AUBURN — The winningest player in Auburn basketball history is going pro.
Jaylin Williams agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, according to reports from Justin Hokanson of Auburn Live and Bennett Durando of the Denver Post. Williams spent five seasons with the Tigers and was a part of 114 victories, averaging 9.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in his 141 appearances.
An Exhibit 10 contract allows a player to participate in training camp, though most of the money on the deal is not guaranteed. Williams will have the opportunity to earn a two-way contract.
Williams, listed by Auburn as a 6-foot-8, 245-pound forward, had a career year last season, helping the Tigers to the fourth-most wins in program history (27) and an SEC tournament title. Williams scored 12.4 points per game and was uber efficient, making 57.4% of his shots from the field and 39.5% of his attempts from beyond the 3-point arc.
Amongst SEC players who attempted at least 7.5 shots per game, Williams ranked No. 1 in field goal percentage.
Williams is the definition of a team player. In an era of college basketball that often sees players hit the transfer portal when things don’t go their way, Williams has been steadfast in his commitment to Auburn. It’s something Tigers coach Bruce Pearl has constantly praised Williams for, especially after the Nahunta, Georgia, native stuck around despite five-star recruit Jabari Smith, who plays the same position, arriving to campus in 2021.
There’s also some sneaky athleticism to Williams, who will show off his bounce from time to time with a ridiculous dunk. The two biggest examples of this came during the 2023-24 campaign, when Williams threw down a windmill on a fast break against Alabama in February and put a defender on a poster against Georgia in March.
Williams isn’t the best on the glass, as his rebounding percentage of 10.1% last season ranked No. 34 out of 42 SEC players listed at 6-foot-8 or taller, per College Basketball Analytics. If there’s one area of his game that needs to improve, it’s collecting more misses.
An efficient forward with good size who has proven to be a solid defender, Williams was viewed by some as one of the more underrated prospects in the entire draft. As a true three-level scorer — he made 78.4% of his shots at the rim, 53.3% of his midrange looks and 39.5% of his 3-pointers last season — there is absolutely a path for Williams to have a long professional career.
Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.
