The NBA season returns today, and once again the league is full of former Arizona men’s basketball players.
Arizona has 14 alums on NBA teams to begin the season, which is tied with UCLA for third-most
of any college program and trailing only Kentucky and Duke.
Arizona is also represented on a couple NBA coaching staffs. Arizona is also represented in the coaching ranks. Steve Kerr enters his 12th season as the Golden State Warriors head coach, and former walk-on Quinton Crawford is an assistant coach for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Here’s a look at the former Wildcats around the league.
Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
Markkanen is entering his fourth season with the Jazz and ninth year in the NBA. In 2024-25 he averaged 19 points and 5.9 rebounds over 47 games. The Jazz are looking forward to Markkanen being healthy after he missed much of last year to injuries. Markkanen is coming off a stellar summer at FIBA EuroBasket where he averaged 23 points and led Finland to the semifinals, the country’s best-ever finish. Markkanen is in year two of a five-year extension.
Aaron Gordon, Denver Nuggets
Gordon is the longest-tenured Arizona alum in the NBA, entering his 12th season in the league and sixth with the Nuggets. Gordon averaged 14.7 points and 4.8 rebounds last season. Gordon has evolved into being a perimeter shooting threat; last year he shot a career-high 43.6% from 3-point range. He’s in the second year of a four-year extension.
Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers
Mathurin enters year four with the Pacers and should see his role increase some with star Tyrese Halliburton sidelined. Mathurin made his mark in the postseason, highlighted by an outstanding Game 3 of the NBA Finals when he led all scorers with 27 points. Mathurin will look to improve his consistency this season after a bit of an up-and-down 2024-25 regular season in which he averaged 16.1 points on 45.8% shooting. Mathurin is in the final year of his rookie contract and didn’t agree to an extension with Indiana before the Monday deadline.
Deandre Ayton, Los Angeles Lakers
Ayton joins the Lakers after spending the last two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. Ayton projects as the Lakers opening night starter (the Lakers tip off the season tonight at 7 p.m. PST vs. the Golden State Warriors). Ayton played just 40 games with Portland last season, averaging 14.4 points and 7.1 rebounds.
T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers
McConnell enters his seventh season with the Pacers and 11th season in the NBA. He played a big role in the Pacers’ run to the NBA Finals, averaging 12 points and 4.3 assists in the Finals series vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder. McConnell was a constant in the Indiana rotation all season, playing all but two regular season games. He’s in the first year of a four-year extension.
Josh Green, Charlotte Hornets
Green enters his second season with the Hornets and sixth year in the NBA. In 2024-25 he averaged 7.4 points and 2.5 rebounds over 68 games (67 starts). Green shot a career-low 42.8% from the field. He’s in year two of a three-year contract.
Carter Bryant, San Antonio Spurs
Bryant, the No. 14 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, is entering his rookie season with the Spurs. Bryant will carve out a role for himself over the coming months with his defensive playmaking. He’s in the first year of a four-year deal.
Brandon Williams, Dallas Mavericks
Williams was a late-season revelation for the Mavericks after star point guard Kyrie Irving went down. Williams averaged 8.3 points and 2.3 assists over 33 games. The Mavericks converted his two-way contract into a two year deal in April.
Pelle Larsson, Miami Heat
Larsson enters his second season with the Heat after an impressive rookie year where he averaged 4.6 points off the bench. Larsson’s role should grow in year two with the organization. He’s on the second year of a three-year deal.
Christian Koloko, Los Angeles Lakers
Koloko is playing his second season with the Lakers after missing over a year due to a blood clot condition. Last season Koloko averaged 2.4 points and 2.5 rebounds over 37 games. Koloko is on a two-way contract.
Zeke Nnaji, Denver Nuggets
Nnaji is entering his sixth season with the Nuggets. In 2024-25 he averaged 3.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game. Nnaji is under contract for the next three seasons.
Keshad Johnson, Miami Heat
Johnson is in his second season with the Heat after joining the franchise as an undrafted free agent. Last season Johnson averaged 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds over 18 games. The Heat converted his two-way contract to a two-year deal, guaranteeing his contract this season.
Dalen Terry, Chicago Bulls
Terry is in his fourth season with the Bulls. He averaged a career-high 4.5 points last season and improved his 3-point shooting percentage significantly. The Bulls opted not to sign Terry to an extension this offseason.
Caleb Love, Portland Trail Blazers
Love enters his rookie season as an undrafted free agent with the Trail Blazers. Love, who is on a two-way contract, is expected to begin the season in the NBA.
