A pair of former UNC Basketball players will team up for the Charlotte Hornets on their NBA Summer League roster
The NBA Summer League is a chance for fans to get their first look at the new 2019 rookie class with their teams. The annual event takes place in July in Las Vegas and is usually a fun, yet competitive atmosphere.
But while fans get a look at the rookies in uniform for the first time, it’s also the chance for other players to try and score a roster spot for NBA teams whether it be in the G-League or a two-way contract.
Two of those players that fall into that category are former North Carolina Tar Heels and they will participate in this year’s event with a local team.
Earlier this week, the Charlotte Hornets announced their 2019 NBA Summer League roster which includes both Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks. Both undrafted players will have their shot at trying to earn a new contract by playing well with the Hornets.
For Hicks, this will be his second stint for the Hornets in the Summer League. He was on the roster in 2017 but didn’t earn a contract out of it. Instead, he signed on with the New York Knicks with a two-way contract.
He spent time between New York and Westchester, playing for their G-League affiliate over the past two seasons. The Knicks decided not to extend a qualifying offer to Hicks, making him a free agent:
The Knicks will not extend a qualifying offer to big man Isaiah Hicks, making him an unrestricted free agent, per SNY sources. Hicks, on a two-way contract with NYK, averaged 16 points, 1.8 blocks and 7.5 rebounds per game last season for the Westchester Knicks in the G League.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 29, 2019
As for Meeks, he played for the Raptors on their 2017 Summer League squad and then joined Raptors 905 as an affiliate player in 2017-18. While he found some success in the G-League, Meeks made the decision to play overseas this past season with the SeaHorses Mikawa of the Japanese B.League.
Now he’s back in the NBA with the Hornets on their Summer League roster seeking out another chance to at least earn a spot in the G-League. We will continue to monitor both players during the Summer League as well as other former UNC players that are participating.
For the latest on former UNC Basketball players, make sure to check back with Keeping It Heel.