For Tristen Newton, the recent spate of veteran collegians who have gone on to play well quickly in the NBA could be a nice bit of fortune. Because as the Connecticut star wraps up his impressive NCAA career, which spans three seasons at East Carolina, followed by consecutive spots in the NCAA final with the Huskies, he needs teams to take note of his polish and veteran leadership rather than the lack of upside that comes with being 23 and still in college.
Generally speaking, NBA teams like their draft picks to be unable to legally purchase a six-back of beer here in the U.S. Players who are in the 19-20 age range are preferred.
At Newton’s age, he is a tough sell on NBA teams. But we’ve seen a handful of seniors who have joined playoff-caliber teams in the last two years that could give Newton some hope in the June NBA draft.
“He has his limitations, as a shooter and as an athlete,” one Western Conference coach said. “He is a lot of fun to watch play because he has a good story and he is easy to root for. But e was not someone everyone knew about when he was 12 years old or anything. He had to work to get to where he is and with the way things have gone in the last few drafts, there could be an opening for a player like him.”
Tristen Newton Unlikely to Land in NBA Draft’s 1st Round
It’s unlikely that such an opening will come in the first round, but Newton is a strong candidate to land with a good team in the second round. He has contributed much to the winning culture at Connecticut, and there has been an increased value placed on that type of background in the NBA draft.
In a weak draft like the one we’re seeing in 2024, that could be especially true. Newton averaged 14.9 points for the No. 1 Huskies, though he only shot 41.3% from the field and 31.9% from the 3-point line. His scoring is at a career-high but his shooting woes are not new—Newton has shot 40.1% from the field and 32.7% from the 3-point line in his five college seasons.
Newton is capable of being a first-round pick. He just might not get there.
Jacquez, Ellis Provide Hope for Seniors
Newton has averaged 6.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists this year, and those subtle, lunch-pail numbers are what attracts the attention of scouts. One GM who spoke with Heavy compared him to Keon Ellis of the Kings and Jaime Jacquez Jr. of the Heat—and not because they have similar games to that of Newton.
What earned those comps for Newton is the fact that both Ellis and Jacquez were polished seniors and chipped in to help their NBA teams win quickly.
“He does not wow you with athleticism or with crazy scoring ability or with shooting,” one East GM told Heavy Sports. “But if you watch Newton enough you can’t help but think, ‘He could help us win.’ That’s his niche. It is hard to convince a team to take a guy like that, who does a lot of the little things but does not have the one big thing he is great at.
“A lot of teams will avoid players like that, like the plague. But Ellis and Jacquez, those guys and their success, that is sticking with other front offices. You’re seeing it in Sacramento and you’re seeing it in Miami. Sometimes the answer is, just take the available guy who can help you now. And for some reason, teams are always surprised when that works.”
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Tristen Newton NBA Draft Stock: How High Will UConn Star Go?