Zero Kansas Jayhawks were selected during the 2025 NBA Draft. However, just a few minutes after the second round reached its conclusion, Hunter Dickinson received his opportunity to play at the next level.
Dickinson, who played two seasons for the Jayhawks after transferring to Kansas from Michigan, was a two-time consensus second-team All-American as well as being named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year in 2024.
Now, the former Jayhawk has signed a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, giving Dickinson all he needed: a chance.
Kansas' 7-footer Hunter Dickinson has agreed to a two-way NBA deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 27, 2025
In the NBA, a two-way contract allows a player to spend time with both the G-League affiliate and the actual NBA team of a franchise. That's all to say that Dickinson could see in-game action for the Pelicans themselves as well as the Birmingham Squadron, New Orleans' G-League team.
As of Friday morning, nearly 12 hours following the end of the 2025 NBA Draft, Dickinson was the only former Jayhawk to reportedly sign a contract with an NBA franchise, Dajuan Harris and Zeke Mayo also going undrafted.
Dickinson was the most likely Kansas player to hear his name called during the Draft, making it understandable that he would be the first Jayhawk to sign a contract at the next level.
Hunter Dickinson 2024-25 season stats
- 17.4 points per game
- 10.0 rebounds per game
- 2.1 assists per game
- 1.3 blocks per game
- 1.0 steals per game
Despite Kansas's lackluster 2024-25 season, Dickinson continued to excel on both ends of the court, averaging a double-double with 17.4 points and 10 rebounds per game. The big man started in all 34 of the Jayhawks' games, averaging more than 30 minutes per appearance.