Former Duke Basketball Star Must Now Find New Home in NBA

The Utah Jazz waived former Duke basketball big man Vernon Carey Jr. this week before the 2019-20 Blue Devil and No. 32 overall draft pick had ever played a regular-season game for the franchise.

Carey, now 22 years old and three years removed from being the premier freshman in all of college basketball, signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Jazz one day before their season ended in early April. Then this past week, he saw action in three Salt Lake City Summer League games, averaging 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per outing.

Across three seasons in the league, including stints with the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards, Carey has appeared in only 37 regular-season contests, totaling 72 points and 50 boards.

The Utah Jazz waived Vernon Carey Jr today. Carey Jr signed with Utah toward the end of the 2022-23 season on a non-guaranteed deal. He played for the Jazz during this weeks SLC Summer League
Best of luck on your basketball journey Vernon #JazzNation #UtahJazz #TakeNote #NBA pic.twitter.com/MANw9eIjec
— JazzNation (@JazzNationNews) July 7, 2023

His combined 187 minutes as an NBA player are less than a quarter of his time on the floor as a Duke basketball one-and-done sensation.

Only time will tell what's next for Vernon Carey Jr.

He arrived in Durham four years ago as a five-star Florida prep, McDonald's All-American, and namesake of a former Miami Dolphins lineman. And he excelled as a Blue Devil via his brute strength, soft touch, sharp instincts, and old-school post moves.

But unfortunately, the 6-foot-9 bruiser doesn't fit the mold of a highly sought-after NBA center in today's game.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for daily doses of Duke basketball news.