Oscar Tshiebwe lands NBA contract after going undrafted, per report
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Oscar Tshiebwe was one of the best players in college basketball over the past two seasons and captured the 2022 National Player of the Year Award. Unfortunately, the Kentucky star was not among the players selected Thursday night in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The news is somewhat surprising considering Tshiebwe had remaining eligibility that he passed on to turn pro. His style of play as a big man likely limited the value NBA teams placed on Tshiebwe, but he appeared to be impressing teams during the pre-draft process with improved perimeter shooting.
While he did not hear his name called in the draft, Tshiebwe has reportedly signed a two-way contract as of Friday evening. According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Indiana Pacers have agreed to terms with Tshiebwe on the two-way NBA deal.
Undrafted Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe has agreed on a two-way NBA contract with the Indiana Pacers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 23, 2023
With the way the NBA game has shifted, Tshiebwe was among a group of notable big men to go undrafted that included Gonzaga’s Drew Timme, UConn’s Adama Sanogo and Alabama’s Charles Bediako. We’ll see which of those former college stars is the first to carve out a role at the next level.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
