UVA Basketball alum Jacari White signed a contract to play with the Summer League team of the Los Angeles Lakers, and former teammate Malik Thomas has signed with the Toronto Raptors to play with that franchise’s Summer League entry.
Free-agent Summer League deals are a lifeline for undrafted free agents. It’s hard, not impossible, but hard, to make the main roster from the Summer League, but hey, you’re telling me there’s a chance, right?
UVA Hoops alums Mamadi Diakite, Anthony Gill, Sam Hauser and Jay Huff were all undrafted and eventually got jobs in the NBA, so, just to reinforce here, it’s doable.
White is among the purest shooters from the perimeter on the free-agent market, shooting 43.4 percent from three this past season at Virginia, on volume (5.1 attempts per game) – with five games in which he had four or more makes from three, and a high of seven (he was 7-of-7 from three in a win over Dayton in December).
At 6’3”, White might be a little undersized to play two guard at the next level, but he’s no doubt got the athleticism.
Thomas, at 6’5”, is the inverse – he has the size to play the two, but my question about him would be on the athleticism side of the account ledger.
The counting numbers for him at Virginia last season were good – 12.4 points per game, 35.1 percent from three, 50.4 percent shooting in the lane, 2.5 shot attempts per game at the rim.
An issue with him was: inconsistency.
He had nine games scoring in single-digits, with season-lows at two in the double-OT win at Notre Dame in January (1-of-2 2FG, 0-of-3 3FG, three rebounds, one assist/one turnover in 22 minutes) and in the blowout loss at Duke in February (0-of-3 2FG, 0-of-5 3FG, 2-of-2 FT, six rebounds, two assists/two turnovers in 20 minutes).
Thomas also had 10 games of 15-plus points, so, there’s a feast-or-famine aspect to his game.
Thomas and White will join former teammate Ugonna Onyenso, a second-round draft pick of the Detroit Pistons, in the Summer League, which plays its limited schedule next month.
Schedule
Thursday, July 9
- Pistons vs. 76ers, 5:30 p.m. (Prime Video)
Friday, July 10
- Raptors vs. Celtics, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
- Lakers vs. Thunder, 10 p.m. (Prime Video)
Saturday, July 11
- Raptors vs. Rockets, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
- Lakers vs. Mavericks, 10 p.m. (Prime Video)
Sunday, July 12
- Pistons vs. Cavaliers, 4 p.m. (Prime Video)
- Raptors vs. Pacers, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Monday, July 13
- Pistons vs. Knicks, 4 p.m. (Prime Video)
Tuesday, July 14
- Lakers vs. Clippers, 10 p.m. (Prime Video)
Wednesday, July 15
- Pistons vs. Suns, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)
Thursday, July 16
- Lakers vs. Bulls, 6 p.m. (Prime Video)
- Raptors vs. Heat, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
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Chris Graham
