Two Undrafted Rookies Turn In Strong Preseason Performances on Sunday

The 2025 NBA Preseason continued on Sunday as open night continues to creep closer.

While most rookies around the league have had huge roles for their teams yet, a pair of undrafted free agents looked solid in limited minutes on Sunday.

Of course, preseason contests can't be judged through the same lense as regular season games, but young players showing flashes early in their careers is encouraging.

Curtis Jones went 3-of-6 from beyond the arc en route to 11 points, an assist, a steal and 0 turnovers in 7 minutes off the bench in Denver's win against the LA Clippers.

Jones began his career at Indian Hills Community College before transferring to Buffalo. After two years with the Bulls, Jones played his final two seasons of NCAA basketball at Iowa State.

In 2024-25, Jones earned All-Big 12 and Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year honors after averaging 17.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 43% from the field and 37.4% from beyond the arc on 6.9 attempts per game.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, the 24-year-old signed a two-way deal with the Nuggets, and will have the chance to carve out a role in Denver's organization this year. While it is unlikely that Jones factors into the Nuggets' rotation during the coming seasons, he could develop into a solid depth piece.

For the Warriors, undrafted guard L.J. Cryer had a solid showing against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

The rookie when 4-of-7 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc for 11 points, 2 assists and 0 turnovers in 10 minutes off the bench.

Cryer played sparingly as a freshman on Baylor's national championship team in 2020-21. After three years with the Bears, Cryer transferred to Houston, where he spent two seasons and helped Kelvin Sampson's team to the national championship game in 2025.

As a fifth-year senior with the Cougars, Cryer averaged 15.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 41.1% from the field and 42.4% from 3-point range on 7.3 attempts per game.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, the 24-year-old was signed by Golden State on Sept. 29 alongside Marques Bolden and Taevion Kinsey. Cryer doesn't have a guaranteed spot in the Warriors' organization, but could earn a two-way deal or a G League roster position with Golden State or another squad if he continues to perform well.

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.