A pair of Blue Devils will receive fresh starts elsewhere in their NBA careers.
Paolo Banchero, as expected, has been the star of the 2022 Duke basketball draft class after being taken first overall by the Orlando Magic, but two of his Blue Devil teammates have moved on after 2024 draft day deals.
Wendell Moore, the former Duke basketball captain, was the first player dealt just hours before the NBA Draft’s second round began on Thursday afternoon.
The Minnesota Timberwolves traded Moore and the No. 37 overall pick, Sweedish international talent Bobi Klintman, to the Detroit Pistons for the No. 53 overall pick, UConn’s Cam Spencer.
Moore, a former first-round pick in 2022, appeared in 54 games over two seasons with the Timberwolves, averaging 1.1 points and 0.6 rebounds per game. Throughout his NBA career, he has only taken 61 shots and has struggled mightily from three-point range, making only two of 23 attempts.
However, he will have the potential to earn a lot more playing time on a Pistons group that is rebuilding and attempting to improve the team culture.
Shortly after Wendell Moore’s trade was announced, another member of the 2021-2022 Blue Devil Final Four team, AJ Griffin, was traded from the Atlanta Hawks to the Houston Rockets.
The Hawks received the 44th pick in the draft, which was then transferred to the Miami Heat for the 43rd pick. Following the trades, Atlanta acquired Serbian player Nikola Djurisic.
Griffin, the No. 16 pick in the 2022 draft, had a promising rookie season with Atlanta, appearing in 72 games and averaging 8.9 points per game on 39% 3-point shooting. His second season in the league was far less successful, as he only played 20 games and averaged 2.4 points due to injuries.
While the Rockets hope to take the next step this season and make the playoffs, Griffin will have a difficult time finding playing time because Houston chose Kentucky sharpshooter Reed Sheppard with the third overall pick and has been involved in multiple trade speculations involving prominent players.
