Kansas Jayhawks in the NBA: 2024-2025 Edition
By Tyler Key
The Jayhawks who can all provide a spark off the bench
Quentin Grimes (Dallas Mavericks) - Not all Jayhawks are built alike, and Grimes is proof of that as the lone from-KU hooper who transferred elsewhere in college and still made the NBA. After a dreadful shooting season for Kansas in 2018-2019 as a freshman, Grimes transferred to Houston where he found success for two years before becoming the 25th pick in the NBA draft.
He played for the New York Knicks as a part-time starter for two and a half years before he was traded to the Detroit Pistons, where he appeared in just six games. Now Grimes will get the opportunity to back up Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson with the Dallas Mavericks in 2024-2025.
Jalen Wilson (Brooklyn Nets) - Much like Christian Braun, Wilson is widely loved across Lawrence after spending 2019-2023 with KU, also contributing to the 2022 NCAA Championship. Wilson was eventually drafted 51st overall in the 2023 NBA Draft and had a solid rookie season for the Brooklyn Nets.
His upside and ability to maintain a longer NBA career is also trending upward as he won the Summer League MVP this year. The Nets are clearly bottoming out after trading away Mikal Bridges, so Wilson may not experience a lot of wins this season, but he should get a lot of playing time, deservedly so.
Ochai Agbaji (Toronto Raptors) - Completing the trio of NBA-Jayhawks that contributed to the 2022 NCAA Championship is Agbaji. He was a four-year player for KU from 2018-2022 and was a lottery pick (14th overall) in the 2022 NBA Draft, where he eventually joined the Utah Jazz.
His career has not popped nearly as much as fellow-Jayhawk and friend, Christian Braun, but Agbaji will try to bring shooting off of the bench for the Toronto Raptors, where he was traded to in the middle of last season. As a career 32.6% three-point shooter in the NBA, Agbaji’s time in the league may be running thin unless he figures out his deep shot this year.
Rounding out our list, the KU rookies and reserves that may not play much this year in the NBA, but are still valuable assets to their teams!