Elijah Bryant wasn’t drafted, what’s next for the former Cougar?

The NBA G-League

When the NBA created the Development League, now named the G-Leauge, the vision was for it to become a minor-league system much like baseball has.

While it hasn’t reached that point yet, it has become a training ground for players to work their way into the NBA. Plus, with the new addition of two-way contracts, it’s becoming more and more possible for G-Leauge players to move up and play with the big boys.

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Just ask Kyle Collinsworth.

After playing for the Mavericks’ summer league team in 2016, he signed with Dallas but got released soon after. Faced with a crossroads in his career, he signed with the Mavericks’ G-League team, the Texas Legends.

He played for the Legends during the 2016-17 season, then signed a two-way contract for 2017-18. That allowed the Mavericks to call him up to play when he was needed, but keep him with the Legends when he wasn’t.

After the 2018 trade deadline left an open roster spot on the Mavericks, they released him from his two-way deal, and after two 10-day contracts they signed him for the rest of the season.

Collinsworth’s play with the Legends earned him that two-way contract, and later a full NBA contract.

If Bryant can find a similar fit, either signing directly into the G-League or earning a two-way contract, he’ll have the chance to prove himself and work his way into the NBA in the same way Collinsworth did.