A. J. Hammons
Aaron Hammons | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 27, 1992 United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player (retired) |
| Years active | 2016–2018 |
| Known for | Playing for Purdue Boilermakers, Dallas Mavericks, Sioux Falls Skyforce |
Aaron Jarrell Hammons (born August 27, 1992) is a retired American professional basketball athlete. He competed at the collegiate level for Purdue before being selected 46th overall in the 2016 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks.
High school career
Hammons started his high school basketball journey at Carmel High School in Indiana, where as a sophomore he averaged 8.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, earning honorable mention recognition from the Associated Press. For his junior and senior years, he transferred to Oak Hill Academy, posting averages of 7.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per contest during his final year.
He completed his high school career as a four-star prospect, receiving similar ratings from both Scout.com and Rivals.com.
College career
During his freshman season with the Purdue Boilermakers, Hammons earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team after averaging 10.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. His sophomore campaign saw improvements to 10.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per game, which garnered him Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors along with inclusion on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team. In his junior year, Hammons was recognized as second-team All-Big Ten and once again named to the All-Defensive Team.
As a senior, he posted averages of 15.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, and 1.1 assists while shooting .592 from the field. His accomplishments that season included being honored as the 2016 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten selection, and a third consecutive appearance on the All-Defensive Team. Additionally, Hammons was listed among the 35 candidates on the midseason watchlist for the Naismith Trophy and was one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award.
Dallas Mavericks (2016–2017)
Hammons was chosen by the Dallas Mavericks with the 46th pick in the 2016 NBA draft on June 23, 2016. He officially signed with Dallas on July 8, 2016, and took part in the Las Vegas Summer League. Throughout his rookie season, Hammons had several assignments with the NBA Development League’s Texas Legends and appeared in three games for the Mavericks, achieving a season-best seven rebounds on April 7, 2017, against the San Antonio Spurs, while scoring nine points in multiple contests.
Sioux Falls Skyforce (2017–2018)
On July 7, 2017, Hammons was traded to the Miami Heat in exchange for Josh McRoberts, a second-round draft pick in 2023, and cash considerations. Although he did not play any games for Miami before being waived on February 8, 2018, he spent most of that period competing with their affiliate team, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Regular season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Dallas | 22 || 0 || 7.4 || .405 || .500 || .450 || 1.6 || .2 || .0 || .6 || 2.2 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 22 || 0 || 7.4 || .405 || .500 || .450 || 1.6 || .2 || .0 || .6 || 2.2
Personal life
Hammons is the son of Tyrone and Alfreda Hammons and has a brother named Tyrone Jr. He pursued studies in organizational leadership and supervision during his college tenure.