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NBA Team Makes RJ Davis Decision Before Draft

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 5:46 PM ET

After falling to Ole Miss in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, North Carolina Tar Heels star RJ Davis saw his five-year college basketball career come to an end.

Through 175 total games with UNC, Davis averaged 15.6 points on 41.8% shooting, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, becoming the second-leading scorer in Tar Heels history.

Despite a solid college career, Davis is widely projected to be a late second-round pick or go undrafted. The 6-footer from White Plains, NY, didn't even receive an invite to the NBA draft combine.

He did, however, participate in the G League Elite Camp, averaging 13.5 points on 52.6% shooting, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals through two scrimmages.

If players at the G League camp performed well enough, they were able to earn a second chance at an invite to the combine. Yet despite his stellar play, he was still not on the invitation list.

However, Davis recently got another chance to flex his skills before the draft. According to The Athletic's Will Guillory, the New Orleans Pelicans hosted Davis for a pre-draft workout on Thursday.

Along with Davis, the Pelicans also worked out Kansas' Hunter Dickinson, Arkansas' Johnell Davis and Wisconsin's Steven Crowl.

Pelicans hosted a few big names for pre-draft workouts yesterday, per league sources:

RJ Davis (UNC)
Johnell Davis (Arkansas)
Steven Crowl (Wisconsin)
Hunter Dickinson (Kansas)
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) June 6, 2025

The Pelicans hold just one pick in June’s draft, the No. 7 overall selection in the first round. While they’re unlikely to use it on Davis or any of the previously mentioned players, New Orleans could look to trade back into the second round or sign one as an undrafted free agent.

Despite having numerous former All-Stars on the team, including Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the injury-plagued Pelicans team ended the season with a 21-61 record, the fourth-worst in the NBA.

If New Orleans does decide to take a flyer on Davis, we could see him in action during the Summer League.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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