Where Shaqquan Aaron Could Have Gone in the 2017 NBA Draft

After initialing declaring for the NBA Draft nearly three months ago, Shaqquan Aaron withdrew late last month to return to USC for at least another year.

We’re glad he did.

The 6’7, 190 pound guard from Seattle, Washington averaged 7.6 points last year (shooting 39.2 percent from the field) in 20.8 minutes of play, including 3.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.

His best performance came last year against the UCLA Bruins when he produced 23 points with four three-pointers. His effort led the charge for the Trojans as they’d upset the eighth ranked team in the country.

Aaron has a very unique set of skills that allow him to play the point, shooting guard and small forward (and can possibly be developed into a stretch-four sometime down the road, given he gains substantial muscle mass).

His height and wingspan give him the edge over almost any other guard in the country, making him a potential nightmare as a two-way player. After transferring from Louisville a year ago, expect the 21-year-old to make major strides in his game come next year.

Thus why he made the right decision to return for another year and polish off his game on both ends of the floor.

His game against UCLA exemplifies the potential the guard can have come next year and in the NBA. While GM’s notice that—as well as his other key performances against teams like Oregon State and BYU, they’d like to see more consistency in stats game to game. Look to see that come November.

Had Aaron decided to permanently declare for the NBA Draft, I would have pictured him with the Boston Celtics. I know, at first thought and glance at the Celtics roster it seems a bit puzzling.

Boston is known for it’s guard log-jam, potentially a reason why they opted to trade the first overall pick and not draft Markelle Fultz. However, Boston General Manager Danny Ainge has been known to draft athletic, long, high energy perimeter defenders with star potential.

Thus why he drafted Jaylen Brown last year and is being linked to prospects like Josh Jackson in this upcoming draft. Aaron would fit smoothly into that mold, someone perfect for Ainge’s system.

The one problem would still be Boston’s roster logjam, however Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart are all due for contracts next season, and given their cap space and potential dealings, some names will have to go.

There is also yet to be a young upcoming two guard, only Terry Rozier and Demetrius Jackson both at point. Ainge would love to add a guy like Shaqquan Aaron, his versatility and high energy would help lock down perimeters while giving him a few years to reach his extremely high ceiling for his offensive game.

He would develop in the G-League for a year, then look to crack minutes as an intriguing shooting guard on a championship contending team. Even though that fantasy will not come true later on tonight in the draft, look for that potential scenario in a year or two.