerged on what potentially led to John Collins finally exiting Atlanta in a trade, which returned the Hawks little beyond cap relief. De'Andre Hunter, who reportedly came close to landing with the Pacers, also drew interest from the Mavericks before they acquired Grant Williams from Boston. In a familiar line around this team in recent years, the contract proved too prohibitive to completing a deal. Hunter signed in 2022 for four-years, $90 million, which projected to look like a solid deal if he continued improving the Hawks established a winning foundation. 

Neither happened, and their bloated cap sheet could grow larger with Onyeka Okongwu and Saddiq Bey extensions in the fall. They're both good players, but is Atlanta signing Collins and Hunter deals again? Hunter, 26 in December, averaged 15.4 PPG and 4.2 RPG on 46.1% shooting (35% 3PT) last year. The Hawks also signed Dejounte Murray to a four-year, $120.5 million deal this summer that could make them a tax team next year. 

Boston: Waived Justin Champagnie before $50,000 of his contract become guaranteed this week. Champagnie played two games late last regular season for the Celtics while they rested key starters, then joined the team for Summer League, where he rebounded well and struggled to shoot. Keeping Champagnie into camp would've cost the Celtics just over $100,000 in luxury tax, so this wasn't a money move, even if Boston believed he didn't stand a chance to make the team. 

It's possible they're eyeing a fully guaranteed player for the 14th spot on the roster, since the 15th typically stays open into the regular season or becomes a camp competition. Is Blake Griffin returning? The door remains open, but he took until October to deliberate moving far from home on the west coast and likely will again this year. Free agent Svi Mykhailiuk's name emerged in rumors this week, and while he's a strong shooter who does interest Boston, among other players, nothing appears imminent with him as he also mulls overseas offers.

If nobody is currently moving the Celtics, look for the fall roster crunch around the league to free up proven contributors, especially on the Thunder. 

Brooklyn: Signed former Trail Blazers wing Trendon Watford to a non-guaranteed deal that'll allow him to compete for a role on the Nets in training camp. Watford, 23 this year, started slow in Portland averaging 7.5 PPG and 4.0 RPG on 54.7% FG in limited minutes between his first two seasons out of LSU undrafted, but didn't project to remain a free agent for long after the Blazers waived him in June. He stands 6-9 with a 7-2 wingspan, left high school as a top recruit and joined Cam Thomas on the Tigers for an uneven two seasons that dropped his stock. Jabari Walker eventually supplanted him as a wing prospect in Portland, and while Brooklyn brings him in after previously eyeing him in the 2021 draft, they also signed Dennis Smith Jr., Lonnie Walker IV, Darius Bazley, and drafted Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead and Jalen Wilson to battle in camp for roles. 

Charlotte: Michael Jordan officially said farewell as majority owner of the Hornets with a 423-600 record, two playoff appearances in 13 years, but he did turn a $275-million investment into $3 billion in the sale to Gabe Plotkin and Daniel Sundheim. The duo will take on a franchise featuring LaMelo Ball signed long-term, Brandon Miller drafted No. 2 overall this summer and a cast of young front court players with uncertain outlooks in Charlotte, Miles Bridges back on a one-year deal after he missed the 2022-23 season facing domestic violence charges, and P.J. Washington remains a free agent. Gordon Hayward also enters his contract year this season. Free agent Frank Ntilikina signed on Saturday.

"As Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, and their ownership group, now take a controlling stake in the team, and I transition to becoming a minority owner, I want to say Thank You to Hornets fans for all the love and dedication you’ve shown the franchise and to me over the years," Jordan wrote in a statement. "We’ve had some unforgettable moments together, as well as a few challenging ones, but through it all, you’ve remained committed to us. Although we were not as successful on the court as I - and many of you - would have liked, I am proud of the things that we accomplished." 

Cleveland: Unsurprisingly, the Cavaliers will not trade Donovan Mitchell despite some doubts emerging they can extend him ahead of his potential free agency in 2026. Mitchell needs to sign an extension, which would be a 140% raise on $35-million salary in 2025, with 8% raises after. Mitchell also sits awkwardly along the threshold for 35% of the cap, which players with 10 years of experience are eligible for, something he won't achieve until the end of the 2027 season. That gives the Cavaliers even less of an advantage in keeping him, something Brian Windhorst thought would've happened if Cleveland won the championship. Instead, the Cavs lost badly in the first round, and Tim Bontemps still believes they should trade Mitchell at his peak value, two years before he could leave.

Dallas: Luka Dončić left Slovenia's World Cup exhibition after colliding knees with a Greek opponent, an injury ESPN reported wasn't concerning. Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar, also competing with Slovenia, exited with a more significant knee injury after their team projected to compete alongside the US and Canada as favorites the FIBA competition later this month. Slovenia reportedly only intended to play Dončić in the first half, according to Marc Stein, where he scored 21 points. He averaged 23.8 PPG, 9.7 RPG and 9.5 APG on 44.9% FG in the 2020 Olympics for Slovenia. 

Detroit: Team USA began scrimmaging this week against a talented select team taking part in training camp in Las Vegas that includes Pistons star Cade Cunningham, back from shin surgery last fall, Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren, who lost last year entirely to a leg injury and Celtics guard Payton Pritchard. Head coach Steve Kerr noted how the select team led by Grant Hill beat the Dream Team in 1992, and that reserve group did the same in 2019 ahead of the Celtics-heavy US squad falling short of winning the cup that summer. Cunningham wowed, connecting with Detroit Jalen Duren often and scouting Luka Dončić for the US squad he'll aim to join one day. Pritchard called the opportunity a blessing. 

"I feel healthy again," Cunningham said. "My leg isn't a problem for me right now. So I think that's the biggest difference, just that I can just play freely and not think about my body too much."

Golden State: Steve Kerr said the Warriors will assess several starting combinations this year, speaking to reporters at Team USA's training camp in Las Vegas. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney continued to thrive among the best units in basketball last year, outscoring opponents by 22 points per 100 possessions in over 330 minutes. Chris Paul's arrival throws a significant wrinkle, as Paul has never come off the bench in his career, and didn't sound thrilled about the prospect of doing so while speaking at Summer League. Kerr emphasized the closing group will be what's important, and given Thompson's streakiness last season, it could prove helpful to have options late. 

"The main thing is we know all those guys are going to play a lot of minutes. But the luxury of having Chris Paul to add to this group that we've been lucky enough to have for a decade," Kerr said. "(Is) pretty remarkable. He is one of the great competitors in the game. He's one of the great point guards of all time. I think he's a great addition for us, because of his ability to control games, control tempo, take care of the ball."

Houston: Jabari Smith Jr., my favorite for most improved player next season, appeared on a podcast speaking about his rookie season with the Rockets, growth over the summer that amounted to a dominant showing in Las Vegas and preparing to play under new head coach Ime Udoka. He worked with Aaron Miller, who notably posted Robert Williams III's jump shot and overall progress last month. Tari Eason also joined those runs. 

"I got excited immediately with the hire. Just off his demeanor and what people say about him. He was in the Finals. That’s an accomplishment, itself, and seeing the Celtics play and their play style, you can only get excited about that," Smith Jr. said about Udoka. "Seeing how excited he was, that uplifted us a lot. He came excited and said just play defense and have fun. All of that. Play defense, play hard, and play together. That was what he preached the most." 

Lakers: Anthony Davis agreed to a three-year, $186 million extension that'll keep him in Los Angeles through the 2028 season, combining with his current contract at a value of roughly $270 million. It's unclear if the deal includes a player option, which his current deal did not, instead giving Davis an early termination option after the 2025 season, which he had to decline to sign this extension, a no-brainer for Davis considering his career injury history. That factored into his first extension with the Lakers, and will earn the team some savings in 2025 compared to him starting a new deal that year. The biggest deal here is LA locking down its future beyond LeBron James, with Davis in place to help attract the next era of stars to LA. 

Memphis: The Grizzlies enter 2022-23 with some of the least availability among their regular players, headlined by Ja Morant's 25-game suspension, while Brandon Clarke (Achilles) and Desmond Bane (toe) enter the year recovering from surgeries. Clarke is out indefinitely and his camp pointed toward optimism he'll play at some point this season earlier this summer. Bane pointed toward being ready for training camp at his children's camp this week, though he's still awaiting clearance for contact and five-on-five work. Steven Adams (knee), who last played in January, targeted the beginning of next season for a return. He isn't playing for New Zealand in the World Cup, and it's still unclear if he's on track to participate in training camp. Of course, the Grizzlies will be in close contact with Team USA and Spain regarding their usage of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama in FIBA play this month. 

Miami: Remain the only motivated team targeting Damian Lillard and his preferred destination, with no deal in sight and rumors quieting following the NBA's memo warning against further rhetoric from the Lillard camp pushing for a deal. Portland doesn't like what the Heat can offer, Adrian Wojnarowski reiterated this week, while Miami will not bid against itself after already losing depth players earlier this summer. Ira Winderman noted the importance of rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr., especially if he remains after a Lillard trade, for filling the gaps for the bench. As written here before, don't expect real movement until the Heat clear up its first-round pick conveyance to the Thunder in a previous deal that allows Oklahoma to receive a pick in either 2025 or 2026. 

Milwaukee: No Giannis, no problem. As Giannis Antetokounmpo's status for the World Cup remains uncertain after offseason knee surgery, brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Thomas Walkup shined in an exhibition win over Slovenia. Greece will compete in the US' group later this month, so it's worth keeping an eye on how that roster fills out. There'll be some fun competition if Giannis sneaks in to play some for this squad, but I'd bet against it.

New York: Worked out center Harry Giles III first in Las Vegas before the Nets, Magic and Warriors followed over the past month as he pursues a return to the NBA after last appearing with the Trail Blazers in 2021. Jayson Tatum, Giles' former teammate at Duke, reportedly advocated for the league to add a third two-way contract to rosters in an effort to help Giles get back in the league. Chris Haynes wrote the change will become the Harry Giles rule. Giles, 25, left high school as the projected future No. 1 overall pick before knee injuries derailed his professional career. He's averaged 5.9 PPG and 3.8 RPG. As for current Knicks, Josh Hart explained his decision to opt-in to the final year of his contract as a way to save the Knicks cap space to sign former Villanova teammate Donte DiVincenzo. 

Oklahoma City: Chet Holmgren appeared on the All the Smoke podcast previewing the roster crunch worth watching in Oklahoma City, with non-guaranteed Aaron Wiggins headlining a talented roster that'll need to waive or trade some players heading into camp. Aleksej Pokusevski could break free after early career struggles and an injury late last season. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl falls on the cheaper end of their guaranteed contracts that they could part with, and though it'd cost nothing to part with Isaiah Joe, he's a near lock to remain after a breakout 2023 season. Oklahoma needs to reduce its active roster to 15 players from its current 20 standard contracts before opening night. They could make noise in the west once they figure out their rotations, but it's also hard to pencil them into a playoff spot with 10 other excellent teams competing alongside them in the west. Chet needs to shine.

"We just got so much talent on our team," Holmgren said. "It's gonna be like a new guy every single game ... we got dudes."

Orlando: The NBA defended a $50,000 donation by the Orlando Magic to a super PAC supporting presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, while the league's players union called the contribution alarming considering comments and policies made by the governor. A league spokesperson told the New York Times that teams are free to voice their political expression, as many team owners have in the past. The decision by the DeVos family to do so through the franchise turned heads though, and drew additional criticism from Pelicans forward Larry Nance Jr. The Magic, in a statement, said they wanted to support their state's governor, with the donation dated May 19, days before DeSantis became a candidate for president. 

Philadelphia: Will begin the preseason with a home-and-home against the Celtics on Oct. 8 and Oct. 11 to begin both team's opening slates. Boston will face the Hornets in Charlotte on Oct. 19 to wrap its preseason schedule, leaving one home game unknown for the Celtics. Montrezl Harrell, who recently re-signed with the 76ers on a one-year minimum deal, tore his right ACL and meniscus in offseason workouts. He'll likely miss the 2023-24 season, leaving Joel Embiid, Paul Reed and Mo Bamba as Philadelphia's center depth. 

Phoenix: Sporting some of the sharpest uniforms in the league this season after revealing a slight alteration from their long-running look with the orange-and-purple theme. They look closer to the retro Suns design, with a modern layering on the letters that really pops. That matters to me given some of the rougher new designs around the league in recent years. As for the roster, Jabari Parker, the former Celtics forward previously rumored to be trying out for Phoenix, is looking at overseas deals with clubs like Barcelona after last playing during the 2021-22 season. The reporting indicated he needs medical clearance. Parker could replace Nikola Mirotic, the former NBA stretch forward who left the Spanish club for Olimpia Milano. 

Portland: Damian Lillard will unsurprisingly show up to training camp if he's a member of the Trail Blazers this fall, which appears increasingly likely with Heat talks stalled and interest around the rest of the league reportedly nonexistent. Shams Charania indicated some movement on the Miami end though, reporting that the Heat is preparing an offer built around 3-4 first-round picks, swaps, second-round selections and a young player. Salary matching in such a trade could center around Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry's expiring contract in a multi-team trade. The Heat can also offer Nikola Jovic or Jaime Jaquez Jr. as young prospects, which to this point hasn't enticed the Blazers enough to progress the talks. 

Sacramento: Former Kings, Celtics, Rockets and Nets guard Terrence Williams received a 10-year sentence, along with other financial penalties, after a court found him guilty of defrauding the NBA health insurance program. Prosecutors alleged Williams and other former NBA players drew $5 million from the program through fraudulent claims, with the initial indictment naming 18 league veterans, including other former Celtics Glen Davis and Tony Allen. Keyon Dooling and Alan Anderson received sentences in February, while Allen plead guilty and is expected to receive little-to-no jail time. 

Toronto: Read The Athletic's profile on new Raptors head coach Darko Rajaković, the final and perhaps least-known of the hires across the league this summer who'll maintain some of Nick Nurse's previous staff and work under GM Masai Ujiri, who's staring down a critical year ahead for the direction of his career and the franchise. Rajaković coached the Grizzlies for the last three seasons, the Suns for one before that after a G-League and numerous overseas opportunities. Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, a finalist for the Raptors job, will coach Team Canada this summer in the World Cup, where they're considered the second most likely to win the tournament behind the US, starring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray and other pros. 

Washington: Read some more about Bilal Coulibaly, Victor Wembanyama's former teammate, the Wizards' first-round pick and the first under new president Michael Winger. It's been a bad run of draft selections for the Wizards, and Coulibaly is undoubtedly a project after Johnny Davis failed to fill in immediately last year after analysts considered him ready out of Wisconsin. NBC Sports Washington wrote about the 19-year-old after an encouraging Summer League.