The rookie has landed.
Grayson Allen, who was selected by the Jazz with the No. 21 pick of last week’s NBA Draft, flew into Salt Lake City on Wednesday afternoon to settle into his new home. The Duke graduate and former Third Team All-American met with the Miller family, made the rounds at the Zions Bank Basketball Campus, received his jersey (he’ll wear No. 24), and fielded questions from both the media (during a 30-minute press conference) and Jazz fans (via Facebook Live). On Thursday, he toured Vivint Smart Home Arena and signed autographs for hundreds of fans who showed up to greet him.
“I’m very grateful to be a part of the Utah Jazz,” Allen said. “And I’m excited to get to work preparing for Summer League and to get out on the court and wear the Jazz jersey across my chest. I think big things are coming.”
Allen entered Duke as a prized recruit out of Jacksonville, Florida and, though he played sparingly as a freshman (9.2 minutes per game), he came off the bench to score 16 points to help the Blue Devils beat Wisconsin in the national championship game. Allen was a consistent starter during his final three collegiate seasons, even as he saw his role change—as a sophomore, he averaged a team-high 21.6 points per game before becoming more of a distributor during his junior and senior seasons. He averaged a career-high 4.6 assists per game last season.
“I think I can improve my game a lot and be an even better NBA player,” he said. “The two things that can get you on the court, especially on a playoff team, are playing defense and hitting open shots. ... Once I contribute in those ways, I can expand my role and get into the offense playing for a team that really moves the ball well.” Allen will make his professional debut next week at the Utah Jazz Summer League. He’ll be joined by lottery picks Trae Young (Hawks) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies), as well as Lonnie Walker IV (Spurs) in the three-day, six-game tournament. One-day passes are still available for only $8.