Former Memphis basketball forward Jonathan Pierre signs with Washington Wizards for NBA Summer League
Pierre spent a season with the Tigers in 2023-24. (Image Credit: Memphis Athletics)
Another former Tiger is headed to Las Vegas next month.
Jonathan Pierre, who starred at Belmont last season after playing for Memphis in 2023-24, is signed to the Washington Wizards NBA Summer League roster, he announced Friday. Pierre becomes the third ex-Tiger to ink a summer-league deal this offseason, joining Dain Dainja (Miami Heat) and Moussa Cisse (Dallas Mavericks).
Chaos and dissension marred Pierre’s brief stint at Memphis, as he and the Tigers missed the 2024 NCAA Tournament despite starting the season 15-2 and rising up to No. 10 in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25. Penny Hardaway’s club won just seven of its last 15 games, finishing the year with an embarrassing loss to Wichita State in its American Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament opener.
The 6-foot-10 forward, meanwhile, rode the bench for most of the campaign—appearing in just 19 games and making a single start. He seemingly earned a reserve role towards the end of the year after playing at least 10 minutes in five straight contests from Feb. 8 to Feb. 21, including a 10-point showing at Temple. But he never saw action again after Memphis’ visit to East Carolina on Feb. 29.
Pierre, previously a crucial part of Nova Southeastern’s undefeated Division II national championship team in 2022-23, immediately re-entered the transfer portal humbled and humiliated by his disappointing year as a Tiger.
“It was definitely a reality check for me,” Pierre told Bluff City Media in March 2024. “I definitely learned patience. You have to be a good person at all times. And I felt like I deviated my personality towards the situation because I felt like I wasn’t playing [enough]. So, I probably wouldn’t get in the gym as much or wouldn’t watch as much film.
“Being consistent through all the adversity and staying true to my word, I definitely learned that. You gotta be a pro each and every day.”
Pierre eventually landed at nearby Belmont in Nashville, and bounced back in his final year of college eligibility. The Hallandale, Florida native averaged 13.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 40.2% overall and 36.3% from 3-point range, conducting the Bruins to a 22-11 campaign.
Memphis redeemed itself too with a 29-win season that saw it earn both the AAC regular-season and tournament championships, as well as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Pierre and the Wizards will participate in the main NBA Summer League, which spans from July 10-20.