Jamir Watkins

Jamir Watkins was a three-star recruit coming out of Trenton Catholic Academy in Mercer County, New Jersey. He began his collegiate basketball career with VSU, coming off the bench as a freshman in 2020-21, then missing and redshirting his second season due to a knee injury. Labeled as a sophomore in 2022-23, Watkins' role increased. He started 22 of 35 appearances and was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Championship Team. Following that season, Watkins transferred to Florida State. He started all 33 appearances as a junior, being named to the ACC All-Honorable Mention Team behind 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.9 steals. He was also Sunshine Slam MVP. In 2024, he also attended the NBA Draft Combine, the Damian Lillard Formula Zero Elite Camp and the Nike Skills academy before his senior campaign. As a senior, Watkins was named to the ACC All-Second Team behind 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals. Watkins is a well-rounded prospect. While his scoring efficiency needs development, he took a lot of difficult shots at Florida State and has shown improvement as a 3-point shooter and finisher, using more patience and footwork as a senior than he did in years past. He's comfortable making plays with the ball, usually in the pick-and-roll, or off the ball, playing within the flow of the offense. Drawing free throws was a big part of his game, using his size to overpower smaller players and compete with bigs. Defensively, he's a disruptive on-ball player and has off-ball IQ. During his first season at Florida State, he averaged 1.9 steals and 0.8 blocks. Watkins' defense is the easiest part of his game to project. NBA teams are always looking for a mid-sized wing who can defend multiple positions and disrupt opposing offenses. What he looks like on offense may depend on whether his 3-ball and finishing translate at a high level, and how much a team is willing to put the ball in his hands and let him run the show. Watkins shows similarities to players like Deni Avdija, Caris LeVert and Gordon Hayward.