Clovis' Dawson signs with G League's Swarm

CLOVIS — Clovis High grad John Dawson is wearing purple again on a basketball court. This time, though, it's with teal and it's as a professional player.

Dawson, 22, has signed a one-year contract with the NBA G League and will play for the Greensboro Swarm.

The G League is the official minor league of the NBA, preparing players, coaches, officials and team staff for positions with the parent association. The league was formerly known as the NBA Development League, then NBA D-League before a partnership was made with Gatorade for its current moniker.

The league has 26 teams, each affiliated with one NBA team. The Swarm are affiliated with the Charlotte Hornets.

Dawson, a 2013 Clovis High grad, went undrafted after a college career with two seasons each at Marquette and Liberty. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 1.9 points in 26 games off the bench for Marquette before transferring to Liberty, where he started 55 of 56 games and averaged 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.

He ended up playing in April at the Opportunity of a Lifetime Camp in the Houston area, where he caught the eye of agent John Russell.

"I felt like he had a really good handle for the game," Russell said. "My other partner, Tony Dutt, was there as well. He's been in the business for around 40 years.

"His shooting ability is phenomenal. I don't know if the G League teams know that just yet, as he's getting used to the system. With his body type, he can guard 1-3. He can play 1 or 2, depending on the matchups. He has a good build, and he defends. The other thing that sets him apart is his willingness to learn, and get better than you were the day before."

Attempts to contact Dawson early Tuesday were not immediately successful. Clovis coach Scott Robinson, who was an assistant during Dawson's four years on the Clovis roster, found out about the signing Tuesday morning.

"I knew he was getting some looks," Robinson said, "but it wasn't surprising (to see him sign). He's dedicated to the game. He has a great work ethic, and he's continued to work on his game and skill."

After Dawson signed, Russell sent his tape to NBA clubs. The most interested teams were the Hornets and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both put in a G League invite for Dawson, and the Hornets won the rights because Oklahoma City had the better record in 2016-17.

The G-League season starts Friday, with all games streamed at NBAGLeague.com except for nationally-televised games. The Swarm begin their season at home 5 p.m. Saturday against the Canton (Ohio) Charge, the Cleveland Cavaliers' affiliate.

Although Dawson is now part of the Hornets organization, there's no telling where an NBA opportunity could spring up. An affiliated team has exclusive call-up rights to as many as four players — provided those players were furnished a two-way contract. All other players, including Dawson, are considered to be signed with the G League itself and can be called up by any NBA team. A two-way contract is more lucrative, Russell said, at around $50,000 compared to other contracts from $19,000 to $30,000, but it is also more restricting.

According to the G League website, 44 percent of NBA players at the conclusion of the 2016-17 season had some G League experience.