One of the fears of Canadian basketball fans was that the CEBL would act as a ‘feeder’ league, with the best ballers from Canada poached and thrown into the dog-eat-dog mania of an NBA season.
In reality, the opposite has happened: young guns that haven’t quite made the grade in the NBA, and wily old veterans from south of the border, have instead sought a new lease of life in the CEBL.
There has, however, been something of a talent drain the other way. All told, and at the time of writing, 28 CEBL players have attended an NBA G League camp, with nine players going on to pen contracts of some kind with an NBA franchise.
Here’s the pick of the bunch:
Xavier Moon
Growing up, Xavier Moon had ambitions – like many young American basketball players – of picking up an NBA contract.
After a solid college career that seemed a distinct possibility, but the call never came and so Moon set off on a voyage of discovery – playing professional basketball in France and Albany before setting up roots in Canada with the London Lightning.
With the formation of the CEBL, the now 28-year-old signed on the dotted line for the Edmonton Stingers and was named as the league MVP in that inaugural 2019 season, and again in 2020 and 2021 – the Stingers winning the CEBL championship during those latter two campaigns.
That form caught the attention of the Los Angeles Clippers, who signed Moon first to play in their G League affiliate, then known as Agua Caliente, before he received a call-up to the main roster.
Moon made his debut against the Brooklyn Nets back in 2021 and hasn’t looked back, penning a professional contract with the Clippers for the 2023-24 season.
He’ll be hoping for more game time this season, which would mark Moon out as one of the most successful exports from the CEBL to the NBA.
You can wager on the NBA and the CEBL right here at BetVictor, with the very best basketball betting odds available. With safe and responsible gambling the most important thing to remember, you can find out more information about sensible betting with our safer gambling tools.
18+ | Begambleaware.org | Please gamble responsibly
19+ | Play Responsibly | Connexontario.ca
Cat Barber
A phenomenal college career with NC State saw Cat Barber go down in the school’s history as one of its most prolific point scorers.
But, sadly for the point guard, it wasn’t enough to secure a deal in the 2016 NBA Draft, and so it was off to the G League for Barber as he looked to turn his college potential into confirmed talent.
Stints with Delaware 87ers and Greensboro Swarm, the affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, were followed by professional contracts in Italy, Israel and Germany as the now 29-year-old sought to establish himself in the pro ranks.
But it’s his time in the CEBL which has provided Barber with the highlights of his career so far. Initially playing for the Guelph Nighthawks, it was a switch to the Scarborough Shooting Stars that brought him the recognition – and silverware – that he had craved.
The Shooting Stars won the CEBL championship in 2023, with Barber scoring 23 points in the final against Calgary Surge. Already selected in the All-CEBL First Team, lifting the trophy was a fitting end to a career-high season thus far.
Javin DeLaurier
A two-time ACC Tournament champion with the Duke Blue Devils, who he captained, Javin DeLaurier had good reason to expect to be drafted by an NBA franchise in 2020 after sharing courts with the likes of Zion Williamson in college.
Although a formal contract didn’t arrive, DeLaurier signed a two-way deal with the Charlotte Hornets and Greensboro Swarm, before switching to CEBL outfit Niagara River Lions in time for the 2021 season.
That proved to be a smart move for the progression of his career. The now 25-year-old had a vintage year, guiding the River Lions to the CEBL championship game on the back of a season that brought an average of 14.8 points and 10.5 rebounds per outing.
Form such as that will always catch the eye of NBA scouts, so it was back south DeLaurier went to Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks, where he would make a solitary outing while turning out for G League affiliate Wisconsin Herd.
The power forward has since swapped North America for Europe, turning out for Karditsa in Greece and Hapoel Holon in Israel.
Xavier Sneed
Even at the relatively young age of 25, Xavier Sneed has embarked on something of a journeyman career.
A Kansas State collegiate that missed out on selection in the 2020 NBA Draft, Sneed impressed in the NBA G League with Greensboro Swarm before being picked up by the Niagara River Lions, where he averaged 17.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in a solid 2021 campaign.
Imbibed with confidence, Sneed headed south of the border to try his luck in the NBA ranks once more, trying out with the Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz and Charlotte Hornets but plying most of his trade in the G League.
After the disappointment of missing out on a long-term contract, Sneed has since made his way to pastures new – specifically the Italian Lega Basket Serie A, where he turns out for Happy Casa Brindisi.
So that’s a quartet of players that have cut their teeth in the CEBL before getting an NBA try-out…there will surely be many more in the future, too.
