While it is always the most rewarding to see Kansas Jayhawks players wear crimson and blue uniforms on the college basketball scene, it is fun to see how their careers develop after leaving college in the NBA as well. For the 2024-2025 season, there were 13 former Jayhawks that suited up in the NBA after playing college basketball in Lawrence. Since then, there have been a few changes.
Last October, both Markieff Morris and Devonte’ Graham were on NBA rosters, but Graham was released by the Portland Trailblazers just before the season tipped off and was not picked up by any other NBA teams. He now plays professional basketball in Serbia. As for Morris, while his twin brother, Marcus, did not appear in a single game last year, Markieff suited up for two teams.
Morris began the year with the Dallas Mavericks before the infamous Luka Doncic trade, in which he was included for salary purposes, and finished the season with the Los Angeles Lakers. While he has not officially retired, the 36-year-old is unlikely to be signed to another NBA contract, leaving us with two fewer Jayhawks to start the 2025-2026 season.
This year, there is one new face to join the other 11 Jayhawks that appeared in last year's edition. Who are the 12 Kansas Jayhawks that you can catch in the NBA this season, and what teams do they play for?
NBA Jayhawks: 4 starters, 4 bench players, and 3 reserve players
Not all Jayhawks are created alike, and not all NBA roles are created alike, so we will split up the 11 Jayhawks in the NBA this season into three distinct groups: starters, rotation players, and reserve players that are not likely to see many minutes. Let’s get started (no pun intended) with the starters.
Former Jayhawks starting in the NBA:
Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) - Embiid appeared in just 28 games for Kansas back in 2013-2014 before fracturing his foot and opting for the NBA. Over a decade later, he is still an amazing MVP-caliber player when healthy, with career averages of 27.7 PPG and 11.0 RPG, but continues to be injury-riddled and unable to get it done in the playoffs.
Christian Braun (Denver Nuggets) - Braun was an absolute fan-favorite in Lawrence when he played with the Jayhawks between 2019 and 2022, helping them win the 2022 National Championship. Now entering his 4th year in the NBA, Braun was recently awarded a 5-year $125 million contract extension to remain the Nuggets' long-term starting SG.
Andrew Wiggins (Miami Heat) - A teammate of Joel Embiid with KU in 2013-2014 and formerly regarded as a prospect worthy of being the next LeBron James, Wiggins' NBA superstardom did not quite pan out, but he is still a quality NBA veteran and decent starter at age 30. He was a mid-season trade acquisition of the Heat in the Jimmy Butler deal and will start at SF for them.
Kelly Oubre (Philadelphia 76ers) - Transitioning to a current teammate of Embiid, Oubre starts alongside him as another NBA veteran. He spent one season with the Jayhawks in the 2014-2015 season, making All-Big 12 freshman. With Philadelphia, he’s been a very consistent 15 PPG scorer and will look to keep them afloat as Paul George also deals with injuries.
Former Jayhawks in NBA rotations:
Quentin Grimes (Philadelphia 76ers) - Holy moly, another 76er! Grimes isn’t your traditional former Jayhawk, as he spent just one year in Lawrence before transferring to Houston and being more successful there, but once a Jayhawk, always a Jayhawk! Grimes had quite the breakout season last year in Philly, averaging 21.9 PPG in 28 games with them.
Gradey Dick (Toronto Raptors) - Dick had a good, not great season for the Raptors in his 2nd season, averaging 14.4 PPG and 3.6 RPG on 41.0% shooting from the field and 35.0% from beyond the arc. That’s not nearly as close to being a sniper from distance as he was in 2022-2023 with the Crimson and Blue when he shot 40.3% from three, but he is still developing.
Ochai Agbaji (Toronto Raptors) - Joining this list and also representing the bench mob in Canada is the 4-year Jayhawk and the 2021-2022 Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament, Ochai Agbaji. He had his best season as a pro last year, averaging 10.4 PPG on 39.9% shooting from deep, and will look to build on that this season.
Johnny Furphy (Indiana Pacers) - The Australian only spent one season in Lawrence before being drafted by Indiana last season, but was one of the bright spots in a dark season of KU basketball. Last season, Furphy was buried in the depth chart of a team that made the NBA Finals, but this year, minutes have opened up due to injuries and players leaving in free agency.
Former Jayhawks warming the bench in the NBA:
Jalen Wilson (Brooklyn Nets) - Just like Braun and Agbaji, Jalen Wilson is adored in Kansas for spending all of 2019-2023 with KU and helping the Jayhawks win the title in 2022. After an impressive season with the Nets last year, his spot with the team is very shaky, but he did recently beat out other young NBA prospects for the final roster spot with Brooklyn.
Svi Mykhailiuk (Utah Jazz) - Svi feels like the biggest journeyman on this list, as he has suited up for eight different franchises in the NBA. Mykhailiuk’s four seasons in Lawrence from 2014 to 2018 are actually longer than any NBA tenure he has had. This year, he will continue his journey with the Jazz, with whom he played 38 games last season.
Kevin McCullar Jr. (New York Knicks) - Between Texas Tech and Kansas, McCullar Jr. appeared in a whopping 138 games in his college career. In the NBA, he has appeared in only 29 minutes across 4 games. In those very limited minutes, he was somewhat productive with 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He enters this year on a two-way contract with NYK.
Hunter Dickinson (New Orleans Pelicans) - While Dickinson’s time with KU will likely be viewed as a disappointment, with back-to-back seasons starting as the #1 overall seed amounting to nothing substantial, it is still a great feat to see him ink a two-way deal with an NBA team. He will mostly play in the G League this season, but could make an NBA appearance or two.
There are our 12 former Jayhawks in the NBA this season, concluding this year's edition of Kansas Jayhawks in the NBA! Darryn Peterson is sure to join this list a year from now, but it will be fun to see how the 5-star prospect does in Lawrence first.
Make sure to bookmark Through the Phog and follow us on X and Facebook with the username @Throughthephog