As another NBA season commences this week, it’s time for our annual check-in on our favorite Colorado alumni. Currently there are five Buffs in the NBA, two more head coaches, and a surprise addition to
another coaching staff.
The biggest star, of course, is NBA champion Derrick White. He’s set for his fifth season on the Boston Celtics and ninth (!) in his pro career. He’s an All-NBA defender, a near-40% three-point shooter, and possibly the best ‘connector’ in the league, someone who does the little things to keep the offense flowing. White’s offensive role should expand this season, as role players like him and Payton Pritchard have to step up to fill in for the injured Jayson Tatum. If the Celtics are competitive, don’t be surprised if White adds an all-star appearance to his career resume.
If there’s any other Buff capable of making a leap towards being an elite role players, it would be Tristan da Silva. Orlando drafted him in the first round of 2024 NBA Draft and immediately trusted him with a spot in the rotation. It wasn’t the best season statistically, but he impressed with his basketball intelligence, team-first play and solid if not spectacular defense. Now in his second year, da Silva will hope to channel more of what he did for Germany this summer, where he shot over 50% from three and played a pivotal role on the EuroBasket winners.
Da Silva’s star running mate KJ Simpson has done well for himself in the NBA. The 2024 second round pick got his chance with the Charlotte Hornets, playing 36 games and starting 15. Even if the Hornets were tanking, Charlotte GM Jeff Peterson saw enough promise in the scrappy guard to bring him back on a two-way deal. Simpson will likely spend most of the season in the G League, but if he finds his shot again, or if the injury prone LaMelo Ball misses any time, Simpson will get another chance.
The third draftee from the 2023-24 Buffs had much less success, but he’s still a project with long-term potential. That would be Cody Williams, drafted 10th overall by the Utah Jazz. The less said about his rookie season the better, as he was far from NBA ready on a team that was shamelessly tanking. Williams should spend the coming season in the G League, simply because he needs it. He has the athletic tools and the basketball mind, but he needs a lot of work on his handle and shot before he can contribute to a winning team. It will likely be another two or three years before he’s a solid rotation player.
Jabari Walker will also be scrapping for playing time on the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s done very well for himself, going from a late second round pick to a rotation player for the Blazers. Portland GM Joe Cronin opted not to re-sign him, however, after three seasons in PDX. Walker then penned a two-way deal in Philly, where his voracious rebounding and overall solid team-play should make good depth for an injury-riddled frontcourt. He’s very close to being a regular NBA player — think Amir Johnson lite — if only he can improve somewhat as an off-ball scoring threat.
Now, you might think we’re missing a couple players, but as of this writing both Spencer Dinwiddie and Alec Burks are free agents. Dinwiddie had a contract with Charlotte, but was waived last week after 11 years of NBA service. It’s likely he will sign somewhere over the course of the season, as veteran ball handlers are always in need. The same could be said for Burks. The 14-year pro is still serviceable as a bench wing who can shoot and handle; the question is more if he wants to keep grinding at the ripe age of 34.
Roaming the sidelines we have Chauncey Billups and Jamahl Mosley leading the Blazers and Magic, respectively. Billups, enshrined last year to the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, re-signed for his fifth season in Portland. They’re still rebuilding but they’re getting more competitive every year. Billups has them playing hard every night and has seen encouraging development from players like Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson and Donovan Clingan.
Mosley has won a few games, leading the Magic to the playoffs the last two seasons. They’re now expected to compete for home-court advantage, as homegrown stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have more support in the form of Desmond Bane, the former Grizzlies star for whom Orlando traded four first round picks. Mosley is a very good coach, he just needs good health — looking you, Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter — for his team to compete for a top-four finish in the East.
The surprise here is that the Chicago Bulls have signed a young assistant coach to be their director of player development. That would be Austin Dufault, the starting center on the immortal 2012 Pac-12 Champs. Dufault played for a few years in Europe and Japan, then shifted into a coaching role. It’s been a slow burn for the North Dakotan, working his way up from coaching assistant on the Lakers, to video coordinator in Detroit, and now his expanded role in Chicago. Hopefully the climb will continue for the Forever Buff.
