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As the NBA season nears the All-Star Break, four former Arizona Wildcats—Allonzo Trier, Brandon Ashley, Nico Mannion and Kobi Simmons—are getting underway in the NBA G League in Orlando, hoping to parlay their way to a roster spot at the next level and/or continue improving their games.
Here is a look at which organizations they are with and how they are faring through the first couple weeks of the season.
Allonzo Trier — Iowa Wolves
The former New York Knick was selected fourth overall in the G League Draft in January. So far, he has started all four games for the Wolves and averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 45 percent from the field, 29 percent from 3 and 60 percent from the charity stripe.
Trier, 25, is trying to get back into the NBA after spending the last two seasons in New York, where he had some success as a microwave scorer off the bench.
Brandon Ashley — G League Ignite
Ashley is one of a handful of veterans on the NBA G-League’s Ignite, a developmental team which features several elite NBA prospects who skipped college basketball. The Ignite are based out of Walnut Creek, Calif., miles away from Ashley’s hometown of San Francisco.
Ashley, 26, has started all four games so far, averaging 7.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 42 percent from the field. He has taken three 3s but missed all of them. This is Ashley’s third stint in the G League. He has never appeared in an NBA game.
Nico Mannion — Santa Cruz Warriors
The second-round pick appeared in six NBA games for the Golden State Warriors before being sent down to G League, where he can get more playing time. He only averaged six minutes per game with the parent club.
Through four games with Santa Cruz, Mannion is averaging 34.5 minutes along with 21.1 points, 6.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 40.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3.
Kobi Simmons — Greensboro Swarm
Simmons is in his second year with the Swarm. The 23-year-old is playing well so far, averaging 14.8 points, 4.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 27.5 minutes while shooting 46.9 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from 3 and 80 percent from the free throw line. He has started every game.
Simmons appeared in 32 games for the Memphis Grizzlies as undrafted rookie in 2017-18, including 12 starts, but has only appeared in one NBA game since then. He has spent the bulk of his career in the G League.