The Hornets’ G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, has traded for the rights to center Ibou Badji in a deal with the Bucks’ NBAGL squad, the Wisconsin Herd, Greensboro announced via Twitter.
In the exchange, Wisconsin is bringing back the No. 31 pick in the 2025 G League draft and the rights to center Jeremiah Tilmon and guard Lindell Wigginton.
Badji, 22, led the G League in blocks in 2024/25, and was named to the G League All-Defensive Team for his play with Wisconsin. Badji inked a two-way deal with the Blazers in 2023/24, appearing in 22 contests (one start). He averaged 1.5 PPG and 2.3 RPG in 10.3 MPG.
Across 34 games for the Herd in 2024/25, Badji averaged 6.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 3.4 BPG. He’s been with Spanish squad La Laguna Tenerife since April.
Wigginton has played in the CBA since 2024, while Tilman has been with clubs in Kuwait, the Dominican Republic, and Korea since 2024.
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- Four-time All-Star Hawks guard Trae Young is eligible for standard veteran extension, and could decline his 2026/27 player option to kick it off sooner than later. Keith Smith of Spotrac previews what a possible deal might look like for Young. Smith observes that Atlanta appears to be waiting to see how Young performs within the team’s roster depth before committing to a lengthy extension. Young, an undersized guard, would need to earn at least a second All-NBA team to make a supermax extension, worth 35% of the cap’s max in the first season and accompanied by 8% raises.
- Heat owner Micky Arison is headed to the Hall of Fame this week as a contributor. Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel examines why Pat Riley, who has made the Hall of Fame before as a coach, has yet to make the cut as a contributor. Riley is one of the great modern executives, having overseen three very different rosters en route to seven NBA Finals appearances since 2005/06, winning three championships.
- In case you missed it, Miami has opted not to waive and stretch the $26.7MM contract of guard Terry Rozier ahead of this season. The deadline to do so was Friday.