With all the success Michigan State alumni have been having in the NBA, there was a bit of unfortunate news that came out today. Deyonta Davis, the 22-year-old former ‘one-and-done’ Spartan big man, was released this week by the Atlanta Hawks.
The former Michigan Mr. Basketball was signed to the Hawks after spending time in the G League. Davis left school after just one year at Michigan State, despite only starting 16 games and averaging 7.5 points. However, he did show off a lot of great defensive ability that year, setting the school freshman record for blocked shots with 64, also good for second-most in a single season in MSU history.
After school, Davis was called a lottery pick by most experts up until the draft. Sadly, he ended up not being drafted until the first pick of the second round, making him the first player in the green room to not be drafted in the first round since Maciej Lampe in 2003. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics and then traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Last summer, the Grizzlies traded him to the Kings. He then left the Kings for the Warriors, before heading to the G League where he was signed by the Hawks.
Davis’ story is a strange one, and we’ll make sure to keep an eye on it.
