Ranking the 13 former Kansas Jayhawks basketball players still playing in the NBA
By Tyler Key
The Quality Backup Group:
6. Gradey Dick (13th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft)
Gradey Dick has understandably been getting some quality minutes as a rookie for the Toronto Raptors after they selected him in the lottery this most recent draft. Just like at KU, he has had his ups and down but for the most part has been a knock down shooter for the Raptors. In February especially, Dick was on fire (no pun intended) and had shooting splits of 55/49/86 while averaging 11.0 PPG. He should have a long leash the rest of the season as well considering Toronto is in reset/rebuild mode. He also now gets to hang out with Ochai Agbaji, who he never got to suit up with at Kansas.
5. Quentin Grimes (25th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft)
Once a Jayhawk, always a Jayhawk. While Quentin Grimes’ tenure in Lawrence did not go well and he eventually transferred to Houston to finish his college career there, he did turn his fortunes around and became a first-round NBA pick. While with the New York Knicks he showed flashes of being a lethal three-point shooter and a defender with some upside. Unfortunately, the Knicks elected to go for a more win-now approach at the NBA trade deadline and dealt him to the pitiful Detroit Pistons for veterans Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. Being on the Pistons for even just a handful of games has tanked his shooting efficiency, but he is still averaging 7.1 PPG on the season.
4. Christian Braun (21st pick in the 2022 NBA Draft)
Christian Braun did something that almost no one else in history has been able to do. He won an NCAA National Championship during his final year at college (University of Kansas) and then immediately followed that up by helping his team (Denver Nuggets) win the NBA Championship during his rookie year. Not only this, but he was arguably Denver’s 7th most important piece in the playoff run and completely took over a game in the NBA Finals. His counting stats this season are certainly nothing too special at just 6.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.4 APG, but his impact on the defensive end of the floor and his elite ability to deflect passes and crash the boards should not go unnoticed.