The Golden State Warriors used the No. 51 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft — their third and final selection — to draft 6’7” guard Justinian Jessup. However, Jessup will not be joining the Warriors this year. He’s already signed a contract to play professionally in Australia, with the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks, the team that LaMelo Ball famously played for.
So even though Jessup is an American player, he’ll be a draft and stash option. That’s perfect for a Warriors team that already has more young projects than they know what to do with and really weren’t in a position to add three rookies on draft day.
Jessup had a four-year run at Boise State, and in the 2019-20 season averaged 16.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Most intriguing was his jump shot — he made 39.7% of his threes, and 95.9% of his free throws. We know the Warriors like their shooters, and if he can develop the rest of his game overseas he could be a weapon down the road.
Not surprisingly, Jessup was not a highly ranked prospect. He registered at No. 78 on The Athletic’s big board.
Perhaps we’ll see him on a Warriors team in the future, or perhaps not. Either way, welcome to Dub Nation!
