“ You will all regret this, I promise you. » Tracey Jackson-Davis did not hesitate to send this message to the teams who were ignoring him on the night of the Draft. A poorly experienced evening for the interior who saw his name only be called in the penultimate position.
Y'all will regret it… I promise you.
— TJD (@TrayceJackson) June 23, 2023
What the inside of Indiana didn't yet know that night was that, starting with the 35th pick, almost every franchise was calling his agency headed by James Dunleavy, who is none other than… brother from Mike Dunleavy, the new sports boss at Golden State.
However, the teams in question wanted to offer him a “two-way contract”, and not a guaranteed place as wanted by the player and his clan. And that’s how he continued to fall in the Draft… “ I didn't know what was going on with my agents. I tweeted this right before they told me. Then they told me that we were waiting for a guarantee, but that they didn't want to tell me and that it fell through », remembers the rookie in a detailed article from The Athletic.
Kings, Celtics, Pacers, Nets… Trayce Jackson-Davis no longer counted at the time the number of teams interested in his profile during the process ahead of the Draft. The 23-year-old imagined himself finishing between the end of the first round and the start of the second. “ I was very surprised frankly. I felt like my final year of college I improved my game a lot », Reports the interior who had signed a last university season with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists.
The Warriors rather than the Wizards
“ I looked at his college resume and it was incredibly impressive. He shot 20 and 10, and was conference player of the year or at least an All-American », Realized Klay Thompson, whose teammate has averaged a double-double for four games (12 points, 10 rebounds and 1 block).
Because it is ultimately the Warriors who will manage to get their hands on it. And this is thanks to the Wizards' 57th Draft pick, with whom the Californians will come to an agreement to exchange Jordan Poole for Chris Paul. Patrick Baldwin Jr. will also be on the trip, with cash, and Trayce Jackson-Davis was thus able to land with the 2022 champions. The latter were ready to offer him a four-year contract, the first two years of which were guaranteed.
“ I think Washington called me the day of the Draft. The Spurs (33rd and 44th picks) and they called me and said: 'We're thinking of taking you at the start of the second round.' But it didn't happen. All of a sudden my agent called me to tell me the Warriors were going to put together a trade for Washington's pick », remembers the interior, author of 10 points and 15 rebounds against these same Wizards a few days ago.
Quite a turning point in his career before it even began. Because rather than joining the capital team, inexperienced and expected at the back of the table, the son of Dale Davis joined a prestigious and still ambitious team, full of future Hall of Famers. “ Play with Chris (Paul), Stephanie (Curry) and all these guys… It’s a blessing to start your career here. It's not ordinary to have so many legends on your team. »
| Tracey Jackson-Davis | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2023-24 | GOS | 19 | 11 | 64.3 | 0.0 | 58.1 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 4.7 |
| Total | 19 | 11 | 64.3 | 0.0 | 58.1 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 4.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
