Where all 16 former Arizona basketball stars are playing in the NBA this season
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The number of college basketball programs with more NBA success than Arizona is very, very short.
The Wildcats produced plenty of NBA talent under Sean Miller, but Tommy Lloyd has taken that into overdrive - with three players drafted in June and one more, Tobe Awaka, signed as the regular season gets underway on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
There are now 16(!) former Wildcats on NBA rosters, and that doesn't include big man Christian Koloko or guard Dalen Terry. Koloko signed with Crvena in Serbia, just days after the Boston Celtics secured his G League rights.
Meanwhile Terry was among the final roster cuts for Golden State, and as of this writing remains unsigned after averaging 3.5 points in 218 career games.
Below is a look at where all 16 Arizona alumni are set to play this upcoming season:
Tobe Awaka, Forward, Chicago Bulls
Tobe Awaka is one of four Wildcats from last year's team on an NBA roster, having inked a two-way deal with the Chicago Bulls. The rugged forward appeared in two preseason games with Chicago, posting 14 points, 18 rebounds, and two steals while shooting 7-10 from the field and even nailing his lone three point attempt.
He'll fight for playing time in Chicago's frontcourt, which features injury-prone Zach Collins and Nic Claxton.
DeAndre Ayton, Center, Washington Wizards
DeAndre Ayton, the former No. 1 overall pick, is set to play a backup role in Washington behind two other former No. 1 picks in Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr. With AJ Dybantsa on the roster the Wizards have four former top picks on the roster.
Ayton averaged 4.0 points and 6.8 rebounds in four preseason games, playing 18 minutes per night.
Jaden Bradley, Guard, Toronto Raptors
Jaden Bradley was one of three 2026 draft picks from Arizona, going late in the second round but earning a multi-year guaranteed NBA contract after a strong summer league performance.
The Big 12 Player of the Year averaged 6.0 points, and 1.8 assists in 17.6 minutes across five preseason games, and will compete for backcourt minutes against fellow Big 12 guards Ja'Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead.
Carter Bryant, Forward, San Antonio Spurs
Carter Bryant enters his second NBA season after posting averages of 4.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in 71 games as a rookie. He'll look to take on an even bigger role for the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs after a strong preseason where he averaged 8.0 points an 4.5 rebounds in four games, shooting 41.2% (7-17) from three.
Brayden Burries, Guard, Milwaukee Bucks
Burries was outstanding as a freshman last year at Arizona, becoming a lottery pick and landing in Milwaukee to help jumpstart the Bucks in the post-Giannis era.
Burries looked great in preseason, averaging 14.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 steals in 22.9 minutes per game, and should compete for major minutes behind and alongside Ryan Rollins, Tyler Herro, and Kasparas Jakucionis in Milwaukee.
Aaron Gordon, Forward, Denver Nuggets
Gordon enters year 13 coming off a successful - but injury-shortened - campaign in 2025-26.
The 6'8 forward looked great in preseason, leading the Nuggets with 15.8 points along with 5.3 rebounds in 16 minutes per game, shooting 50% (7-14) from three. He'll once again be integral to Denver's success as the third man behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
Josh Green, Guard, Utah Jazz
Green begins his seventh NBA season and first in Utah, where he's competing for minutes in a very crowded wing rotation that includes rookie Darryn Peterson, former Wildcat Lauri Markkanen, as well as Ace Bailey, Brice Sensabaugh, and Josh Okogie.
Green played 9.8 minutes in three preseason games, averaging 2.7 points and 1.0 steals.
Keshad Johnson, Forward, Miami Heat
Johnson is back for year three with Miami, inking a two-way contract to stay with the franchise he's been with since 2024.
Johnson averaged 4.3 points in 32 games last season, and dropped 16 points with 10 rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes across two preseason appearances. He'll fight for playing time on a new look Miami roster that added Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason.
Pelle Larsson, Guard, Miami Heat
Larsson broke out in a big way last year in his second NBA season, averaging 11.4 points and 3.4 assists in 70 games, making 54 starts and playing 26.4 minutes per night.
The 6'5 guard will play a valuable role behind veteran starters Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins, and could even boost his numbers in a 6th man role entering his third season.
Caleb Love, Guard, Philadelphia 76ers
Love had a strong rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 10.4 points and 2.5 assists as one of the best undrafted rookies in the game. He's now on a two-way deal with LeBron James in Philadelphia, and will compete for minutes in a very crowded backcourt.
He averaged 5.5 points and 3.0 assists in four preseason games.
Lauri Markkanen, Forward, Utah Jazz
Markkanen enters his fifth season with the Utah Jazz, coming off a campaign where he averaged a career-high 26.7 points in 42 regular season games.
He'll once again be the focal point of Utah's offense, and how he gels with rookie Darryn Peterson is a huge storyline for Utah, and the NBA, this year.
Bennedict Mathurin, Guard, New Orleans Pelicans
Mathurin begins his fifth NBA season in New Orleans, after splitting last year between Indiana and the LA Clippers. The 6'5 wing averaged 17.6 points in 54 games last season, and is in line for a super sixth man role with the Pelicans behind Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones.
T.J. McConnell, Guard, Indiana Pacers
Veteran TJ McConnell did not play in preseason for the Pacers, and his status for opening day is doubtful. The 12 year pro averaged 9.4 points and 5.1 assists in 56 games last season, and is in line for a similar role with Indiana - even with Tyrese Haliburton returning from his ACL injury.
Zeke Nnaji, Forward, Denver Nuggets
Nnaji enters his seventh NBA season, all with Denver, although he's struggled to stick in the rotation - averaging 12 minutes in 52 games last year, along with 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds.
After playing just 9.2 minutes in four preseason games, and shooting 33.3% from the field, Nnaji likely isn't going to see an increase in his role with the Nuggets this year.
Koa Peat, Forward, Phoenix Suns
Peat slid to No. 30 in the NBA draft, but landed at home with the Phoenix Suns. The 6'8 forward is attempting to 'fix' his outside shot, and looks like a depth option in year one behind Dillon Brooks, Miles Bridges, Ryan Dunn, and Rasheer Fleming.
Peat appeared in five preseason games, averaging 4.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 9.7 minutes per game.
Brandon Williams, Guard, Golden State Warriors
Williams comes over to Golden State after three years in Dallas, including last year when he averaged a career-high 13 points and 3.9 assists in 66 games.
Williams averaged 12.6 points and 2.2 assists in 16.7 minutes in five preseason games, and should be quality depth behind Steph Curry and Brandin Podziemki in GSW's backcourt.
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Andy Patton is a college basketball writer with deep ties to both Gonzaga and Arizona. A Gonzaga alumnus who graduated in 2013, he has hosted the Locked On Zags podcast covering Gonzaga basketball since 2021 and has co-hosted the Locked On College Basketball podcast since 2022. His years covering the Bulldogs have also given him extensive familiarity with Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who spent more than two decades on Mark Few’s staff at Gonzaga before taking over the Wildcats in 2021. Andy has worked in sports media since 2017, with experience covering nearly every major sport. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for USA TODAY from 2017–21, where he also spent time covering the USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks, and previously served as lead writer for College Sports Wire. He has also covered the NBA, NHL and MLB for various TEGNA outlets, including KREM in Spokane, 12News in Phoenix and KING 5 in Seattle. Andy now lives in Spokane, Washington, with his wife, daughter and dog.
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