The final outgoing Bruin has found his new home – at least, for the time being.
The Orlando Magic have signed point guard Tyger Campbell to an NBA Summer League contract, UCLA men's basketball revealed Friday on Twitter. Campbell will suit up for the Magic in Las Vegas from July 7 to 17, and his performance could determine whether or not he gets a two-way or G League contract for the upcoming campaign.
During the predraft process, Campbell starred at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament and appeared at the G League Elite Camp, where he measured in at 5-foot-11. Campbell also participated in individual workouts with the Los Angeles Clippers, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks, none of whom pounced when he went undrafted Thursday night.
Campbell's slightly delayed signing means that every Bruin who declared for the 2023 NBA Draft has now joined a professional franchise in some capacity. Wing Jaime Jaquez Jr. went to the Miami Heat at No. 18 overall, while the Hornets took guard Amari Bailey at No. 41 and the Minnesota Timberwolves snagged guard Jaylen Clark at No. 53.
Guard David Singleton signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Hawks early Friday morning, roughly 12 hours before Campbell inked his own deal.
As for other recent undrafted UCLA products, guard Johnny Juzang signed with the Utah Jazz and guard Jules Bernard signed with the Detroit Pistons last June. While the former made his NBA debut on Feb. 28, the latter got dealt from the Motor City Cruise to the Capital City Go-Go and spent the entire season in the G League.
Campbell arrived in Westwood alongside Bernard in 2018, when Steve Alford was still UCLA's head coach. The point guard didn't make his collegiate debut until Mick Cronin took over the following year, since he missed his entire freshman season with a torn ACL.
After returning from that injury in early 2019, Campbell appeared in and started 133 of the Bruins' next 135 games. Campbell averaged 11.1 points, 4.9 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 32.0 minutes per game for his career, making the All-Pac-12 First Team in each of his last three seasons.
Campbell may have helped lead UCLA to a Final Four in 2021, but he found several ways to take his game to the next level as an upperclassman. After shooting 25.9% from deep and 72.1% from the stripe as an underclassman, Campbell boosted those numbers to 36.9% and 84.8%, respectively, over the following two years.
The undersized floor general led the Pac-12 with a 3.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in each of the past two seasons, and his 655 career assists rank No. 2 in UCLA history.
Orlando has no shortage of guards on its NBA roster, with former lottery picks Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs all already under contract. The Magic also selected Arkansas guard Anthony Black with the No. 6 overall pick on Thursday, and they are rumored to be shopping Suggs and Anthony to make room for him.
Campbell is now well within reach of the G League, though, and his experience running an offense could help him impress scouts – Orlando's or another team's – in Sin City come July.
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