Elijah Hughes

Elijah Wayne Hughes (born March 10, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for Gigantes de Carolina of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. He played college basketball for the East Carolina Pirates and the Syracuse Orange.

Early life Hughes was born in Poughkeepsie, New York and grew up in Beacon, New York. He started playing basketball through the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) and began playing on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit for local coach, Kenney Dawson. Hughes became well-known in Beacon for his basketball ability, dominating games at Loopers Park.

High school career Following his eighth-grade basketball season, Hughes was called up to the varsity team at Beacon High School in Beacon, New York. Early in high school, he mainly played the point guard position despite his exceptional size.

As a junior, Hughes led his team to a 26–2 record and runners-up finish at the Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) championship. Hughes was named first-team Class A All-State and CHSAA Class A most valuable player (MVP). He scored 42 points against Jamesville Dewitt High School. He became teammates with many other NCAA Division I prospects, including Tremont Waters and Myles Powell. Hughes was a three-star recruit and the No. 5 player in his state according to 247Sports. The Pirates finished 15–18, and Hughes gained weight due to the injury.

Hughes decided to transfer to Syracuse over an offer from Seton Hall. After redshirting a year due to NCAA transfer rules, during which he improved his strength and diet, Hughes was named a starter for the Orange going into his redshirt sophomore season. He was the team's second leading scorer with 13.7 points per game while also averaging 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. On February 11, 2020, Hughes left a game against NC State early with a lower body injury. At the conclusion of the regular season, Hughes was selected to the First Team All-ACC. As a junior, Hughes averaged 19 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. After the season, he declared for the 2020 NBA draft.

Professional career Utah Jazz (2020–2022) Hughes was selected with the 39th pick in the second round of the 2020 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans. His draft rights were traded to the Utah Jazz. On November 24, 2020, the Utah Jazz announced that they had signed with Hughes. He was assigned to the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League on February 15, 2021.

Portland Trail Blazers (2022) On February 9, 2022, Hughes was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in a three-team trade.

Wisconsin Herd (2022–2024) On November 3, 2022, Hughes was named to the opening night roster for the Wisconsin Herd.

On July 3, 2023, Hughes signed with Manisa BB of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi, but on August 22, without having played a single game, he parted ways with the club for personal reasons. On October 19, he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, but was waived two days later. Nine days later, he joined the Wisconsin Herd.

On July 9, 2024, Hughes signed with Promitheas Patras of the Greek Basket League, but never played for them.

Cleveland Charge (2024–2025) On October 16, 2024, Hughes signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but was waived two days later. On October 26, he joined the Cleveland Charge.

CB Breogán (2025) Hughes was announced as a new CB Breogán player on April 12, 2025. Signing for the Lugo-based Liga ACB team after Darrun Hilliard's departure, this was Hughes' first experience in Europe.

MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg (2025–present) For the 2025–26 season, Hughes signed with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg of the German Basketball Bundesliga.

Gigantes de Carolina (2026-present) On May 27, 2026, Hughes signed with the Gigantes de Carolina of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional.

Career statistics

NBA Regular season

College

Personal life Hughes is the sixth of seven children. Hughes' father, Wayne, works for information technology company IBM. His mother, Penny, was a teacher's aide for Beacon City Schools before counseling at a methadone clinic.