By Will Pembroke | Staff Writer
Edmond Sumner: Sumner played at Xavier for three years and was one of the team’s top scorers during two tournament runs. Drafted by the Pacers in 2017, Sumner signed a two-way deal that summer with the team and eventually inked a multi-year contract in February 2018.
In his first two seasons with the team, Sumner saw little playing time. He spent a couple weeks in both 2018 and 2019 with the Pacers’ G-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
So far, in the 2019-20 NBA season, Sumner has received playing time as a rotational guard for the Pacers. Of all the former Musketeers currently in the professional ranks, Sumner is the one with the best chance to consistently crack an NBA rotation with his athleticism and proven scoring ability.
Trevon Bluiett: Xavier’s second all-time leading scorer entered the NBA Draft in 2018 following his fourth and final year as a Musketeer. He ended up going undrafted but signed a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Bluiett saw no NBA action last year and ended up splitting his time in the G-League between the Westchester Knicks and the Salt Lake City Stars. Following the 2018-19 season, the Pelicans renounced their rights to Bluiett, rendering him an unrestricted free agent. In September, Bluiett landed a training camp deal with the Utah Jazz. However, he did not make the roster after the preseason.
He was eventually placed on waivers before the start of the regular season.
There is always a place in basketball for someone who can get buckets, so do not be surprised if you see Bluiett’s number called by either an NBA or overseas team sooner rather than later.
J.P. Macura: Macura spent four years at Xavier from 2014-18 as one of the pivotal cogs in the Musketeers’ NCAA Tournament machine. He pursued a career in the NBA as a dead-eye shooter.
After going undrafted in 2018, Macura signed with the Charlotte Hornets on their training camp roster as a two-way player. Macura found himself in the NBA’s developmental G-League for most of the season, only finding game action twice in Charlotte.
In 30 contests with the Greensborough Swarm, Macura averaged a little more than 16 points per game on nearly 46% shooting from the field. Following his release from the Hornets last summer, he landed a training camp spot with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
However, Macura did not make it onto their roster and is now an unrestricted free agent after clearing waivers.