Former IU basketball guard Jalen Hood-Schifino finds new landing spot with 76ers

Former IU basketball standout guard Jalen Hood-Schifino has found a new landing spot in the NBA.

Three weeks after being involved in one of the biggest blockbuster trades in NBA history that sent him from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Utah Jazz, Hood-Schifino has signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Despite being traded to the Jazz as part of the multi-team trade including Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis, he never saw the floor and was waived almost immediately by the Jazz. On Friday night, his new two-way contract was announced.

Hood-Schifino was in his second year with the Lakers after being selected No. 17 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. After missing most of his rookie season due to injuries, Hood-Schifino will end his Lakers career appearing in just 23 games. His averages are 1.7 points per game while shooting just 23.9 percent from the field.

The former IU basketball guard had season-ending back surgery last year and was in and out of the lineup with hamstring injuries this season. He played in just two games this year.

While splitting time with the South Bay Lakers, the Lakers’ G-League affiliate, he made 15 starts and averaged 22.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and played 35.4 minutes per game.

Hood-Schifino played under Darwin Ham his first year in Los Angeles before Ham was replaced by first-year head coach JJ Redick this season. Ahead of his rookie campaign, the Lakers’ front office detailed what went into selecting the IU guard.

“I had a couple conversations with Mike Woodson as part of the process, he’s an incredible coach,” Lakers GM Rob Pelinka said. “Mike said he’s never really been around a 19-year-old that approached the game and just life and his body like Jalen Hood-Schifino. He said he was incredibly focused on his nutrition. He was incredibly disciplined with his lifting and taking care of his body. Getting in his extra work on the court. He said, in his opinion, he’s figured out how to be a pro before he’s a pro.

“When Jalen came in here for his workout, I remember sitting upstairs with Coach Ham and myself and Jesse Buss from our scouting department just having lunch upstairs, and it was really clear to us right away that Jalen had unbelievable composure, a deep knowledge of the game…”

During his lone season with IU basketball, Hood-Schifino was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year while averaging 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He was the first IU player to receiver Freshman of the Year honors since Noah Vonleh (2014). He was the first Indiana player to have multiple 30+ point games in his first season since Eric Gordon. His 35 points against Purdue were the second-most points by an Indiana freshman. It was also the first time in the last 25 years for a freshman to score at least 35 points in a road victory over an AP top-5 team.

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