Javon Freeman-Liberty has been a hidden gem in NBA Summer League

Javon Freeman-Liberty deserves a legit shot in the NBA after being one of the hidden gems in the summer league. 

NBA Summer League is often highlighted as the first opportunity to look at the upcoming NBA rookie class, but it’s also a time for some unknown guys to make a name for themselves. One player who’s doing just that is Javon Freeman-Liberty from the Chicago Bulls.

Although Freeman-Liberty has a name you won’t forget, not many people knew about him before this NBA Summer League. But he has now surely put people on notice. In five games of Summer League action, Javon averaged 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game, shooting a red-hot 49% from the field and 46% from 3.

During these five games, Freeman-Liberty has looked like the complete NBA point guard. At 6-foot-4, 180 pounds, he already has respectable size as a lead guard, and offensively, he’s got all the skills to back it up.  He’s very quick getting to the bucket, he has a smooth handle allowing him to arrive at his preferred spots on the court with time and space, and he’s got a quick, reliable jump shot; whether off the pull up, or the catch.

A huge skill that Javon possesses unlike many other scoring point guards who don’t stick in the league, is that he’s a solid player and decision-maker. Rarely in Summer League did I see him force shots that weren’t there or make boneheaded plays. It looks like he has all the tools to be effective in the NBA on the offensive side of the ball.

Defensively, he’s solid as well. His quickness and athleticism allow him to guard the ball adequately at the NBA level and even allow him to block a shot or two.

Really, he made his money scoring the ball in Summer League, but these five games weren’t a fluke, he actually has quite the resume to back his talents up.

In Freeman-Liberty’s last year in college at DePaul, in that 2021-22 season, he led the Big East in scoring at 21.7 points per game and was named the to All-Big East Second Team. And after going undrafted, he played last year with the Windy City Bulls in the G League, where he averaged 18 PPG.

Clearly, he knows how to put points up on the board.

Will the Chicago Bulls give JFL a shot in training camp?

Currently, Javon has not been signed on any kind of deal with an NBA team, but with the way he’s played, he deserves a contract and he’ll probably get one sooner rather than later. The obvious team to offer him something would be the Bulls, unfortunately, they have a logjam at the point guard spot. It is possible they offer him a two-way deal, but I think he’s worth more than that.

A likely option could be the Suns, considering they need some cheap options and Javon could be a low-cost “upside swing” that could hit.

Honestly, it doesn’t matter where he goes, as long as they give him a shot. Javon has proven time and time again that he needs an NBA contract. Someone should finally take a real look at him, and give him his deserved big-league opportunity.