Out of all the players signed by NBA teams to free agent contracts after going undrafted this year, DaQuan Jeffries may be the most athletic and explosive. He has actually won all four of the dunk competitions he has ever participated in, including NCAA’s version in 2019 where the 6-foot-5, 225-pounder showed off his agility and creativity.
Jeffries, a soon-to-be 22-year-old after playing at three different colleges in four years, has the potential to be a reliable and versatile defender in the pros. With supreme strength, a nearly 7-foot wingspan and elite instincts, the Edmond, Oklahoma native can effectively guard multiple positions. At Tulsa, where he finished his college career, he recorded the seventh most blocked shots in the American Athletic Conference in 2018-19, first among players 6’5 and under.
Many of Jeffries’ top plays in college came when he deflected away passes or stripped the ball away from opponents and then accelerated down the floor for breakaway dunks. He seems to always be in the right spot on defense, which allows him to force turnovers and create easy scoring opportunities for his team.
Although nobody expects him to run an offense, at least in the NBA, Jeffries has a high basketball IQ and almost always makes the right decisions. Particularly when he receives kick-out passes while standing in the corners or on the wings, the former Golden Hurricane will swing the ball if a teammate has a better look or take the shot himself if that’s the best option.
On the topic of shooting, Jeffries is solid from beyond the arc. In three years playing Division I – he spent a year at a community college between Oral Roberts and Tulsa – Jeffries made 80 of his 212 3-point attempts (37.7 percent). Even if he doesn’t become a better off-screen or pull-up jump shooter, the 2018-19 All-AAC third-teamer should at minimum be a dependable spot-up outside shooter at the next level.
Click HERE for a look at the Orlando Magic's 2019 Summer League roster