Former Ohio men’s basketball guard DJ Cooper is expecting an NBA contract by July 1.
Former Ohio men’s basketball guard DJ Cooper is expecting to be offered an NBA contract on July 1.
According to NBA sources, Cooper is believed to be closing in on a deal with a Western Conference playoff team.
Those eight teams included in this year’s NBA Western Conference playoffs were the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies and the Portland Trailblazers.
After not being selected in either round of the 2013 NBA Draft, Cooper has spent the previous three seasons in Europe, playing for PAOK Thessaloniki (Greece), Enisey Krasnoyarsk (Russia) and most recently with Panathinaikos Athen in 2015.
With PAOK in 2013-14, Cooper set the all-time program record for assists and according to the report, top teams from Russia, Turkey, Italy, Spain and Greece have expressed interested in the former Bobcat.
Cooper is arguably one of the most iconic basketball players to come out of Ohio University after he helped the Bobcats upset No. 3 seed Georgetown in the 2009 NCAA Tournament and sparked a “Sweet 16” run in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. During the 2012 run, Cooper and 13-seeded Ohio upset No. 4 seed Michigan and No. 12 South Florida in the first two rounds before eventually falling to No 1 seed North Carolina.
Copper is the only player in NCAA Division I history to post at least 2,000 points, 900 assists, 600 rebounds and 300 steals in a career. He is also 12th all-time in Division I career assists.
Another former Ohio men’s basketball player, Maurice Ndour, has piqued NBA team’s interest, as the forward has worked out with the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies and Boston Celtics according to sources.
Stick with The Post for more updates on Cooper and his potential signing to the NBA.
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