Houston Cougars guard L.J. Cryer (4) looks on while making his way to setup to throw the ball in during the first half of a Players Era Fest men’s college basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Oscar Herrera/The Cougar
Before the NBA Draft, L.J. Cryer wasn’t losing sleep over projections.
He leaned into advice given to him by Houston’s former associate head coach Quannas White.
“I’ve worked hard my whole life, so things are going to happen how they’re supposed to happen,” Cryer said after his Golden State workout. “Don’t stress yourself about mock drafts or drafts in general. He knows how hard I’ve worked and knows I stay out of trouble off the court. Whenever you do things the right way, good things will happen. Sometimes it’s a matter of time.”
Despite going undrafted, the Golden State Warriors saw something in the 6-foot-1 guard, signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal, which allows him to compete in the NBA Summer League, with the potential of staying with the organization during the season.
Who is Cryer?
Cryer won four Big 12 regular-season titles in five seasons—two with Baylor and two with Houston. As a freshman, he captured a national championship with Baylor where he spent his first three seasons and nearly added another this April, when Houston fell just short against Florida. He averaged over 15 points per game in each of the past three seasons and shot 42.4% from 3-point range this year.
A product of Katy’s Morton Ranch High School, Cryer set a Houston-area public school record with 3,488 career points.
What is an Exhibit 10 deal?
Exhibit 10 contracts are non-guaranteed one-year deals for the minimum salary. Teams can convert the player to a two-way contract before the start of the regular season or waive the player. If the player is waived, the team can designate him as an affiliate player, in which he will receive a bonus if he competes for the team’s G-League team.
Is Cryer built for the NBA?
Critics have questioned how Cryer’s smaller stature will translate to the NBA, given that he often played off the ball at Houston, averaging less than two assists per game during the 24-25 season.
On the defensive side, the feedback Cryer got from teams during the pre-draft process focused on him improving on that end, and being more of a pest on the ball.
They also encouraged him to be more physical on both ends of the floor whether it’s picking up a player full-court or getting to the paint and generating open shots for teammates.
“Everyone knows I can shoot the ball pretty well, so that’s something that comes easy,” Cryer said after his workout with the Warriors. “It’s just about being able to get your teammates involved and going out there and just playing super hard on the defensive end.”
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“L.J. Cryer signs with Golden State Warriors as undrafted free agent” was originally posted on The Cougar