NBA D-League Rosters Beginning to Fill With Allocated Players

The NBA Development League's annual draft isn't until Monday evening, but the majority of teams around the league have a good idea of who they'll be going into the regular season with already after finding out Saturday which players will be returning from last season as well as which players have been allocated to them through the new NBA training camp affiliation rule or via local player tryouts.

Each team was allowed to bring nine total players into their training camp, which is scheduled to begin November 9, however only three players could be chosen from the players that were released from the D-League team's NBA affiliate.

Once again, the Nick Nurse-led Iowa Energy look to be one of the stronger teams on paper going into the D-League season as they will bring in four players who were in training camp with an NBA team: Othyus Jeffers (Utah Jazz, pictured), Kyle Weaver (Chicago Bulls), Courtney Sims (Denver Nuggets) and Connor Atchley (Sacramento Kings), along with All-NBA D-League First Team selection Curtis Stinson, who averaged 23.7 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the playoffs this past season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder-owned Tulsa 66ers will also be strong, returning six players from a team that made it to the D-League finals last season along with three of the players the Thunder released during their own training camp. They may have a bit of a logjam in the backcourt, however, as Zabian Dowdell (Phoenix Suns), Mustafa Shakur (New Orleans Hornets), Tweety Carter (Thunder) and Jerome Dyson (Thunder) all spent time playing point guard in NBA training camp this fall.

Rounding out the 66ers' preliminary roster is Steven Hill, a late addition to the Portland Trail Blazers' training camp, Thunder Summer Leaguer Marcus Lewis, Thunder draft pick Latavious Williams, last year's standout wing Larry Owens, and Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap's brother, Elijah. Millsap was able to catch Kevin Durant's eye during training camp as he told the The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry earlier this month that, "One guy that I think has a great chance to make our team is Elijah Millsap. Great defender. Great all-around player." Another Millsap brother, John, will be attending training camp with the Sioux Falls Skyforce as a local tryout player.

The expansion Texas Legends also have a strong start with their roster thanks to a bit of help from the Dallas Mavericks as both are operated by Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson. The Mavericks were able to pull some strings and sign former NBA first round draft picks Rashad McCants and Sean Williams to training camp contracts, thus giving the Legends the opportunity to bring them in to training camp. McCants' camp had previously seemed unhappy with the move, though the Legends were apparently able to convince him that a strong stint in the D-League is probably his best route back to the NBA.

With each team already having at least eight players heading into Monday night's draft, the majority of whom are either returning players or recently cut from NBA training camps, the draft will more than likely be filled with teams looking to add a final piece to their team's puzzle as opposed to fielding their entire team as it had been in year's past.

FanHouse has obtained the complete list of returning, allocated and local tryout players D-League teams will be bringing into their training camp, which can be found below.

Austin Toros
Lewis Clinch - returning player
Squeaky Johnson - returning player
Michael Joiner - returning player
Cory Underwood - returning player
Marcus Cousin - affiliate player
Thomas Gardner - affiliate player
Kevin Palmer - affiliate player
Casaan Breeden - local tryout player
Andres Sandoval - local tryout player

Bakersfield Jam
Jeremy Wise - returning player
Reece Gaines - returning player
Patrick Mutombo - returning player
Trey Johnson - returning player
Longar Longar - returning player
Stephen Dennis - affiliate player
Andrew Naymick - affiliate player
Tyler Newton - local tryout player
Isaac Wells - local tryout player

Dakota Wizards
Darren Cooper - returning player
James Jackson - returning player
Renaldo Major - returning player
Mike Anderson - local tryout player
Cameron Benison - local tryout player
Steffon Farley - local tryout player
Willie Kemp - local tryout player

Erie BayHawks
Cedric Jackson - returning player
Kyle Goldcamp - returning player
Jarvis Gunter - returning player
Frank Tolbert - returning player
Maureece Rice - returning player
Tasmin Mitchell - affiliate player
Nate Linhart - local tryout player
Charles Parker - local tryout player

Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Carlos English - returning player
Chris Hunter - returning player
Anthony Kent - returning player
Walker Russell, Jr. - returning player
Rod Wilmont - returning player
Chris Kramer - affiliate player
Billy Rush - affiliate player
Tory Jackson - affiliate player
Nick Boyd - local tryout player

Idaho Stampede
Lance Hurdle - returning player
Eric Boateng - affiliate player
Seth Tarver - affiliate player
DeSean Hadley - local tryout player
Tony Roberts - local tryout player
Ryan Schmidt - local tryout player
Ben Voogd - local tryout player

Iowa Energy
Connor Atchley - returning player
Shy Ely - returning player
Othyus Jeffers - returning player
Marvin Phillips - returning player
Courtney Sims - returning player
Curtis Stinson - returning player
Kyle Weaver - affiliate player
Stefhon Hannah - local tryout player
Jason Bohanan - local tryout player

Maine Red Claws
Paul Harris - returning player
Darnell Lazare - returning player
Mario West - returning player
Tiny Gallon - affiliate player
Stephane Lasme - affiliate player
Jamar Smith - affiliate player
Lamont Ulmer - local tryout player

New Mexico Thunderbirds
Tony Danridge - returning player
Shane Edwards - returning player
Jason Horton - returning player
Ramon Dyer - local tryout player
Stephen McDowell - local tryout player
Jason Miller - local tryout player
Jamaal Smith - local tryout player

Reno Bighorns
Mo Charlo - returning player
Chris Davis - returning player
Patrick Ewing, Jr. - returning player
Doug Thomas - returning player
Marcus Landry - affiliate player
Donald Sloan - affiliate player
Aaron Miles - affiliate player
Darrin Govens - local tryout player
Roburt Sallie - local tryout player

Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Stanley Asumnu - returning player
Mickell Gladness - returning player
Terrel Harris - returning player
Jordan Eglseder - affiliate player
Jerel McNeal - affiliate player
Patrick Sullivan - affiliate player
Derrick Roland - local tryout player
James Cripe - local tryout player
Ramon Harris - local tryout player

Sioux Falls Skyforce
Chris McCray - returning player
Leemire Goldwire - returning player
Anthony Mason, Jr. - affiliate player
Jamal Abu-Shamala - local tryout player
Anthony Harris - local tryout player
Ralphy Holmes - local tryout player
John Millsap - local tryout player
Brandon Smith - local tryout player

Springfield Armor
JamesOn Curry - returning player
Jamar Brown - returning player
Trey Whitted -returning player
Brent Benson - local tryout player
Kyle Cuffee - local tryout player
Brian Leggett - local tryout player
Michael Williams - local tryout player

Texas Legends
Keith Clark - returning player
Dar Tucker - returning player
Rashad McCants - affiliate player
Sean Williams - affiliate player
Pierce Caldwell - local tryout player
Andre Gatlin - local tryout player

Tulsa 66ers
Zabian Dowdell - returning player
Steven Hill - returning player
Marcus Lewis - returning player
Larry Owens - returning payer
Mustafa Shakur - returning player
Latavious Williams - returning player
Tweety Carter - affiliate player
Elijah Millsap - affiliate player
Jerome Dyson - affiliate player

Utah Flash
Dontell Jefferson - returning player
Andre Ingram - returning player
Orien Greene - returning player
Brian Hamilton - returning player
Kevin Kruger - returning player
Jordan Brady - returning player
Evan Brock - affiliate player
Ryan Thompson - affiliate player
Terry Martin - local tryout player