Like sharp-shooting teammates Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins before him, Quinn Cook will have to try to make it onto an NBA roster the hard way.
After not hearing his name called Thursday night at the NBA draft, Cook will now try to enter the NBA as an undrafted free agent. The former Blue Devil point guard has reportedly agreed to play for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA’s Orlando summer league, which begins July 4 and runs through July 10.
Another report Saturday indicated that Cook would play summer league ball for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland will play in the Las Vegas summer league, which runs from July 10 to July 20.
After an up-and-down first three seasons in Durham, Cook blossomed into a senior leader, showing the consistency and under-control intensity that head coach Mike Krzyzewski needed from his captain with an inexperienced team.
The Washington native was an All-ACC Second Team selection, scoring 15.3 points per game and converting nearly 40 percent of his 3-point attempts. Cook's offensive outburst was set up by his selflessness in yielding the Blue Devils’ primary point guard position to freshman standout Tyus Jones—who is headed to the Minnesota Timberwolves after being drafted 24th overall—and helped guide the Blue Devils to a national championship.
Despite Cook’s success as a senior and strong showing at the NBA draft combine, his 6-foot-2 inch frame is viewed as a weakness that opposing NBA players would exploit. During his senior season, Cook also stepped it up on the defensive end, drawing tough assignments on taller guards like Notre Dame's Jerian Grant and Utah's Delon Wright.
Oklahoma City took another point guard—Murray State's Cameron Payne—with the 14th overall pick Thursday, but Payne is battling a fractured finger. Cook will now have the chance to compete with rookies around the league to prove whether he deserves a roster spot as a backup to Thunder star Russell Westbrook or with another NBA team.
Update, June 27, 1:45 p.m.: Chris Haynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Saturday that Cook will join the Cleveland Cavaliers' summer league team, per his agent, Jim Tanner. The Cavaliers already have a Duke point guard—former No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving—on the roster.
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