It was widely expected that RJ Davis wouldn't be selected during the 2025 NBA Draft. Even after an illustrious career at North Carolina, NBA teams still doubted the White Plains, New York native, enough to not be willing to use a draft pick to select him.
However, once the draft concluded, Davis quickly found an NBA home, as Billy Reinhardt reported that he will be signing a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Source: RJ Davis, former UNC star, has agreed to a contract with the Lakers.
— Billy Reinhardt (@BillyReinhardt) June 27, 2025
Davis will sign an Exhibit 10 deal with the Lakers. In case you're unfamiliar with this type of contract, here's some information to know:
An Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, minimum-salary contract, typically non-guaranteed. It allows teams to bring players into training camp, potentially leading to the player's contract being converted into a two-way contract before the start of the regular season. These contracts are often used to fill out training camp rosters and evaluate players for both the NBA team and its G League affiliate.
Fans of the UNC basketball program got to enjoy watching Davis play for five seasons, as he leaves the program as one of the most decorated athletes that has ever worn the Carolina Blue. The school's second all-time leading scorer, Davis' No. 4 is soon to be hanging in the rafters at the Dean Smith Center, an honor he earned by being named the ACC Player of the Year during his senior season in 2023-2024.
Davis was a major part of the Tar Heels national championship game run in 2022, a year in which many believed the UNC basketball program wasn't even an NCAA Tournament caliber squad. As his career in Chapel Hill progressed, Davis continued to get better, becoming one of the country's elite scorers in all three areas on the floor.
A "tough little nut" as Roy Williams would describe him, Davis was the perfect representation for not only the UNC basketball program, but the University of North Carolina as a whole. He is more than deserving of this opportunity, and will now look to prove the doubters wrong once again.
The saying "WHY NOT 4" still remains very relevant. It's a friendly reminder to everyone that Davis won't be stopped in his pursuit of his NBA dreams.