A grand total of 60 names were called at Thursday night’s NBA Draft in New York City, but none of them happened to be UNC seniors Theo Pinson or Joel Berry–who ultimately went undrafted.
Their dreams of playing professional basketball in the league, however, remained alive as each player agreed to a free agent contract shortly after the draft’s conclusion.
Pinson agreed to a two-way contract with the Brooklyn Nets, while Berry signed on with the Los Angeles Lakers.
With a two-way deal in hand, Pinson will likely be on the Nets’ Summer League roster and have the opportunity to bounce back and forth between Brooklyn and the team’s G-League affiliate during the regular season.
Berry’s deal also gives him a good chance to play in the Summer League, but carries no guarantees as to a spot in the team’s training camp or roster for the long term.
It’s also unknown at this time what Berry’s signing means for the Lakers when it comes to their pursuit of noted superstar LeBron James–who is also currently a free agent.
James reportedly has his eyes on forming a “Superteam” in Los Angeles with a handful of other All-Star players including Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
The addition of Berry–the Most Outstanding Player at the 2017 Final Four–to that mix of players could potentially create an instant NBA Finals contender in Southern California.
Photo via Todd Melet
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