The Hawks are expected to announce they have signed Boise State University wing Justinian Jessup to an NBL Next Stars agreement for the 2020-21 NBL season.
Jessup, who was coached by NBL legend John Rillie in his freshman year at Boise State averaged 16 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game last season in his final year of college eligibility.
Jessup’s signing with the Hawks has had an unexpected benefit for his NBA future it seems. His draft stock increasing significantly since the Next Star signing leaked earlier today.
His Next Stars contract provides added flexibility to NBA teams thinking of drafting Jessup knowing they have the option to either sign him to their roster or go the draft-and-stash route, sending him to Australia for a year.
After signing the deal he was immediately added to Sam Vecenie’s of The Athletic’s NBA mock draft.
“Jessup is an elite-level shooter, which is something the Pelicans need more of. More than that, though, Jessup will likely be more than happy to be a draft-and-stash, given his current situation.
NBA teams can select him knowing that his plans for next year are already carved out. Then, they can potentially bring him back for the back part of the season if the G-League happens. Jessup hit 96 percent from the foul line this year, and nearly 41 percent of his 800 career 3-point attempts at Boise.” said Vecenie.
Vecenie has Jessup going in the second round—No. 60 overall—to the New Orleans Pelicans. He is also currently the 81st ranked player in the ESPN Top 100.
Vecenie’s mock draft also has LaMelo Ball drafted #3 by Charlotte, RJ Hampton drafted at #15 by Orlando and Aussie Josh Green drafted at #21 by Philadelphia.
The 22-year-old has a game that will translate nicely to the NBL. He is deadly from three-point range, in fact, he’s the career leader in made threes not just at Boise State, but in the Mountain West Conference with 325 three-pointers made.
Justinian Jessup is a Duncan Robinson type freak shooter pic.twitter.com/V3uSNRGseG
— Simon Rath (@HawksDraftNerd) August 6, 2020
He is arguably the best shooter among forward in the 2020 NBA Draft class, he averaged 40 percent from beyond the arc during his four seasons with Boise State, breaking Jimmer Fredette’s Mountain West Conference record for made career three-pointers in the process.
Jessup was a solid rebounder and a gritty defender in college, something the NBA scouts have noticed and will fit well within the defensive-minded roster built by Hawks coach Brian Goorjian.
Jessup will become the NBL’s third Next Star for the upcoming season, joining the Adelaide 36ers’ Josh Giddey and the Cairns Taipans’ Mojave King.
Each team is allowed one Next Star on its roster, a player does not get included in the 10 player team roster.
Jessup will join Tyler Harvey, Deng Adel, Cameron Bairstow, Max Darling, Emmett Naar, Deng Deng, Dan Grida, Sam Froling, Justin Simon and Isaac White on Brian Goorjian’s roster for the 2020-21 NBL season.