Getty Golden State Warriors draftee Justinian Jessup handles the ball during a game between the Illawarra Hawks and the Tasmania Jackjumpers.
The Golden State Warriors may be four wins away from claiming their seventh NBA championship, but the team’s front office still has a busy summer ahead. In addition to rounding out the roster for next season amid a monster luxury tax bill, team president Bob Myers and his brain trust will also be evaluating prospects, both internal and external.
Justinian Jessup fits into the former category. After wrapping up his run as a four-year starter at Boise State, the sharpshooter was drafted by Golden State back in 2020. The team has monitored his progress ever since as he fulfills a Next Stars contract with the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks.
Whether or not he ever lands a full-time roster spot with the Warriors — or some other NBA team — remains to be seen. But the 23-year-old has given the club plenty to think about with his play in the Aussie league.
And, according to the Hawks, Myers and Co. will be getting an up-close look at Jessup later this summer.
Hawks: Jessup Returning for Summer League
Per a report from the Illawarra club on their players’ offseason plans, Jessup will be back in the US for NBA Summer League play in July. Moreover, he’ll be suiting up for the Warriors’ entry into the competition once again.
The update specifically mentioned July 7-17, which is when the Las Vegas Summer League will take place. However, the Warriors will be hosting the fourth annual California Classic — which will also feature the Sacramento Kings, LA Lakers and Miami Heat — on July 2 and 3 as well.
In 30 appearances for the Hawks during the 2021-22 campaign, the 6-foot-6 Jessup averaged 13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest. He also connected on 35.8% of his 5.8 three-point attempts per outing.
His best game came against the Brisbane Bullets in late March when he scored a game-high 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting to lead Illawarra to an 87-70 win.
In speaking with Heavy.com’s Sean Deveney, an NBA scout opined that Jessup “has been up-and-down this year but it has been a tough year there for COVID and so no one has been consistent.”
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NBA Potential
Although the scout offered a less than glowing assessment of Jessup’s sophomore season with the Hawks, they didn’t hesitate in appraising him as a player who could stick in the Association.
“When his confidence is going, he is a really good, NBA-level shooter. He is not an All-Star but he has handled adversity and he is a good team player. You can imagine him having a good, solid career as a shooter off the bench,” the scout said. “There are a lot of teams that need that.”
Again, though, his future may lie somewhere other than the Bay Area.
“He could be in the NBA next season, but just maybe not with the Warriors,” the scout added.
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