WSU’s Jaylen Wells and Isaac Jones went unselected in Round 1 of NBA Draft. Where could they go in Round 2?
PULLMAN – From his seat at New York City’s Barclays Center, a few rows back and to the right of center stage at the NBA Draft, Jaylen Wells didn’t hear his name called during Wednesday’s first round. Washington State’s versatile wing went unselected, as did Isaac Jones, the Cougars’ athletic forward.
Neither were projected to go in the first round anyway, which shines the spotlight on the second. Where could Wells and Jones end up, and how could their pre-draft processes impact their selections?
Thursday’s second round of the NBA Draft is set to begin at 1 p.m. on ESPN.
Wells is likely to be the first Coug taken of the two. Mock drafts across the NBA orbit see him going at spots like No. 47 (Yahoo Sports), No. 37 (The Ringer), No. 49 (The Athletic, NBC Sports) and No. 44 (CBS Sports). It’s no mystery why: At 6-foot-7, Wells has the body type NBA teams look for, and he has the tools, shooting 41.7% from deep in his one season at WSU, including 44% in conference play.
For Wells, a former Division-II star at Sonoma State before blossoming at WSU, the question will be where he fits on a potential team. He took workouts with the Warriors, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings, according to HoopsHype.
If he goes No. 47, he’ll join the Orlando Magic, a team that needs shooting in a bad way. The Magic shot just 35.2% from deep last season – a key reason why they’re rumored to be in the market for another former Coug, sharpshooter Klay Thompson – and Wells could provide valuable floor-spacing for a playoff team. Orlando fell in this year’s first round of the Eastern Conference postseason.
If Wells is picked No. 37, he’ll go to the Minnesota Timberwolves, an upstart club that dethroned the defending champion Denver Nuggets in this year’s Western Conference semifinals and made the conference finals. “Because of his knockdown shooting ability, Wells fits the profile of a role player the Timberwolves could use to support Anthony Edwards offensively,” the Ringer wrote. That’s a big ask of a second-round pick, but Wells has the potential.
The No. 49 pick belongs to the Indiana Pacers, which made the Eastern Conference Finals, falling when star guard Tyrese Haliburton went out with an injury. Does Wells fit there? The Pacers are a bit top-heavy – between dynamic wing Pascal Siakam, Haliburton, center Myles Turner and ex-Gonzaga Bulldog Andrew Nembhard, they have their top few spots filled – but Indiana loves to run and shoot, clocking in with a pace of 101.8, second in the league. Wells certainly fits that bill.
Finally, if Wells hears his name called at No. 44, he’ll become a Houston Rocket. Of these potential landing spots, this one might be the least favorable for Wells, who would have to stand out among a crowded young core. The Rockets are loaded with young talent, trying to find the right guys to take for the long haul among center Alperen Sengun, guard Jalen Green and forwards Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason. Could Wells crack the rotation over those guys? Maybe, but it would be quite the challenge.
The path for Jones, who played three years at junior college and one at Idaho before transferring to WSU, to earning a draft selection looks a little hazier. He doesn’t appear on many mock drafts – he did appear at No. 56 on NBADraft.net’s big board, and in Bleacher Report’s June 19 mock draft, Jones went No. 57 overall to the Memphis Grizzlies – but he does have the tools that might tempt a team at the back end of the draft to take a flier on him.
The pitch for Jones, who was confirmed to work out with Golden State and Indiana: He’s an athletic forward/wing who can guard multiple positions, finish lobs and operate in the post, particularly in isolation. He might not have much of a perimeter shot – that’s likely his biggest flaw, at least in the eyes of NBA scouts – but he’s made up for it at each stop he made in college.
Can Jones do the same in the pros? Only time will tell.
What happens if neither Wells nor Jones gets selected?Wells’ and Jones’ NBA dreams would be far from over even if neither player gets selected on Thursday. Lots of undrafted prospects catch on with teams in other ways.
The most common is for undrafted players to sign a two-way contract, which allows them to play for an NBA organization’s pro team and G-League team, which is a little like MLB teams’ minor-league operations. Under this type of contract, players are eligible to play up to 50 games with the NBA team before the team either sends them to the G-League affiliate or signs them to a standard NBA contract.
Other players sign an Exhibit 10 deal, which is a little more niche. With this type of one-year, non-guaranteed deal, which is essentially a training camp invitation, players can earn a bonus of up to $50,000 – and it gives NBA teams the option to convert the contract to a two-way deal before the start of the season.