Grant Jerrett’s outside shooting is his best attribute for now. Photo by Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Former Arizona Wildcat power forward Grant Jerrett, who left after his freshman season to turn pro, is likely to start drawing a paycheck in the NBA D-League.
Jerrett was a second-round pick, 40th overall, of the Portland Trailblazers, and was quickly shipped on draft night to Oklahoma City for cash.
Jerrett hasn’t been with the team in practices, which started last week, and wasn’t at the team’s Media Day. He is expected to sign with Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League, which will allow OKC to keep Jerrett’s draft rights, according to a story in the Daily Oklahoman.
Jerrett isn’t NBA-ready, so this is the logical move as it buys him time to get stronger while actually seeing time on the court.
He averaged 5.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game as a freshman, shooting 40.5 percent from 3-point range (32 of 79).
“We’re really intrigued,” Oklahoma City general manager Troy Weaver said about Jerrett on draft night.
“He really piqued our interest during the process. The guy can really shoot the ball. He shot 40 percent from three as a big in college, which rarely happens for a 6-foot-10 kid. We like his tools and his skill set. We believe he’s a player that can continue to grow with the program. …
“He has some tremendous tools, length and shooting ability. He has a knack for the ball. He comes up with balls and can block a shot. He’s not scared to mix it up inside.”
According to an ESPN story last fall, D-League players don’t get paid much, falling into three salary classifications: $25,500, $19,000 and $13,000. Players get a per diem of $40, plus housing and insurance benefits.
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The odds are long to make the team, but former Arizona guard Kyle Fogg signed with the Denver Nuggets and will be in camp.
Fogg played in the D-League last season, averaging 6.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. He was not selected in the 2012 NBA Draft.
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Rookie first-rounder Solomon Hill is already making a big impression with the Indiana Pacers.
“He’s a rookie so he’s at the very bottom of the depth chart for now,” coach Frank Vogel said on the team’s official website.
“But I don’t anticipate he’s going to stay there for long. [I've] just been very, very impressed with him. If he were called on and he had to be a big factor opening night, he would do very well. He’s shown me a lot already.”
Read more about Hill and his thoughts about camp in the story on NBA.com.
Excited for the week!
— Kyle Fogg (@KFogg21) October 1, 2013