Today, Through the Phog ranks all 13 former Jayhawks and breaks them into four separate categories: End of the Bench, Depth Option, Quality Backup, and Starters. While there are three former Jayhawks who are currently not retired and would still love another shot at the NBA, since they are not active players in the league this season, we will not rank: Josh Jackon, Devon Dotson, Marcus Garrett, or Cheick Diallo. Without further adieu, here are the rankings for the 13 former-Jayhawks who are still playing in the NBA!
The End of the Bench Group:
13. Udoka Azubuike (27th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft)
Udoka Azubuike was never a player that many NBA scouts thought could translate very well to the modern-NBA. While he was an absolute beast during his senior year at Kansas, averaging 13.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 2.6 BPG, centers his size tend to struggle with the new space and pace style of the NBA. Through four seasons in the NBA he has only appeared in 82 games and is currently averaging 2.5 PPG and 2.3 RPG as a third string center for the Phoenix Suns.
12. Svi Mykhailiuk (47th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft)
Svi Mykhailiuk has stuck around fairly well for a 2nd round pick in the NBA, especially considering only 12 of the 30 2nd round picks in the 2018 draft are still playing in the league. He has jumped around and suited up for seven different NBA teams and is currently clinging to a roster spot with the Boston Celtics as a 12th-13th man off the bench. He is averaging just 2.6 PPG on an abysmal 34.8% shooting from the field and 32.1% from beyond the arc. In his senior year at KU, he shot a fantastic 44.4% from deep, but has only shot above 33.5% on three-pointers in two of his six NBA seasons to date.
11. Devonte’ Graham (34th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft)
Where did the time go? Devonte’ Graham just turned 29 years old but is another 2nd round Jayhawk who has managed to carve out a career in the NBA. His career peaked during his 2nd year when he averaged 18.2 PPG and 7.5 APG for an injured Charlotte Hornets team. These marks allowed him to finish 5th in the Most Improved Player voting at the end of the season, but since then it has been all downhill. Since that year, Devonte’ has seen his minutes, points, assists, and just about every other statistical per game category decrease. He is currently an emergency PG option on the San Antonio Spurs (who sometimes choose to just not play any point guards).
10. Markieff Morris (13th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft)
Had this been a “Most Accomplished Jayhawks in the NBA” list, Markieff Morris would likely be much higher on the list. Unfortunately, at age 34, he has seen his roles on NBA teams diminish greatly. Markieff was able to secure an NBA championship ring in the bubble with the Los Angeles Lakers, but since his tenure with the Lakers he has only appeared in 70 games across three seasons. He currently averages 2.5 PPG and 1.7 RPG as a veteran enforcer for the Dallas Mavericks.