In a late second round trade Wednesday,, the Nets acquired Reggie Perry, a 6’10” center/power forward out of Mississippi State, taking him with the No. 57 pick. In return, the Nets sent the 55th pick to the Clippers who took Jay Scrubb, a 6’6” guard who was JUCO player of the year.
There was little information on the trade, including whether it was a separate deal or part of the earlier deal that sent the 19th pick to L.A. for Landry Shamet.
Perry, 20, was co-player in the SEC this season, averaging a double-double — 17.4 points and 10.1 rebounds shooting 50/32/78. In SEC play, he averaged 19.2 points and 10.4 rebounds in conference games. The five mock drafts that did 1-60 projections all had Perry going in second round ... from No. 38 to No. 51.
“It feels good,” said Perry. “I was nervous in the second round and it got tight. But it definitely feels good to hear my name called and that’s been my dream since I was little. I told my agent I just wanted to hear my name called, no matter when it was called. I am going to get there and work as soon as I get to Brooklyn.,,
“Just get to Brooklyn and get to work,” added Perry. “I was talking to the GM (general manager) on the phone and he was welcoming me to the family. I am sure they will be in touch with my agent and we will be up there in the next couple of days.
“It’s crazy but I just got to get in there and push through. Find my rhythm quickly and get rolling with my teammates and get ready to play at this level.”
The Thomasville, Georgia native was a consensus five-star recruit and the top player in the state of Georgia in the class of 2018, rated No. 16 in ESPN’s Top 100. Perry led Thomasville to its first ever state championship during his senior season. In the McDonald’s All-American, he scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the game.
Last summer, Perry was the MVP of the gold medal winning FIBA U19 tournament in Greece, averaging 13.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game on a highly competitive roster that included Tyrese Haliburton who was taken by the Kings Wednesday and Jalen Green, now part of the G League Select Team. Perry’s best performance of the tournament was a 28-point, eight-rebound outing against Russia in the quarterfinal.
Here’s some highlight video from this season
And here’s Mike Schmitz of ESPN’s pre-draft analysis...
Perry has been on the radar since debuting at USA Basketball in 2014 as a 14-year-old, and at one point, it was easy to label him a throwback big. But Perry’s game has been trending more toward today’s style of play. And during 3-on-3 action at Impact Basketball, the 20-year-old was excellent, displaying a more modern game than we saw at the collegiate level.
Perry put up big numbers during his sophomore season at Mississippi State, averaging 17.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 blocks per game in 31 minutes, but he did a lot of his damage in the paint and was spotty with decision-making and defensive impact. But watching him in Vegas, Perry shot the ball comfortably from 3, made plays out of handoffs and short rolls as a driver and passer, played above the rim and showed the agility to defend away from the basket
Although the Nets drafted Perry, they do not have to sign him to an NBA contract. They can, if they wish, have him sign directly with the Long Island Nets as they did last year with No. 56 pick, Jaylen Hands. They could also sign him to a two-way deal with Long Island Nets.
- Nets select Reggie Perry with No. 57 pick in 2020 NBA Draft - Mark Fischer - New York Post
- Reggie Perry goes to the Brooklyn Nets: Here’s what they’re getting - Seth Davis - The Athletic NBA
- Reggie Perry of Mississippi State picked No. 57 in NBA Draft, headed to Brooklyn Nets - Tyler Horka - Jackson Clarion-Ledger
- Surrounded by family in person and in spirit, Reggie Perry returns to his roots on draft night - Ben Portnoy - Columbus Dispatch
- Former Bulldog Reggie Perry selected by Brooklyn Nets - Paul Jones - 247 Sports