St. John’s Standouts Sign NBA Deals After Draft
Luis Jr., Richmond, Scott, and Smith sign with Utah, Washington, Boston, and Atlanta
By Noah Zimmerman | noah@queensledger.com
Four recent Red Storm stars are headed to the NBA. St. John’s basketball standouts RJ Luis Jr., Kadary Richmond, Aaron Scott, and Deivon Smith have all signed NBA deals following last week’s 2025 Draft.
No Johnnies were selected in the two rounds of the draft, but they were quickly picked up before the end of the week. Luis Jr., the former Big East Player of the Year, signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz. Richmond signed a two-way deal with the Washington Wizards, while Scott and Smith signed Summer League deals with the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks respectively.
Luis Jr. was projected to be a possible late second-rounder, but remained on the board after the final day of the draft on Thursday. While undrafted and on a two-way deal, he joins former Rutgers star Ace Bailey, NCAA Champion Walter Clayton Jr., and Wisconsin sharpshooter John Tonje in a loaded Jazz draft class.
Brooklyn-born Kadary Richmond will be adding depth to a retooling Wizards team fresh off a trade for CJ McCollum and top-10 pick in Tre Johnson. Like Luis Jr., his two-way deal will help him pick up valuable G-League minutes amid strong competition.
For both Scott and Smith, they’ll have to prove their value in Summer League, which tips off later this month. Scott will be with the Celtics, who are searching for gems in the wake of Jayson Tatum’s achilles injury. Smith will be with the Hawks, hoping to land a pro deal to play near his hometown of Decatur, GA.
Meanwhile in Queens, St. John’s has crafted an elite transfer class as they prepare to follow up their strongest season in 40 years. After falling in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament, Rick Pitino has picked up Ian Jackson, Bryce Hopkins, Joson Sanon, Oziyah Sellers, and Dillon Mitchell to replace his graduating players and transfer departures.
It’s sure to be a fascinating season both for the Johnnies alumni in the NBA and Pitino’s St. John’s squad when both seasons tip-off this Fall.
