UCLA guard Jules Bernard signs with Detroit Pistons as undrafted free agent
Jules Bernard did not hear his name called during the 2022 NBA Draft, but he’s quickly found an NBA home nonetheless.
The Wasserman Agency announced on Friday that Bernard has signed with the Detroit Pistons as an undrafted free agent. It’s not clear what the terms of that deal are, but it’s possible Bernard begins his career on a two-way deal for the Pistons.
SIGNED✍️ @juleslbernard is off to Detroit.
Congratulations to Jules Bernard and the @DetroitPistons!#TeamWass pic.twitter.com/kd5lQNwn57
— Wasserman Basketball (@wassbasketball) June 24, 2022
The Pistons have used one of their two two-way contracts so far. Bernard going onto a two-way deal would mean he can bounce back and forth between the NBA club and the G League affiliate, the Motor City Cruise. He could play in 50 of the team’s 82 games while training and traveling with the team.
Regardless of his contract status, Bernard will first get on the court for the Pistons during Summer League action. Detroit opens play at the Las Vegas Summer League against Portland on July 7.
The 6-foot-7 Bernard might have to take a longer path to stick in the NBA than someone like Peyton Watson, selected in the first round of Thursday night’s draft, but his career has readied him for such a path. Bernard just worked and improved every year with the Bruins.
In 130 career appearances for the Bruins, he earned 65 starts—including 62 of a possible 67 games over his final two seasons—and averaged 9.2 points a game.
After serving primarily as a rotation player off the bench as a freshman and sophomore, Bernard broke into the starting lineup as a junior, helping power the Bruins to an eventual Final Four appearance. He averaged 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds that season, upping his field goal percentage from 39% to 44% and his 3-point clip from 32% to 40%. Bernard nearly tripled his assists while totaling only five more turnovers in nearly 500 more minutes on the court compared to the previous season.
As a senior last year, Bernard’s shooting percentages dipped a bit but he posted career-highs for points (12.8) and assists (1.7) per contest. He also was able to get himself to the free throw line more often than ever before, posting a conversion rate over 80% from the charity stripe for the first time in his career.
Each of the Bruins’ three draft prospects have now found an NBA home, with Johnny Juzang agreeing to a two-way deal with the Utah Jazz.