Despite not being drafted on Thursday night, former Duke guard Matt Jones will still get the chance to pursue his NBA dreams.
Jones will play with the Houston Rockets in the NBA Summer League starting in July. He announced the news on his Twitter account.
Thankful for the opportunity to play in summer league w/ @HoustonRockets. nothing but God.
— matt13jones_ (@matt13jones_) June 24, 2017
The Rockets open play in the Las Vegas Summer League July 7 against the Denver Nuggets for their first of three games.
Jones was a four-year contributor for the Blue Devils. He saw spot playing time his first season, only averaging 7.3 minutes per game, but made a big jump his sophomore year. The DeSoto, Texas, native was elevated into the starting lineup midway through the 2015 season after guard Rasheed Sulaimon was dismissed from the team and was one of the catalysts on Duke's run to the 2015 National Championship.
He has been a mainstay in the starting lineup since then and provided veteran leadership and excellent defense during his junior and senior year. Jones' offense peaked during his junior year, as he averaged 10.4 points per game and shot 41.5 percent from the 3-point line. He was one of the few consistent contributors for that young Duke team.
Jones struggled offensively his senior year, shooting just 34.2 percent from beyond the arc, but was matched up against opponents' top perimeter threats in most games. He was one of only two Blue Devil players to appear in every game and served as a team captain for the second consecutive year. Jones was also named to the ACC All-Defensive Team his senior year and finished tied for eighth on the Duke’s all-time games played list.
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