Damion Baugh excels in debut with Charlotte Hornets, joins other TCU Horned Frogs in NBA
TCU basketball alum Damion Baugh signed a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday and made his NBA debut on the same day.
In his first career game, Baugh had 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal in the team’s 102-86 loss to the Orlando Magic.
Baugh is now the fourth Horned Frog with an NBA contract, joining the Memphis Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kenrich Williams and Emmanuel Miller, who has also signed a two-way contract, but has yet to enter a game.
Two-way contracts were introduced in the NBA in the 2017 offseason as a way of giving teams more roster flexibility and allowing developmental players to get NBA experience.
Each NBA team is allowed two roster spots for two-way contract signees in addition to the 15 already allotted. Only players with less than four years of playing experience in the NBA are eligible and those players can only play up to 50 NBA games in a season.
There are three more Horned Frogs in the NBA’s G-League with the Windy City Bulls’ Mike Miles Jr., Capital City Go-Go’s R.J. Nembhard and the Austin Spurs Jameer Nelson Jr.
Baugh went undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft and started his career signing with the Los Angeles Lakers before being waived and joining the team’s G-league affiliate the South Bay Lakers.
Baugh transferred to TCU ahead of the 2021 season after playing the first two seasons of his college career with Memphis. TCU head coach Jaime Dixon, who coached Baugh for two seasons, said he knew the point guard was capable of making the NBA.
“It’s a great thing, I always thought Damion was an NBA player, was going to be. It was just shoot a little better, but his size, ability to pass, and I think he’s averaging 10 assists [In the G-League], and we get the numbers all the time. So, yeah, it’s, it’s great,” said Dixon.
Dixon also spoke about Bane, the first TCU player to be drafted to the NBA in 21 years when he was selected with the 30th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, who will have his jersey retired on Tuesday.
“Desmond will be here shortly. I saw [the Grizzlies] win last night, It’s great. Emanuel and Mike’s right there and, it’s good,” said Dixon, “Nine years ago, when I came here, Desmond was our first recruit, you know, on that thing, that first guy, I think, we signed right on a visit.”
Bane has burst onto the scene in the NBA since being drafted averaging 17.5 points with 4.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in five NBA seasons including back-to-back seasons averaging at least 21 points a game.
Williams, who had his jersey retired for the Horned Frogs last season, is in his seventh NBA season averaging 5.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists while playing 15 minutes a game this season for the Western Conference’s No. 1-seeded Thunder.
TCU basketball history was made with Williams, Baugh and Bane all playing in NBA games this season. It marked only the second time in program history that the team has three active players in the NBA, with the first being in 2021 when Bane, Williams and Nembhard all played in NBA games.
Miller has averaged 17 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists for the Windy City Bulls this season after going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft following a three-season career with the Horned Frogs.
Miller could soon join his fellow Horned Frogs in the NBA if the Chicago Bulls were to call him up from their G-League affiliate which would mark the first time in program history with four players active in the same NBA season.
This story was originally published February 13, 2025 at 11:48 AM.
