Kentucky leads the nation with 27 players on NBA rosters, Duke next with 25

By ADAM ZAGORIA

Kentucky leads all colleges with 27 players on opening-night NBA rosters, while Duke is in second with 25.

Of the 17 NBA franchises featuring a Wildcat, eight have multiple Kentucky players. Detroit and Sacramento each have a trio of Wildcats on their roster while the Clippers, Lakers, Heat, Knicks, Hornets and Trail Blazers each have two.

Wildcats in the NBA

Bam Adebayo – Miami Heat

Devin Booker – Phoenix Suns

Brandon Boston Jr. – Los Angeles Clippers

Anthony Davis – Los Angeles Lakers

Hamidou Diallo – Detroit Pistons

De’Aaron Fox – Sacramento Kings

Wenyen Gabriel – Los Angeles Lakers

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder

Tyler Herro – Miami Heat

Isaiah Jackson – Indiana Pacers

Keldon Johnson – San Antonio Spurs

Kevin Knox II – Detroit Pistons

Trey Lyles – Sacramento Kings

Tyrese Maxey – Philadelphia 76ers

Malik Monk – Sacramento Kings

Jamal Murray – Denver Nuggets

Nerlens Noel – Detroit Pistons

Immanuel Quickley – New York Knicks

Julius Randle – New York Knicks

Nick Richards – Charlotte Hornets

Olivier Sarr – Portland Trail Blazers

Shaedon Sharpe – Portland Trail Blazers

Karl-Anthony Towns – Minnesota Timberwolves

Jarred Vanderbilt – Utah Jazz

John Wall – Los Angeles Clippers

PJ Washington – Charlotte Hornets

Tyty Washington Jr. – Houston Rockets

For the 11th straight season @KentuckyMBB leads all schools in number of players on NBA rosters @DukeMBB is 2nd https://t.co/RrXWkVDM3O pic.twitter.com/5xg4fmHcNM

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) October 26, 2022

Duke’s 25 NBA players also join more than 30 former players, coaches, managers and Duke graduates that serve on NBA coaching staffs or in front office roles. That includes 1984 Duke graduate Adam Silver (NBA Commissioner), Grant Hill (part owner of the Atlanta Hawks), Elton Brand (General Manager of the Philadelphia 76ers) and Trajan Landon (General Manager of the New Orleans Pelicans).

Blue Devils in the NBA
Grayson Allen – Milwaukee
Marvin Bagley III – Detroit
Paolo Banchero – Orlando
RJ Barrett – New York
Vernon Carey Jr. – Washington
Wendell Carter Jr. – Orlando
Seth Curry – Brooklyn*
AJ Griffin – Atlanta
Brandon Ingram – New Orleans
Kyrie Irving – Brooklyn
Jalen Johnson – Atlanta
Tre Jones – San Antonio
Tyus Jones – Memphis
Trevor Keels – New York
Luke Kennard – LA Clippers
Wendell Moore Jr. – Minnesota
Mason Plumlee – Charlotte
Cam Reddish – New York
Austin Rivers – Minnesota
Jayson Tatum – Boston
Gary Trent Jr. – Toronto
Jack White – Denver
Mark Williams – Charlotte
Zion Williamson – New Orleans
Justise Winslow – Portland
* – inactive

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