Long Island Nets takes two New Yorkers in G League Draft

The Long Island Nets selected three players in today’s 2018 NBA G League Draft, including two New York natives —one from Brooklyn and the Bronx.

With the 14th overall pick in the first round, Long Island selected guard Durand Scott. Scott, a Bronx native and Rice High School grad, played in 31 games (16 starts) for the Memphis Hustle in the NBA G League last season, posting averages of 12.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals in 28.3 minutes per contest while shooting 50.0 percent (144-of-288) from the field. He also appeared in five games for EWE Baskets Oldenburg in the German BBL during the 2017-18 campaign.

A high school teammate of Kemba Walker, he’s played professionally in Spain, Israel, Italy and Germany after playing four collegiate seasons (2009-13) at the University of Miami, where he was named the 2012-13 ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He’s 28.

With the 22nd overall pick in the first round, the LI Nets selected Canadian center Jabari Craig. Craig played two seasons (2016-18) at East Carolina University, recording averages of 5.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 22.5 minutes per game in 22 games (all starts) during his senior season. Originally from Toronto, Craig also played one season (2015-16) at Pearl River Community College in Mississippi and one season (2014-15) at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. He’s 23.

With their third selection, the second pick in the second round, the Nets selected Brooklyn-born guard Jahvari Josiah. Josiah played 27 games with Atleticos de San German in Puerto Rico’s BSN league during the 2016-17 season, recording averages of 2.7 points and 1.3 rebounds in 5.5 minutes per contest. The Beach Channel High School product appeared in 31 games in one collegiate season (2014-15) at Coppin State, averaging 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per game, after playing two seasons (2011-13) at Monroe Community College in Rochester, N.Y. He’s 25.

The Nets previously used four of their original seven picks to acquire two returning players, Agua Caliente’s Marshall Plumlee, a 7-footer who played last year with the Bucks, and Nick Zeisloft, a Lithuanian-American who played college ball at Indiana and was with the the Fort Wayne Mad Ants last season.

Long Island also acquired a second round pick in the 2019 NBA G League Draft from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in exchange for the returning player rights to guard Trevor Cooney.