Most pundits and NBA Draft scouts didn't think much of Chris Youngblood's draft prospects. He wasn't invited to the combine and ultimately went undrafted. Youngblood spent last season at Alabama, transferring from USF, where he was the Co-AAC Player of the Year the season before.
A preseason injury cost Youngblood the first eight games of the year, and he struggled early to find his footing in the rotation. Still, Youngblood was the reliable three-point shooter he was billed to be, and although he didn't achieve the 40% shooting from distance he had the past three seasons, he still connected on 38.8% of his attempts and averaged over 10 points per game on an Elite Eight team.
His lack of athletic ability and being a bit undersized for a two guard at 6-foot-4 made his NBA prospects murky. Youngblood not only went undrafted, but he also didn't receive a two-way contract coming out of the draft. Instead, he was given a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deal, allowing him to play in the Summer League and be evaluated, with no guarantees he would have an opportunity even to make a G-League roster.
But Youngblood got the opportunity to go to the Summer League with the NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder, and the former Crimson Tide guard has thrived in Las Vegas.
Chris Youngblood is listed as a Summer League standout
With the Thunder, Youngblood has connected on 45% of his three-pointers on 5.7 attempts per game. He's also shown the ability to be a disruptive defender, using his strength to make life difficult for opposing guards.
According to Sports Illustrated's Killian Wright, Youngblood is one of the standouts of the Las Vegas Summer League and could be in line to earn a two-way contract for this season.
The Thunder have one two-way contract left, and it seems like Youngblood has the inside track of earning it. If OKC ultimately goes in a different direction, he has played well enough to get an opportunity somewhere.
Youngblood will still likely spend the majority of his time in the G-League, but signing a two-way contract could open the door to a limited amount of NBA minutes. But even just getting a guaranteed spot in the G-League is a better outcome than most anticipated for the former Crimson Tide guard.