Former Gamecock gets NBA chance with Charlotte Hornets summer league team, reports say
Former South Carolina forward Justin Minaya didn’t hear his name called in the 2022 NBA Draft on Thursday, but he’ll reportedly still get the opportunity to make a pro roster.
According to a tweet from Newsday Sports’ Steve Popper, Minaya has agreed to a summer league deal with the Charlotte Hornets. Basketball insider Adam Zagoria also reported the move, citing league sources.
Minaya played at South Carolina for four seasons before transferring to Providence as a graduate student for his final year of eligibility for the 2021-22 season.
At Providence, he started in 25 of the 32 games he played in. Minaya averaged 33.2 minutes and 6.5 points per game and was second on the team in rebounds with 5.5 per game.
Minaya was also named the Big East Player of the Week for the Friars on Jan. 31, 2022.
In the four seasons in Columbia, Minaya missed some time due to a knee injury in his sophomore season and a hand and wrist injury in his redshirt sophomore season.
He still started in 75 of the 79 games he played for the Gamecocks. Minaya averaged 7.6 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game during his career at South Carolina.
The 2022 summer league starts on July 7 and spans 11 days — 75 games will be played between all 30 NBA teams with the summer league championship scheduled for July 17.
GAMECOCKS IN THE NBA
P.J. Dozier — Denver Nuggets
Hassani Gravett — Orlando Magic
Chris Silva — Miami Heat
The Nets, Knicks, Jazz and Thunder also had high interest in NY native Justin MInaya of @PCFriarsmbb for Summer League but Michael Jordan liked his defense and Minaya chose the Hornets, per league source. https://t.co/CxAHDaOL6S
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) June 24, 2022
