Many followers of the UConn men’s basketball team were quick to criticize Daniel Hamilton for leaving Storrs after his sophomore season in 2016. On the college court Hamilton did everything yet pundits curiously raised their eyebrows, wondering if he was productive and motivated enough to make it the NBA.
When he went in the 2nd round of the 2016 NBA Draft and then started his career in the G-League, those cries only grew louder. Two years later, with his name inked on a guaranteed contract, the Los Angeles native has proven his doubters wrong and earned the respect of his former teammates looking to follow his lead.
“It feels great man, [signing with Atlanta] is the reason I left school,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton departure was by no means the first to draw the wrath of the UConn faithful—Andre Drummond, Charlie Villaneuva, and Rudy Gay all darted early with plenty of questions, though obviously under different circumstances. But they were top picks who had or are in the midst of lengthy NBA careers.
Hamilton signed a one-year, $1.3 million dollar deal with the Atlanta Hawks this offseason, validating his decision to prematurely leave school. Husky fans selfishly wanted Hamilton to stay after a promising sophomore campaign in which the do-it-all wing led Connecticut to the NCAA Tournament and an AAC Tournament Championship. But for Hamilton, the allure of the NBA was too much to pass up, even if it meant drawing the ire of the fans who feverishly supported him in Storrs.
“I always wanted to play in the NBA, it is a dream come true and I’m excited to get out there and play," he said.
Though he was a top-20 or even top-15 recruit and the highest-ranked recruit of the Kevin Ollie era, Hamilton didn’t take the same path to the NBA as his UConn forefathers did before him. He wasn’t a lottery pick or drafted in the first round. Hamilton was picked 56th overall by the Denver Nuggets and then traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder on draft night. The 6-foot-7 forward spent a year in the G-League before signing a two-way contract with the Thunder last offseason, making his NBA debut in November of 2017. He played in just six games for OKC but developed enough to catch the eye of Hawks’ general manager Travis Schlenk. Schlenk penned deals with Hamilton and ageless veteran Vince Carter, filling out Atlanta’s final two rosters spots.
It wasn’t the fast lane to an NBA roster, but the destination was all the same.
“Everybody’s path is different—you don’t know what is going to happen,” said Rodney Purvis of his former teammate's situation. “Everyone knew that Daniel was a great talent it was just opportunity and time. I felt like he took advantage of it…The chance he took is working.”
Hamilton likely knew when he declared himself eligible for the draft that he wasn’t a sure-fire first-round pick, or even a guarantee to get drafted. But his goal was to make an NBA roster, forcing him to weigh his two options: stay in school and dominate in the AAC or make the leap. Hamilton could improve his game in the G-League where the competitors were all grown men vying for a team’s attention.
“It is a great decision for him and his family—it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about his decision,” said Amida Brimah. “As long as he thinks it is a good decision for him, it doesn’t matter.”
The Husky basketball program is in the midst of regaining its national footing in the American Athletic Conference following the firing of Kevin Ollie. Under the new leadership of Danny Hurley, and with a much more beaten path to the big show through its development league, Hamilton’s route to the NBA might become the new Huskies’ norm. Until Hurley can lure top-level recruits or the one-and-done player destined for the NBA, which will be tougher in the AAC than it was in the Big East, as many Husky faithful have learned the hard way, UConn probably won’t be fast-tracking dudes to the draft lottery they once were in the program’s prime under Jim Calhoun.
It's also really, really hard to lock down a spot in the NBA, where realistically there are only a few roster spots up for grabs in a given year. Many players from all schools are going to be following this path more often.
Brimah noted how Hamilton’s time in the G-League has advanced his game.
“It was great for his development and as you can see he has gotten really good with his decision making and shooting,” he said.
Hamilton averaged 16.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 45 games for the OKC Blue last season on .406 percent shooting, according to NBA.com.
Purvis and Brimah, who both stayed in school after Hamilton departed, are now attempting to emulate Hamilton’s rise from draft-night oversight to G-League star to NBA player.
“Everyone is trying to get [to the NBA]. I think if you keep working, the work will show up no matter where you’re at. I think that’s the number one thing,” Hamilton said.
Purvis, who was undrafted, spent much of his post-Connecticut year with the Orlando Magic. Like Hamilton, the majority of his time was spent in the G-League before getting called up in March and playing in 16 games. The combo guard averaged 20.5 points on 39.3 percent shooting for the Lakeland Magic, according to OrlandoMagicDaily.com.
“It was great, that is what you think about as a kid. To be out there on an NBA floor, living out my dreams there is no better feeling,” said Purvis.
The efficiency Purvis showed in the G-League wasn’t there yet at the NBA level. The North Carolina native was subsequently traded this offseason to the Thunder and then to the Boston Celtics where he was waived. Now Purvis is waiting for the right opportunity to come along and the right GM to see in him was Schlenk saw in Hamilton.
“I don’t really have control over [a landing spot], I’m a small fry in the NBA so my opinion doesn’t really count,” he said.
Brimah, the 7-foot shot-blocking presence in the middle for four years in Storrs, also wasn’t drafted and has yet to make his NBA debut. He is playing in the G-League for the San Antonio Spurs’ affiliate, adjusting nicely to the physicality of the professional game. According to hoopshabit.com, Brimah averaged 6.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 22.6 minutes per game in the G-League, making him a bubble roster canidate for the Spurs this season.
“It is a tough grind, you have to be dedicated and ready to work every day. It has been a fun ride so far,” said Brimah.
The big man hasn’t been discouraged by taking the path less traveled. While his road to a professional career isn’t identical to the likes of Ray Allen, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Rudy Gay or others they all come from the same starting point with a common finish line.
“There is a winning mentality of UConn. We always knew where ever we go we were going to work hard. We all know we can play at that level but you got to stay with it and work hard,” Brimah said.
