The long-range sniper went undrafted, but has earned a spot to prove himself in Las Vegas.
LUBBOCK - After going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, former Texas Tech guard Donovan Atwell has earned an opportunity with the Chicago Bulls.
Atwell signed an Exhibit 10 contract and will compete on the Bulls' Summer League team in Las Vegas next week.
READ MORE: Texas Tech Softball Lineup Has Real Bite
Atwell moves into the professional ranks after a historic final collegiate season with the Red Raiders. The Huntersville, North Carolina, native transferred to Tech after three years at UNC Greensboro and immediately contributed the best shooting season in program history.
Atwell knocked down 130 3-pointers, setting a new single-season school record. The previous mark of 90 had been held for almost 30 years, according to Tech Athletics.
He reached that peak with incredible consistency, as well. Atwell shot an astounding 45.8 percent from long range on almost nine attempts per game.
The records didn't stop there. As he continued his marksmanship in the games that mattered most, Atwell set the new Big 12 record with 81 triples in conference play.
His biggest highlights on the season included dueling with No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa by hitting six 3-pointers in the regular-season finale at BYU, and scoring a season-high 26 points on Feb. 21 against Kansas State.
Atwell nailed six threes in each of his first two games at Texas Tech to begin the season, which kickstarted his journey toward history. The sharpshooter connected on at least five 3-pointers in 14 games, twice reaching a high of eight in a single game.
That earned Atwell All-Conference Honorable Mention honors for the year. He was also a part of the Big 12 Newcomer team with averages of 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.
The 6-5 sharpshooter enters the NBA process with 341 3-pointers made in college at over 41 percent shooting.
Atwell's Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year, non-guaranteed minimum contract, meaning he'll need to keep proving himself to scouts and team executives in order to carve out a role in the league. He'll likely have most of that opportunity come in the G League with Chicago's developmental affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.
Chicago's Summer League roster is headlined by No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson, an All-American from North Carolina, and No. 15 pick Dailyn Swain out of Texas.
The Bulls' first Summer League contest is against the Memphis Grizzlies on July 10, streaming live on Prime at 7 p.m. CT. Chicago also faces Utah on July 13 (8 p.m. on ESPN), Washington on July 14 (7 p.m. on Prime), and the Los Angeles Lakers on July 16 (5 p.m. on Prime).
