Seth Trimble Makes Case For Next Level At G League Combine

Looking to strengthen his case for a shot at the pros, Seth Trimble took the floor this past weekend at Wintrust Arena in Chicago for the NBA G League Draft Combine.

The event, which began Saturday, opened with strength and agility testing before transitioning into five-on-five scrimmages. Trimble and the other 43 invitees were divided into four teams, with each group getting two games to showcase their talents in front of NBA and G League scouts, coaches and front office personnel.

Measuring in at 6-foot-1.5 without shoes with a 6-foot-7.75 wingspan, the four-year Tar Heel wasted little time turning heads during the testing portion of the weekend. Trimble posted a combine-best 43.5-inch max vertical leap while also finishing second overall in the shuttle run. Even his 38.5-inch standing vertical ranked among the top five marks recorded at the event.

Last month at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament — a three-day showcase featuring 64 college seniors — Trimble recorded an event-best 41.5-inch max vertical leap.

In his first scrimmage Saturday, Trimble came off the bench and totaled six points, one rebound and one assist in 23 minutes, shooting 2-for-5 from the floor. He missed his lone three point attempt, but knocked down the two free throws he attempted. 

Sunday brought a more aggressive performance in his final opportunity to impress scouts this week. Again coming off the bench, Trimble finished with 11 points, two assists, two steals and one rebound in 21 minutes while shooting 4-for-8 from the field, and also posted the third-best plus-minus on his team at plus-20.

Despite the improved showing Sunday and his eye-popping athletic testing numbers, Trimble was not among the five prospects selected to advance to the NBA Draft Combine, which begins Monday in Chicago.

Not receiving a call-up to the NBA Draft Combine is not necessarily the end of the road, however. Last May, RJ Davis was not invited to the NBA Combine after a solid showing at the G League Combine, where he scored in double figures in both scrimmages while shooting better than 50 percent from the field.

Davis ultimately went undrafted before signing an Exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. In April Davis earned All-NBA G League Rookie Team honors after averaging 18.6 points, 4.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game during his first professional season.

Cormac Ryan and Armando Bacot also serve as recent examples of Tar Heels who received neither G League nor NBA Draft Combine invitations before going undrafted and going on to begin successful professional careers.

The NBA Draft is set for June 23-24 in Brooklyn. Trimble was not included in the latest mock drafts from ESPN or The Athletic, and sits at No. 84 on ESPN’s Top 100 draft board.

During his fourth and final season in Chapel Hill, Trimble averaged 14.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, earning All-ACC Honorable Mention honors while delivering career-defining moments, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer to beat Duke on Feb. 7 and a career-high 30-point performance in a win over No. 24 Louisville.