Duke basketball: 10 best NBA careers in Blue Devils history

Duke basketball legends Kyrie Irving and Jason Williams (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
Duke basketball legends Kyrie Irving and Jason Williams (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
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Duke basketball
Duke basketball forward Luol Deng (Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports)

No. 6 Greatest Duke basketball careers in NBA: Luol Deng

NBA Career Stats: 14.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG, 45.6 FG%, 33.2 3PT%

Another savvy former Blue Devil who finds his way onto the list is forward Luol Deng.

Deng only spent one season at Duke before he was the No. 7 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

An injury cut his rookie season short but was still able to find his way to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2005.

Deng was in the midst of his best NBA season in 2013-14 when he was averaging 19.0 points per contest through 23 games with the Bulls but was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the midst of his second All-Star campaign.

The longtime standout for Chicago was named an All-Star in 2013 and 2014 while earning a spot on the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2012.

Luol Deng’s final seasons in the NBA came to a quick ending, although lucrative, after signing a $72 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers for four seasons but only playing a total of 57 games in two years with the premier organization.

Deng’s career ended after the 2018-19 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves with 13,361 points and 5,468 rebounds.