Former Mizzou guards Tamar Bates and Caleb Grill will have something to prove this summer.
Despite going undrafted in the NBA Draft on Wednesday and Thursday in Brooklyn, Bates secured a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets and Grill netted an Exhibit 10 deal with the Chicago Bulls.
The pair of Tigers are expected to take the floor for their new teams during the NBA Summer League, which takes place from July 10-20 at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas.
Bates could play his way to a permanent roster spot, while Grill may make a case to have his Exhibit 10 deal converted into a two-way contract.
The Nuggets are set to play four Summer League games, beginning with a clash against the Milwaukee Bucks at 8:30 p.m. on July 10. Denver will face the Minnesota Timberwolves at 9 p.m. on July 12, the Toronto Raptors at 7 p.m. on July 15 and the Los Angeles Clippers at 10 p.m. on July 17.
The Bulls will tip off their slate against the Raptors at 7 p.m. on July 11, before taking on the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. on July 12. Chicago will match up against the Indiana Pacers at 5 p.m. on July 14 and the Bucks at 4:30 p.m. on July 16. The Bulls have a fifth matchup on their schedule that has yet to be determined.
Though they have the opportunity to immediately make an impression on their new franchises, it will be an uphill journey for both Bates and Grill. Both will likely need stints in the G League before being called upon for NBA minutes.
If Bates and Grill do create enough buzz and land spots on their teams’ regular-season rosters, here is how they would fit on their squads.
Tamar Bates, Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have found success with their two-way players in recent years.
Former Denver guard Monte Morris signed a two-way contract with the team after being selected No. 51 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. He played just three games for the Nuggets during his rookie season but impressed on their G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, to earn a standard NBA contract for 2018-19.
Morris played in all 82 games and averaged 10.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists in his first full campaign with Denver, earning the ninth-most votes for the Sixth Man of the Year award. He played a pivotal role for the Nuggets in their playoff runs in 2020-21 and 2021-22, averaging 13.7 and 14.0 points, respectively.
Former Denver forwards Torrey Craig and P.J. Dozier also made an impact after earning standard contracts from their two-way deals, serving as rotational pieces for a championship contender.
Bates has the chance to follow suit if he makes enough noise in the Summer League and training camp.
The 22-year-old is not the traditional rookie, having used all four years of collegiate eligibility between Indiana and Missouri. His experience could bring more leadership to a team yearning to replicate the magic of its championship-winning 2023-24 season.
“I just want to win,” Bates told reporters during his watch party in Kansas City, per Nathalie Jones of ABC 17 News. “I’m more of (a) ‘I’m going to show you’ (type of player). There ain’t really too much to talk about.”
Bates’ leadership has been lauded by his coaches and peers throughout the 2024-25 season, with MU coach Dennis Gates referring to the Kansas City, Kansas, product as “a great leader, a great young man” in a postgame news conference Feb. 19.
During the NABC DI All-Star Game on April 4, Bates shouted instructions on defense and fostered cohesiveness with the East team despite the contest’s exhibition nature.
“They wouldn’t leave me alone (and let me) break out of the huddle. I appreciate it,” former Marquette forward David Joplin said of his teammates bringing the huddle to him during his halftime interview. “That’s Tamar (Bates). He’s a leader.”
The Nuggets may lose some locker room presence as veteran guard Russell Westbrook and center DeAndre Jordan are set to become unrestricted free agents.
Westbrook’s possible departure would leave Denver with just four guards currently contracted: Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Jalen Pickett and Julian Strawther. Two-way guards Spencer Jones and Trey Alexander will be restricted free agents in the offseason.
Bates could fill the gap left by Westbrook, bringing his win-now mentality and leadership to a team that finished 50-32 in the 2024-25 regular season. The Nuggets fell in seven games to the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs.
Scoring prowess is another aspect of Bates’ game that could shine with Denver.
Bates averaged 13.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game in his senior campaign at Mizzou. He led Division I in free-throw percentage at 94.6% and shot 50.8% from the field and 39.7% from 3.
“Bates thrives in transition, finds scoring windows off the ball and can finish effectively at the rim,” Bleacher Report’s NBA staff wrote Friday in a scouting report. “Still, questions remain about his athleticism, ability to create for others and pull-up shooting, which could limit his upside if he’s asked to do more than play within a system.”
Bates’ ability to adapt to the NBA’s faster pace remains to be seen. However, his shooting splits last season seem to have enticed the Nuggets.
Caleb Grill, Chicago Bulls
Grill’s road to an NBA regular-season roster spot might be more tumultuous.
An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, non-guaranteed contract, with signees rarely making it past training camp. If a player signs an Exhibit 10 deal and is waived after training camp, the team can retain their rights for a contract with its G League affiliate.
That reality makes strong performances in the Summer League and training camp that much more important for Grill, as he will be auditioning to take someone else’s two-way deal.
Unfortunately for the Wichita product, the Bulls are expected to bring back all five currently contracted guards for the 2025-26 season in Ayo Dosunmu, Dalen Terry, Jahmir Young, Coby White and Kevin Huerter.
Chicago traded point guard Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for forward Isaac Okoro on Saturday, which opened up another guard spot on the Bulls’ roster.
The only question mark was whether Chicago planned to re-sign restricted free agent guard Josh Giddey, but NBA analyst Jake Weinbach reported that the two parties are nearing a multi-year deal. If Giddey returns, the team will have six guards on the roster.
A logjam at the guard position has not deterred the Bulls before, as they had 10 guards on the team at the end of last season.
The 25-year-old’s efficient marksmanship from 3-point range off the bench in the 2024-25 campaign showcased his ability to thrive in the low-usage, high-impact role he may be expected to play in the NBA.
“All these NBA teams have their superstars, pretty much, so the ball’s going to be in their hands ... and to put yourself in the best situation to be on the court, you have to be able to know how to move off the ball,” Grill said Friday in an interview with Ben Arnet of KOMU 8 News. “You’re going to have to be able to play off those players, and I think at Mizzou, they do a really good job at teaching us spacing.”
Grill averaged 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game in his graduate campaign at Mizzou. The SEC Sixth Man of the Year finished the season ranked No. 44 nationally in 3-point percentage with a clip of 39.6%.
“(I’m) an everyday guy who plays hard on both ends of the floor,” Grill said Friday in an interview with Kyle Helms of ABC 17 News. “A guy who can have the ability to go for five, six, seven 3s in a game and can change the game from the way I can space it and the way I can knock down shots.”
Grill told Arnet that his keys to success in the NBA are shooting a 40% clip from deep and bringing intensity on both ends of the floor.
Grill’s shooting could help the Bulls, as they finished 39-43 in the 2024-25 regular season and have not made the playoffs (beyond the play-in round) since 2022.
“All these teams are trying to win, and they’re just looking for small pieces they can fit in a puzzle,” Grill said to Arnet. “Hopefully I can be a small piece in a bigger picture and do what I can do to help the Bulls out in the Summer League and maybe going forward.”
Copyright 2025 Columbia Missourian