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As a key player on the Auburn Tigers Final Four squad, guard Denver Jones might have expected to hear his name called during the NBA Draft. The first and second rounds passed him by, but he has landed a summer league invitation from the Cleveland Cavaliers.  

With Auburn’s season in the rearview mirror, Jones is seizing a new chance to prove himself on a bigger stage. Jones will look to earn a spot in the NBA, and he’ll do so alongside former Auburn teammate Chaney Johnson.

Johnson signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Cavs last week. 

The NBA summer league is not a guaranteed contract; rather, it’s an opportunity for young players, rookies, and undrafted players to showcase their skills and give themselves an opportunity to earn a training camp invitation and possibly a roster spot. 

Jones averaged 10.9 points per game last year and has a career total of 1,675 points, and a field goal percentage of 44.2% in his four years at Florida International University and Auburn.

Jones offers an impressive defensive skill set, clocking an impressive defensive rating of 105.1 this past season. 

Head coach Bruce Pearl was quick to sing the praises of Jones’s defense after a particularly strong effort in a win over Alabama. 

"I don't know when somebody in the media's going to talk about him being one of the best defensive players in college basketball,” Pearl said of Jones in February. “We'll do the research for you. If you look at his matchups night in and night out.

"I mean Mark Sears is one of the best players in college basketball period. Not that he did it by himself, but he did a great job on Mark. He made his catches tough. Stay down, stay between him and the basket. How do you stay in front of Mark Sears? Hardly anybody can.

"Denver Jones did."

With Jones’s departure, the question of who takes his place is still on the minds of Auburn fans. 

Tahaad Pettiford was a name that was heard consistently last year, and Pettiford looks to embrace his new role as the Tigers' main guard. Pettiford might not be the defensive stopper that Jones was, but he’s much more of a scoring threat. 

Kevin Overton is another guard who could prove to step into Jones’s spot. The 6-5, 4-star transfer from Texas Tech looks like he could pair up beside Pettiford, but He has some big shoes to fill, especially defensively.


This article first appeared on Auburn Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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