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Gonzaga Basketball

Former Gonzaga players Drew Timme, Malachi Smith on G League training camp rosters

Gonzaga's Drew Timme (2) and Malachi Smith (13) smile during the second half of the Zags' 79-76 Sweet 16 win over UCLA in Las Vegas last March. (By Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)
By Jim Meehan jimm@spokesman.com(509) 459-5585

Former Gonzaga basketball players Drew Timme and Malachi Smith are listed on NBA G League training camp rosters.

Timme, a three-time All-American and the Zags’ all-time leading scorer, is among 18 players with the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ G League affiliate. Timme was with the Bucks for summer league in Las Vegas and with the team this fall at training camp before being waived earlier this month.

Smith was on a similar path, playing for Portland at summer league and participating in Trail Blazers’ training camp before he was released. He’s one of 15 on the Rip City Remix roster, Portland’s first-year G League team.

Timme and Smith originally signed Exhibit 10 contracts with their respective NBA teams.

Timme played in two of Milwaukee’s preseason games. He made the most of limited minutes by hitting a putback basket in the final minute to help Milwaukee hold off Chicago 105-102.

Smith played just nine minutes in two summer league appearances. He was waived just before Portland’s first preseason game.

Timme and fellow standout bigs Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky) and Adama Sanogo (UConn) weren’t drafted after impressive collegiate careers. Tshiebwe, the 2022 national player of the year, signed a two-way contract with Indiana and will likely split time between the Pacers and G League Indiana Mad Ants.

Sanogo, MVP of last year’s Final Four, is on a two-way contract with Chicago. He made the Bulls’ opening-night roster, but hasn’t played in the team’s first three games. He’ll likely split time between Chicago and the G League Windy City Bulls.

Three former Zags are with the G League Ignite, which features several top prospects that bypassed college to join the professional ranks. Ex-GU guards Jeremy Pargo, Admon Gilder and David Stockton bring a veteran presence to the Ignite.

Former Washington State guard Justin Powell is on the Cleveland Charge training camp roster.

G League teams can carry a minimum of 10 players, two players on two-way contracts and one assignment player from the parent organization.

The minimum G League salary is $40,500. Two-way contracts are worth nearly $560,000 and G League Ignite pays top prospects up to $500,000. The season opens Nov. 10. Teams play 50 regular-season games.