The NBA Summer League just wrapped up which means we can take a look at how every former Gator faired in their attempts to fulfill their dreams of playing in the greatest basketball league in the world.
Here is every Gator who competed in the NBA’s offseason competition and how they did.
Canyon Barry
Games Played: 6
Minutes: 10.2
Points: 3.0
Assists: 0.3
Rebounds: 1.0
Steals: 0.2
Blocks: 0.2
Canyon Barry is becoming a bit of a folk hero at Summer League due to his famous underhanded free throws and in his third trip to the event he was able to get a bit more traction with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The past two events saw him hardly see the floor but he is least got himself into the rotation this summer. He was able to knock down some shots on decent efficiency but struggled to gain separation against the level of athletes represented there. After a busy summer of 3 on 3 basketball competing for Team USA and now playing in Summer League it will be interesting to see what he does next.
Jalen Hudson
Games Played: 4
Minutes: 8.0
Points: 3.0
Assists: 0.0
Rebounds: 1.0
Steals: 0.5
Blocks: 0.5
Jalen Hudson was one of the first players to sign with a Summer League team as the Cleveland Cavaliers (from Hudson’s home state) were quick to give him an invitation. This may have been an indication they were somewhat high on his game but unfortunately he couldn’t gain much consistency and his minutes that started high earlier in the event tailed off midway through. At times he showed the shot making that had NBA scouts intrigued two seasons ago but ultimately he wasn’t able to stay on the floor for long stretches.
Devin Robinson
Games Played: 5
Minutes: 20.4
Points: 9.6
Assists: 0.4
Rebounds: 5.0
Steals: 0.8
Blocks: 1.0
After a few seasons with the Washington Wizards organization Devin Robinson was trying out for the Portland Trailblazers this summer and played really well, enough for the defending champion Toronto Raptors to sign him to a one-year non-guaranteed deal. Length and athleticism are prioritized more than anything else nowadays in the NBA and Robinson brings both which offers a ton of intrigue to front offices. The Raptors are in need of wings and there could be some opportunity there if Robinson can improve a jumper that was decent but not great during his G League and Summer League seasons.
Chris Chiozza
Games Played: 5
Minutes: 29.0
Points: 9.8
Assists: 6.4
Rebounds: 2.8
Steals: 1.4
Blocks: 0.4
After inking a multi-year contract with the Houston Rockets (the first year guaranteed followed by two non-guaranteed years) Chiozza was expected to dominate the Summer League and he did just that. Commanding the floor and knocking down open shots he looked like a consummate professional and a steady leader. He was second in the Summer League in assists and that passing ability that made him a favorite at Florida has definitely translated to the next level. The next thing to watch with Chiozza is whether he can carve out some backup minutes at the point behind newly added Russell Westbrook in Houston.
That was all the Gators that competed in Summer League but there are some other alumni who had some recent career updates I wanted to talk about.
Kevarrius Hayes
I was a bit puzzled at Hayes not playing for anyone in the Summer League but was then happy to hear he signed a deal with Italian club Pallacanestro Cantu. This is a solid league and one that was better than I thought Hayes would land with his first professional contract and I think this is wonderful for him.
Michael Frazier
The Houston Rockets must love the Gators because they gave Frazier the same 3-year deal (with two non-guaranteed years) that they gave Chiozza. Frazier has been a quality G League player since he left the Gators and it looks like he finally got his big break. Houston loves shooters that can hang around the corners while James Harden operates and they might see that potential with Frazier.
Casey Prather
Prather went to Europe for a brief stint but has ended up back in Australia where he has already spent two years signing a two-year deal with Melbourne United. You could say things went pretty well for Prather in those two seasons as he lead United to the Australian NBL championship both years and with a talented squad that sees him playing next to former Maryland standout Melo Trimble this time around there could be even more winning. For a reference of the quality of play in Australia, two years ago Prather’s Melbourne United team played an exhibition against the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 and only lost by 1. The Thunder had both Russell Westbrook and Paul George playing so Melbourne’s ability to hang with them was impressive. Prather had a tremendous game with 11 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. With two more years of experience under his belt Prather will have the opportunity to challenge NBA talent as Melbourne United play exhibitions against the Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings this fall.