Syracuse, N.Y. ― Syracuse guard Judah Mintz, who entered the NBA draft with two years of eligibility remaining, went undrafted during the second and final round of the league’s 2024 draft on Thursday.
Mintz, a 6-foot-3 guard, had hoped to be drafted after putting his name into the NBA draft for the second time in as many years. He removed his name from consideration a year ago, instead electing to return to Syracuse for his sophomore year.
He enjoyed a successful 2023-24 season that saw him average 18.8 points, 4.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
Mintz was one of several well-known college players who entered this year’s draft with eligibility remaining and weren’t among the 58 players selected in the two-round event.
Others included Creighton’s Trey Alexander, Kentucky’s Justin Edwards, Louisiana Tech’s Isaiah Crawford, West Virginia’s Jalen Bridges and David Jones of Memphis.
It marked the fourth consecutive year in which no Syracuse player was taken in the NBA’s draft. The last Syracuse player drafted was Elijah Hughes, who was the No. 39 pick in the 2020 draft.
But not hearing his name called during the draft does not end Mintz’s pursuit of his NBA dream.
Mintz will hope to follow the path that former Syracuse forward Oshae Brissett took the NBA. Brissett entered the 2019 draft after his sophomore year and wasn’t selected. Brissett has carved out an NBA career, working his way from the G-League into stints with the Indiana Pacers, the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics.
Brissett became just the second Syracuse player to ever appear in an NBA Finals game as he earned an NBA championship ring this year with the Celtics.
The next step for Mintz will likely be in the NBA’s summer league. The NBA’s 2024 summer league will take place July 12 through July 22 in Las Vegas. The summer league offers players a showcase where they can earn invites to training camps or even a contract as an undrafted free agent.
There were four first-round picks…
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