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Mbakwe, Williams await NBA invites after summer leagues

Both players are more likely to sign overseas than make an NBA roster.
Rodney Williams #31 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2013 Southwest Airlines Orlando Pro Summer League on July 10, 2013 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
Image by Fernando Medina, NBAE/Getty Images
Rodney Williams #31 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2013 Southwest Airlines Orlando Pro Summer League on July 10, 2013 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.

Let the waiting game begin for former Gophers forwards Trevor Mbakwe and Rodney Williams.

With the conclusion of NBA summer league action this week, the duo, who went undrafted in the late-June NBA draft, must now wait for potential invites to NBA training camps.

Offers don’t appear likely at this point, especially for Mbakwe.

The 6-foot-8-inch forward struggled to get on the court during his stints in the Orlando Summer League with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Las Vegas Summer League with the Toronto Raptors.

Mbakwe averaged just 2 points and 1.5 rebounds with 6.3 minutes per game over six games.

The 6-foot-7-inch Williams only participated in the Orlando Summer League with the 76ers, who don’t have a Las Vegas Summer League team. But he had more of an opportunity to showcase his skills. Williams averaged 8 points and 1.2 rebounds in 22.8 minutes over five games.

Williams, who played mostly power forward during his last two years with the Gophers, was forced to adjust to playing primarily on the wing, which he’d be expected to do at the NBA level. He made just one of eight three-point attempts, and he’ll likely need to improve his shooting to make an NBA roster.

He did, however, display an ability to defend multiple positions with his athleticism. Williams blocked 1.4 shots per game, good for 13th best in the Orlando league.

The 76ers are likely Williams’ only hope for a training camp invite. They were the only team to contact him after he went undrafted.

Mbakwe’s future is cloudy. Reports of him negotiating with German team Alba Berlin surfaced July 19 on Twitter, as the likelihood of an opportunity from an NBA team dwindles.

Both players have previously expressed a willingness to play overseas to extend their professional careers.

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