The NBA season starts on Oct. 20 with eight players who finished their careers at Tennessee on opening day rosters.
The deadline for NBA teams to finalize their 15-player rosters was Oct. 19. It brought good news for some rookies battling for spots, like Ja'Kobi Gillespie, who made the San Antonio Spurs' roster on a two-way contract. He was one of three rookies from Tennessee that made opening day rosters, joining Nate Ament (Milwaukee Bucks) and Felix Okpara (Washington Wizards).
Dalton Knecht was not among the former Vols to make a roster after being waived by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Here are the former Vols on NBA rosters as the season gets underway:
Nate Ament, Milwaukee Bucks
Ament, a 6-foot-10 forward, was second-team All-SEC as a freshman at Tennessee last season and
the No. 13 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He missed the last three games of the preseason with an ankle sprain but was a full participant in practice as the Bucks prepare for their season opener on Oct. 21 against Washington.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie, San Antonio Spurs
Gillespie made the Spurs' roster as a rookie on a two-way contract after being picked No. 42 in the 2026 NBA Draft following one season at Tennessee. The former Greeneville High School star impressed in the preseason by averaging 12 points, 2.4 assists and one steal in just 14 minutes per game.
Felix Okpara, Washington Wizards
Another rookie on a two-way contract, Okpara is with the Washington Wizards, who acquired his rights from the Orlando Magic after they picked him No. 46 in the 2026 NBA Draft. He averaged 1.59 blocks per game in two years at Tennessee and had five blocks in four NBA preseason appearances.
Jahmai Mashack, Memphis Grizzlies
Jahmai Mashack is on a two-way contract and played in 31 games as a rookie last season for the Grizzlies, including one where he recorded a triple-double on April 10 against the Utah Jazz. He averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
Chaz Lanier, Detroit Pistons
Chaz Lanier is beginning his second season with Detroit after making 34 appearances last season. He averaged 2.4 points and 0.7 rebounds per game as a rookie.
Julian Phillips, Houston Rockets
Julian Phillips spent his first three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls and is now on a two-way deal with the Houston Rockets. He has played in 167 NBA games with career averages of 3.6 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.
Grant Williams, Charlotte Hornets
Grant Williams is entering his eighth NBA season and third with the Charlotte Hornets after signing a four-year contract worth over $53 million in 2023 but missed the preseason with a hamstring injury. The former two-time SEC Player of the Year had previous stints with the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.
Tobias Harris, San Antonio Spurs
Now a 16-season NBA veteran, Tobias Harris signed a two-year, $31 million contract with San Antonio. He has the 13th-most NBA appearances of all players on opening day rosters (1,033) and has scored over 16,000 career points.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Which former Tennessee basketball players made NBA rosters, including Nate Ament
