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Penn State alums Jalen Pickett and Seth Lundy officially sign with NBA teams; 3 Lions start summer league tonight

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel07/07/23GregPickel
jalen-pickett-selected-nba-draft
Penn State guard Jalen Pickett. (Daniel Althouse/BWI)

Penn State alums Jalen Pickett and Seth Lundy have officially signed their first NBA contracts. The Denver Nuggets signed Pickett to a four-year, $8,321,508 deal, according to Spotrac. It also reports that $5.915 million of it is guaranteed. The former Lions star went in the second round to the Western Conference franchise, whose GM is former Nittany Lion standout Calvin Booth.

“Penn State’s a great place,” Pickett told reporters, as transcribed by Nittany Sports Now. “It’s a long line there. So, just being able to be successful and kind of follow in Calvin’s footsteps of getting drafted is just really special.”

Lundy, meanwhile, inked a two-way contract with the Atlanta Hawks, which took him in the second round. The team did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.

Pickett and Lundy were the lone Nittany Lions picked in the 2023 NBA Draft. They are the first duo to go in the same draft in Penn State history. And, they are the program’s 14th and 15th draft picks of all-time.

3 Penn State alums start NBA summer league action tonight

Pickett and Andrew Funk, who signed a summer league contract with the Denver, open the annual July league against Milwaukee tonight, July 7. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. ET on ESPNU. The pair and their Nuggets teammates can also be seen in action against Atlanta on Sun., July 9 at 9:30 p.m. on NBATV, opposite Utah at 9:30 p.m. on Wed., July 12 on NBATV, and versus Miami on Fri., July 14 at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.

Lundy and the Hawks, meanwhile, kick off their summer league stint against Sacramento at 10:30 p.m. on Fri., July 7. NBATV will televise the game. Atlanta will then face Denver on July 9 at 9:30 p.m. om NBATV. From there, it faces Minnesota at 4 p.m. on July 12. That contest will be on ESPN2. And, on Thur., July 13 the Hawks face the Philadelphia 76ers at 3:30 p.m. on NBATV.

Go inside Nittany Lions basketball with BWI

Blue-White Illustrated basketball expert Nate Bauer has been providing an inside look at first-year head coach Mike Rhoades’ program this summer. Here’s a glimpse at one exclusive takeaway subscribers learned about in late June.

“Constructing a roster primarily through the transfer portal, primarily through film evaluations and prior relationships, is one thing,” Bauer writes. “Seeing it in action is another. 

“The sentiment that has emerged internally, however, is that the depth and versatility sought at the onset have come to fruition. It’s a major bonus that, in all honesty, probably wasn’t expected to not only have top-line players on the roster but to also have competition and depth not far behind it.”

Read more insider intel by signing up for a Blue-White Illustrated subscription today! Click here to learn more.

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