Nine Duke basketball names in the NBA have made headlines in the past week.
NBA free agency looked very different this year. Fans are used to seeing a frenzy in early July. But the madness of 2020 has led to another fervent free agency period, this time in late November. As usual, there was a ton of movement and teams scrambling to upgrade rosters in just a few short days. And if there is a lot of NBA movement, you know that Duke basketball has to be involved.
At the beginning of the 2019-20 season, Duke had the second-most players (25) on opening day NBA rosters. That number will likely rise as former Blue Devils Vernon Carey Jr., Tre Jones, and Cassius Stanley were selected in the second round of last week’s draft.
ALSO READ: Four reasons Tre Jones slipped to the second round
Carey Jr. went No. 32 overall to the Charlotte Hornets, Jones went No. 41 to the San Antonio Spurs, and Stanley went No. 54 to the Indiana Pacers.
A full breakdown of offseason moves involving Duke basketball products:
Seth Curry: Curry was traded on draft night from the Dallas Mavericks to the Philadelphia 76ers. He will play under his father-in-law Doc Rivers. The 6-foot-2 guard adds 3-point shooting to a talented team that is trying to get over the hump in the Eastern Conference.
Luke Kennard: There may not be a happier former Blue Devil than Kennard. The Detroit Pistons dealt the 6-foot-5 guard to the Los Angeles Clippers on draft night. He spent three seasons with a lowly Pistons franchise and will join a Clippers team that should be in contention for a championship next season.
Mason Plumlee: Plumlee’s situation is essentially the exact opposite of Kennard’s. The 6-foot-11 center has left the Denver Nuggets, a franchise that made it to the Western Conference Finals last season, by signing a deal with the Detroit Pistons, a team that will likely be at the bottom of the standings. He may have to play on a struggling team, but at least he will be $25 million richer.
Jahlil Okafor: The former Duke star and 2015 national champion hasn’t quite found his groove in the NBA, but the 6-foot-10 center will get another opportunity with the Detroit Pistons. Okafor signed a two-year veteran minimum deal with Detroit after spending the last two seasons in New Orleans with the Pelicans.
Austin Rivers: Rivers spent the last two and a half seasons in a reserve role with the Houston Rockets. Now, the 6-foot-3 guard has signed a one-year deal to join the New York Knicks. He will play alongside another former Duke basketball one-and-done in RJ Barrett.
Harry Giles: While Giles’ Duke basketball career was not exactly memorable, the 6-foot-11 big man has been able to find some minutes in the NBA. He will join the Portland Trail Blazers on a one-year deal. The former top recruit will likely play in a reserve role, similar to the one he played in his first three years in the league with the Sacramento Kings.
Jayson Tatum: Not a huge surprise here, but Tatum did sign a max deal — five years worth up to $195 million — to return to the Boston Celtics. It is only a matter of time before the 6-foot-8 All-Star forward helps lead Boston to an NBA title.
Frank Jackson: The 6-foot-3 guard, who spent one season with the Blue Devils before ending up with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2017, will become an unrestricted free agent. Jackson has yet to sign with an NBA team.
Jabari Parker: The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 draft has become an NBA journeyman. Parker, a 6-foot-8 forward who is now with the Sacramento Kings, opted-in to his player option to remain with the Kings.
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