Two of the best NBA players to come out of Chapel Hill, in recent years, were 2017 NCAA champions Justin Jackson and Theo Pinson.
Jackson was selected 15th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2017 NBA draft, while the Brooklyn Nets signed Pinson as an undrafted free agent in 2018.
Jackson’s enjoyed a modest amount of success in the league, highlighted by an NBA title in 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks. He started a career-high 41 games during his rookie year with Sacramento, then averaged a career-high 8.2 points per game the following season in Dallas. He’s become a bit of a journeyman since getting drafted, suiting up for six teams in six years.
Pinson has not enjoyed nearly the same level of success in pro ball as Jackson, but he did record a triple-double in the Mavericks’ 2022-2023 season finale. Pinson spent his first two years in Brooklyn, third year with the New York Knicks, then the past two years in Dallas.
The Jackson-Pinson duo is reuniting again, however, with the Dallas Mavericks signing both on Friday, Oct. 20.
Jackson and Pinson will both likely end up in Dallas at some point this year. Their recent signings likely point to them being depth pieces, with each expected to be starters on the Texas Legends, Dallas’ G-League affiliate.
Jackson averaged 13.8 points per game and drained 168 3-pointers across three seasons (2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017) at Carolina, including a collegiate career-high 18.3 in his final year.
Pinson played at Carolina from 2014-2018, averaging 6.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He rarely started in his first three seasons, then exploded onto the scene in senior year, by averaging 10.3 points per game across 37 starts.
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