Named by NBA.com’s Xavier White as one of the 15 players to watch for this summer in Las Vegas, Cooper was widely expected to demonstrate his readiness to act as ATL’s backup point guard after Delon Wright‘s departure in free agency. Until it was apparent that he was neither of the two.Įntering his sophomore summer with the Hawks, expectations were high for Cooper. It appeared Atlanta had found the steal of the 2021 Draft and the perfect backup for Trae Young. During his time with the Skyhawks, Sharife displayed his potential to be a team’s lead distributor by putting up 17.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 7.3 assists a night. He would spend most of his rookie season playing for the Hawks G-League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks, while on a two-way deal. In his first NBA Summer League, he quickly showcased his talents as a floor general, averaging 14.8 points and 7.3 assists. But even after a historic season with the Tigers, the once sure-fire first-round selection could only watch on draft night as he took a drastic fall into the back half of the second round.Īfter being selected by Atlanta with the 48th overall pick, it appeared Sharife had placed a chip on his shoulder. He became the only Division I freshman besides Trae Young to average more than 20 and 8 in the last 25 seasons. During his time at the University of Auburn, Cooper put up over 20 points and 8 assists per game. Roster Update: We have requested waivers on guard Sharife Cooper.Ī five-star prospect coming out of McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Ga., Sharife Cooper was ranked 20th overall in ESPN’s 2020 Top 100. Monday afternoon, the Atlanta Hawks announced that they had requested waivers on guard Sharife Cooper. With only one true point guard on the roster in McLaughlin, signing another playmaker with their final two-way contract should be in Minnesota’s short-term plans.
Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch also prefers his lead guards to be high-level distributors rather than scorers - just look at his admiration for Jordan McLaughlin. Last season, the two combined to average just 2.3 assists per game. But regardless of where Rivers and Forbes are slotted to play, neither of the Wolves’ FA pickups are true point guards. After the recent additions of playoff-experienced veterans in Austin Rivers and Bryn Forbes in free agency, it’s clear the team is eager to contend. Lawson signed to one of the team’s two-way deals, Minnesota can still go out and sign one final player for the upcoming season. But with only summer league standout A.J. After signing Nathan Knight to a standard NBA contract, the Minnesota Timberwolves roster is almost complete.