Nobody from last season’s Big East-winning St. John’s team was selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, but opportunities remain.
Four players from that St. John’s roster are participating in this month’s NBA Summer League, including RJ Luis Jr., who reached a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, and Kadary Richmond, who signed a two-way deal with the Washington Wizards.
Aaron Scott signed a Summer League contract with the Boston Celtics, while Deivon Smith signed a Summer League deal with the Atlanta Hawks.
The most high-profile of the bunch is Luis, the reigning Big East Player of the Year, who forewent his final year of college eligibility to go pro.
Luis was ruled out of his second straight Summer League game on Monday with left knee soreness. That means Tuesday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder will be the rookie wing’s final opportunity to suit up in a game this summer.
The Jazz play in the Salt Lake City leg of the Summer League, which runs from July 5-8.
Luis, 22, averaged 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last year. Luis was not going to return to St. John’s, and though he could have commanded a hefty payday in the NCAA transfer portal, he opted to remain in the draft.
His two-way deal with the Jazz will allow him to bounce between the NBA and the G League during the regular season.
“He’s going to be a great pro,” St. John’s coach Rick Pitino said last month. “What people don’t realize, because they haven’t coached him, is how good of a passer he is, how good of a shot-blocker he is, how good of an offensive rebounder he is.
“They just see the scoring ability, so he’ll improve his 3-point shooting once he gets to that level, and then I think he’ll be lethal with what he can do.”
The Wizards, Celtics and Hawks play their Summer League slates in Las Vegas, where the games are scheduled to begin on Thursday and run through July 20.
Richmond’s first opportunity to suit up for Washington comes on Friday night, when the Wizards face the Phoenix Suns.
The Brooklyn-born guard averaged 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a senior with St. John’s but shot a career-low 17.5% on 3-pointers.
Meanwhile, the Summer League contracts signed by Scott and Smith offer them an audition that could turn into a two-way deal. Boston and Atlanta’s first Summer League games are also set for Friday.
Scott, a 6-7 wing, averaged 8.4 points per game on 38.9% shooting as a senior but earned a reputation for his energy and willingness to do the dirty work.
Smith, a speedy 6-1 point guard, was one of the Johnnies’ best transition players and on-ball defenders, but he, too, struggled with shooting, making 38.0% of his field goals during his senior season.
