Duke basketball: Another trio of Blue Devils taking shape in NBA

Frank Jackson now has a new home alongside two other Duke basketball faces.

Three different sets of three Duke basketball alums as NBA teammates were already in place this season.

The No. 1 such combination consists of Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, and JJ Redick as New Orleans Pelicans. There’s also the mashup of 2015 national champs Tyus Jones, Grayson Allen, and Justise Winslow with the Memphis Grizzlies. Plus, former one-year Blue Devils Gary Trent Jr., Rodney Hood, and Harry Giles are all on the Portland Trail Blazers roster.

ALSO READ: JJ Redick holds an NBA record, then doesn’t

Now, yet another trio of NBA Dukies is coming together.

By announcing the signing of Frank Jackson to a two-way contract on Christmas Day, the Detroit Pistons have added a third Duke basketball name to the payroll. The 6-foot-3 combo guard joins #TheBrotherhood big men Mason Plumlee and Jahlil Okafor in the Motor City.

Jackson also joins Indiana Pacers guard Cassius Stanley and Cleveland Cavaliers center Marques Bolden as the only Blue Devils currently on two-way contracts.

Detroit was one of only three franchises with an opening for a two-way player (the NBA permits two per team). Though the “two-way” tag equates to a one-year salary of only about $450K, the adjusted rules for the shortened 2020-21 season do allow each two-way piece to be active for 50 of his team’s 72 regular-season games.

The third home in five weeks for the former Duke basketball one-and-done

Frank Jackson spent his first three years out of Duke with the Pelicans, who had snagged the No. 31 overall selection via trade during the 2017 NBA Draft. After sitting out his first year as a pro while nursing a foot injury, the Utah native averaged 16.4 minutes, 7.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists for New Orleans across 120 games between the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

While Jackson undoubtedly sports slick wheels, perhaps his biggest shortcoming in the Bayou was his relatively inaccurate shooting stroke: 42.2 percent from the field, 31.9 percent from three, and 74.3 percent from the foul line.

With that in mind, it came as no huge surprise when the Pelicans decided not to extend a qualifying offer to the 22-year-old in late November, making Jackson an unrestricted free agent.

He quickly inked a two-year minimum-salary contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. But only $250K was guaranteed. And despite totaling 37 points in three preseason appearances for the Thunder, Jackson got the boot again this week.

It remains to be seen if Jackson will carve out a significant role with the 0-1 Pistons, who host the 1-0 Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 p.m. Saturday. Yet the new opportunity and paycheck are surely better than nothing at all.

The readdition of Jackson equals a record 27 Blue Devils in the NBA right now.

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