DaQuan Jeffries’ training camp deal with Knicks could expand into something more

There’s a lot that’s happened since the New York Knicks finished as the runner-up in the 2022 NBA Summer League. Since then, RJ Barrett signed a four-year extension and Donovan Mitchell was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. It’s been a long two months since the summer squad took the court in Las Vegas, but on Wednesday, fans were reminded of one Summer League player in particular.

DaQuan Jeffries, who went undrafted in 2019, was on New York’s summer roster. Here we are in September, and it’s been made official that the 25-year-old will be at training camp with the Knicks on an Exhibit 10 deal.

In Summer League, Jeffries averaged 8.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in five games while shooting 48.3% from the field and 46.2% from the three-point line. He most recently played for the College Park Skyhawks in the G League, but has experience playing for the Sacramento Kings (31 games), the Houston Rockets (13 games), and the Memphis Grizzlies (three games).

Depending on how the Tulsa product performs in training camp and preseason, he could snag one of New York’s two open roster spots.

DaQuan Jeffries has the chance to make his mark in NBA with the Knicks

Out of the three teams that Jeffries has played for in the league, he made the most impact during his time with the Rockets in 2020-21. The six-foot-five wing appeared in 13 games (three starts) and averaged 4.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in a career-high 20.1 minutes. On top of that, Jeffries’ time with Houston resulted in him putting three-time DPOY Rudy Gobert on a poster.

With the Skyhawks in 2021-22, Jeffries averaged 15.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.3 steals in an average of 26.6 minutes in eight games. He shot 51.2% from the floor and 48% from deep. Jeffries is a player that makes an impact on both ends of the floor.

Jeffries was initially projected to be a second-round pick in 2019, but he’s spent his first four seasons bouncing around between the NBA and the G League. After a successful Summer League Stint with New York that then led to a training camp deal, he now has the opportunity to find his footing with the Knicks. We certainly hope that DaQuan will be sticking around in New York.

Knicks must prioritize the youth movement and continue to rebuild in 2022-23

After a disappointing 2021-22 season, many Knicks fans were calling for the team to go young and trade some of the valuable veterans on the roster.