Kentucky basketball has a plethora of pros. Here's how former Wildcats are faring in NBA
LEXINGTON — No college basketball program in the nation has more active players in the NBA than Kentucky.
As of Sunday morning, there are 27 former Wildcats on NBA rosters. Producing pro talent has been a staple of UK's program since John Calipari's first season as coach in 2009-10.
The numbers speak for themselves: Calipari has had a one-and-done freshman picked in the first round of 14 straight NBA drafts. And Kentucky has had 35 first-round picks during Calipari's tenure, with 23 of those selections coming in the lottery.
Here's a look at the 27 former Kentucky players in the NBA:
Bam Adebayo
Time at UK: One season (2016-17)
Current NBA team: Miami Heat
Current stats: 21.8 points per game, 9.6 rebounds per game, 4 assists per game
A North Carolina native, Adebayo averaged 13 points and eight rebounds in his lone season as a Wildcat and earned All-SEC honors on a club that went 32-6 and reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. After becoming the 14th overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft (selected by Miami), Adebayo has established himself as one of the league's most consistent players. He has four NBA All-Defensive Team selections, two All-Star Game appearances and helped the Heat reach the Finals twice (2020 and 2023). Adebayo, now in his seventh NBA season, has increased his per-game scoring average each year, sitting at 21.8 per outing through 19 games in 2023-24.
Devin Booker
Time at UK: One season (2014-15)
Current NBA team: Phoenix Suns
Current stats: 27.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 8.2 apg
After winning the SEC's Sixth Man of the Year award and landing on the All-SEC Freshman Team during UK's 38-1 campaign in 2014-15, Booker became the No. 13 pick in the 2015 draft by the Suns. Since then, he's turned into one of the NBA's best players, particularly offensively. He's the youngest player in league history with a 60-point game and also the youngest with consecutive 50-point outings. Booker led the Suns to the NBA Finals during the 2020-21 campaign.
Brandon Boston Jr.
Time at UK: One season (2020-21)
Current NBA team: Los Angeles Clippers
Current stats: 7.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.8 apg
Boston was UK's second-leading scorer (11.48 points per game) during its forgettable 2020-21 campaign, when it went 9-16. He was selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft (pick No. 51) by the Memphis Grizzlies. Boston has started only one game (in 75 appearances) in three NBA seasons.
Anthony Davis
Time at UK: One season (2011-12)
Current NBA team: Los Angeles Lakers
Current stats: 24.4 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 3.1 apg
What to know: The most accomplished player on this list by some measure, Davis led the Wildcats to their most recent national championship (2012) and then went No. 1 overall in that year's NBA draft to the New Orleans Pelicans (called the Hornets at that time). After he was traded to the Lakers in 2019, Davis captured the first NBA championship of his career when the league went into a bubble in Orlando, Florida, to complete the 2019-20 season amid the coronavirus pandemic. Davis is an eight-time NBA All-Star and has been named All-NBA first team and NBA All-Defensive team four times each. He was part of the NBA's 75th anniversary team announced last year. Davis has averaged 24 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks during his 12-season NBA career.
De'Aaron Fox
Time at UK: One season (2016-17)
Current NBA team: Sacramento Kings
Current stats: 29.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 6.2 apg
Fox authored a memorable 2016-17 season at UK, recording only the second triple-double in program history (versus Arizona State) and setting an NCAA Tournament record: most points by a freshman in a game (39 against UCLA in the Sweet 16). He was a third-team All-American selection by USA TODAY, CBS Sports and ESPN and picked up first-team All-SEC honors (from the AP and the league's coaches) after averaging 16.7 points per game and leading the league in assists average (4.6 per game). The Kings then chose Fox with the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Last season, he was an NBA All-Star, landed an All-NBA third-team honor and became the inaugural winner of the Clutch Player of the Year award. Further, he helped the Kings snap their NBA-record playoff drought — Sacramento had missed the postseason 16 straight years from 2007 through 2022 — last season. Fox has averaged 20.7 points, 6.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game in seven NBA seasons.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Time at UK: One season (2017-18)
Current NBA team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Current stats: 30.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 6.3 apg
While he might have been overshadowed at times by fellow freshman Kevin Knox in 2017-18, Gilgeous-Alexander undoubtedly has been the better pro. Gilgeous-Alexander was second on the team to Knox in points per game (14.4) that season, but the former also paced the squad in assists (189), steals (61), free-throw percentage (81.7) and 3-point percentage (40.4). After going to the Hornets with the 11th pick in the 2018 draft, Gilgeous-Alexander was traded to the Clippers that night. He earned a spot on the All-Rookie team before being dealt again, this time to the Thunder. He had a breakout season in 2022-23: Gilgeous-Alexander played in the All-Star Game, was voted onto the All-NBA first team and averaged 31.4 points per contest, the fourth-best mark in the league.
Tyler Herro
Time at UK: One season (2018-19)
Current NBA team: Miami Heat
Current stats: 24.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.4 apg
Herro was an All-SEC second-team selection by the league's coaches as well as an All-SEC Freshman Team representative after averaging 14 points per game before the Heat picked him with the No. 13 selection in the 2019 draft. He's excelled from Day 1, averaging at least 13.5 points per game each of his five seasons in the league and winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2022. Herro was a crucial part of Miami's run to the Finals in "The Bubble" in Orlando, Florida, in 2020. He didn't play in last season's Finals loss to the Nuggets, however, after breaking his hand in a first-round series versus the Bucks.
Isaiah Jackson
Time at UK: One season (2020-21)
Current NBA team: Indiana Pacers
Current stats: 7.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.0 apg
Jackson led the Wildcats in rebounds (165) and blocked shots (65) in 2020-21 before declaring for the draft after one season. He was the 22nd overall pick in 2021, plucked by the Lakers. Jackson then was traded to the Pacers, where he's played ever since. He's averaged 7.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in three seasons in Indiana.
Keldon Johnson
Time at UK: One season (2018-19)
Current NBA team: San Antonio Spurs
Current stats: 17.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.9 apg
The SEC's Freshman of the Year in 2018-19, Johnson averaged 13.5 points per game. But he nearly fell out of the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft before the Spurs swooped in and selected him with the 29th pick. Now, he's one of the cornerstones of an up-and-coming San Antonio roster headlined by the top overall pick in the 2023 draft, Victor Wembanyama.
Kevin Knox II
Time at UK: One season (2017-18)
Current NBA team: Detroit Pistons
Current stats: 6.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.5 apg
Countless accolades came Knox's way after leading the Wildcats in scoring (15.6 points per game) and finishing as the second-leading rebounder (behind P.J. Washington) in 2017-18. That translated into him becoming the ninth pick in the 2018 draft, courtesy of the New York Knicks. But success at the NBA level has proven elusive for Knox: After averaging 12.8 points per game as a rookie in 2018-19, he's never reached a double-digit average again. He's played for four organizations (New York, Atlanta, Detroit, Portland) in six seasons.
Chris Livingston
Time at UK: One season (2022-23)
Current NBA team: Milwaukee Bucks
Current stats: 1.2 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 0.2 apg
Livingston played in all 34 games for the Wildcats last season, averaging 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his draft status, Livingston rolled the dice and elected to remain in the 2023 draft, departing UK after one season. His gamble paid off, as the Bucks selected him with the 58th (and final) pick of the draft. Livingston has appeared in only six games for the Bucks in 2023-24.
Trey Lyles
Time at UK: One season (2014-15)
Current NBA team: Sacramento Kings
Current stats: 6.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 apg
Part of UK's 38-1 outfit of 2014-15, Lyles averaged 8.7 points per game. He was the 12th overall pick in the 2015 draft, going to the Utah Jazz. But Lyles has been more role player than superstar in the NBA, averaging 7.7 points and 4.3 rebounds during his nine-year career.
Tyrese Maxey
Time at UK: One season (2019-20)
Current NBA team: Philadelphia 76ers
Current stats: 26.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 6.8 apg
Maxey was a member of the All-SEC Team and the league's All-Freshman Team in 2019-20 after averaging 14 points per game. Though he didn't come off the board until the 21st pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Maxey has developed into one of that year's best players. In four seasons in Philly, Maxey is averaging 16.7 points per game.
Malik Monk
Time at UK: One season (2016-17)
Current NBA team: Sacramento Kings
Current stats: 14.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 5.2 apg
Monk was a superstar in his one season with the Wildcats, leading the team in points per game at 19.8 as he swept the SEC's Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards while also picking up All-American accolades. The Charlotte Hornets selected him with the 11th pick in the 2017 draft. After reuniting with former backcourt mate Fox in Sacramento, the pair helped the Kings end their NBA-record playoff drought last season.
Jamal Murray
Time at UK: One season (2015-16)
Current NBA team: Denver Nuggets
Current stats: 19.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.9 apg
Murray averaged a team-high 20 points per game in 2015-16 as UK went 27-9 and won both the SEC regular season and tournament titles before falling in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Murray was the seventh overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Nuggets. All he's done since then is form a lethal 1-2 punch with superstar big man Nikola Jokic, leading Denver to its first NBA title in 2022-23.
Immanuel Quickley
Time at UK: Two seasons (2018-19 and 2019-20)
Current NBA team: New York Knicks
Current stats: 14.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.6 apg
After a solid freshman campaign in 2018-19, Quickley had a breakout season as a sophomore, winning the SEC's Player of the Year award and earning All-SEC first-team honors from both the coaches and Associated Press thanks to his 16.1-points-per-game average. The 25th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by Oklahoma City, Quickley was immediately traded to New York. He's been integral off the bench, averaging more than 11 points per game every season of his four-year career.
Julius Randle
Time at UK: One season (2013-14)
Current NBA team: New York Knicks
Current stats: 22.8 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 5.0 apg
What to know: Randle was no stranger to awards on his way to leading Kentucky to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Tournament in 2013-14. He led the Wildcats in both points (15) and rebounds (10.4) per game and set single-season freshman marks for rebounds (417), double-doubles (24) and free throws made (204). He was the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. Randle wasn't an immediate success in the NBA; slowly but surely, the game came to him. He won the NBA's Most Improved Player after the 2020-21 regular season and has twice earned All-NBA honors (second team in 2021, third team in 2023). Randle has averaged 18.9 points and 9.4 rebounds in his nine seasons in the NBA.
Nick Richards
Time at UK: Three seasons (2017-18 through 2019-20)
Current NBA team: Charlotte Hornets
Current stats: 8.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 0.7 apg
Richards played in 105 games, with 70 starts, in three seasons with the Wildcats, averaging 7.3 points and 5 rebounds per outing. He went to the New Orleans Pelicans in the second round (No. 42) of the 2020 draft. After being traded to the Hornets, he's become part of the team's rotation — though mainly as a reserve. Richards has started 22 games (in 154 appearances) over four seasons.
Olivier Sarr
Time at UK: One season (2020-21)
Current NBA team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Current stats: 2.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.3 apg
In one season at UK after transferring from Wake Forest, Sarr averaged 10.8 points per game in 2020-21. He wasn't picked in the 2021 draft and has signed multiple 10-day and two-way contracts with various NBA teams since then. Sarr has played in 38 games over three seasons with the Thunder, making three starts.
Shaedon Sharpe
Time at UK: One season (2021-22)
Current NBA team: Portland Trail Blazers
Current stats: 16.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.3 apg
Sharpe was one of the most highly touted players the Wildcats have signed ... but he didn't play a single game. He enrolled during the spring semester in 2022 and then declared for the NBA draft. The Trail Blazers took him with the No. 7 overall pick in 2022. After averaging 9.9 points and 3 rebounds per game as a rookie last season, he's improved on both those figures in 2023-24.
Jacob Toppin
Time at UK: Three seasons (2020-21 through 2022-23)
Current NBA team: New York Knicks
Current stats: N/A
Toppin improved in leaps and bounds in three seasons at Kentucky, transferring into the program after one season at Rhode Island. He remained in this year's draft — forgoing his final season of college eligibility — but was not selected. Toppin signed with the Knicks as an undrafted free agent shortly after the draft ended. He has appeared in two games for New York this season, recording a block Dec. 5 versus Milwaukee.
Karl-Anthony Towns
Time at UK: One season (2014-15)
Current NBA team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Current stats: 22.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3 apg
A consensus All-American in 2014-15, freshman phenom Towns averaged 10.3 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game and led the team in blocked shots (88) and double-doubles (eight). He was the first player to hear his name called in the 2015 NBA Draft, signing with the Timberwolves. Individual success has defined Towns in the NBA — three-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA third team, Rookie of the Year, 3-point Contest champion — as he's averaged a double-double (23 points and 11.1 rebounds per game) in nine seasons. Team success has been his white whale with the Wolves, though: Minnesota has three playoff appearances with Towns; they've yet to advance out of the first round.
Oscar Tshiebwe
Time at UK: Two seasons (2021-22 and 2022-23)
Current NBA team: Indiana Pacers
Current stats: 3.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.7 apg
After a record-setting two-season stay in Lexington, Tshiebwe elected to remain in this year's draft despite having another year of college eligibility. Renowned for his rebounding prowess, he showcased it in a G League game last month, setting a single-game franchise record for the Indiana Mad Ants, pulling down 28 boards in a win over the Motor City Cruise. A week after that performance, the Mad Ants' parent club, the Pacers, called up Tshiebwe.
Jarred Vanderbilt
Time at UK: One season (2017-18)
Current NBA team: Los Angeles Lakers
Current stats: 1.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.7 apg
Vanderbilt spent one injury-marred season at Kentucky — he played in only 14 games — before declaring for the NBA draft, where he went in the second round (No. 41 overall) in 2018 to the Orlando Magic. Vanderbilt has had a solid NBA career, playing in 253 games (163 starts), for four different teams (Minnesota, Utah, Denver and the Lakers) in six seasons. He's averaged 6.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for his career.
Cason Wallace
Time at UK: One season (2022-23)
Current NBA team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Current stats: 6.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.6 apg
Wallace spent last season in Lexington, winding up on the SEC All-Freshman Team after averaging 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a team-high 2 steals per game. He was picked 10th by the Dallas Mavericks in this year's NBA draft before being traded to the Thunder.
P.J. Washington
Time at UK: Two seasons (2017-18 and 2018-19)
Current NBA team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Current stats: 13.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.4 apg
Washington is the rare Calipari-era player to spend more than one season with the program. He improved across the board from Year 1 to Year 2, posting increases in every statistical category, netting All-American and All-SEC honors in 2018-19. After the Charlotte Hornets selected him with the No. 12 pick in the 2019 draft, he went on to earn a spot on the All-Rookie second team in 2019-20. He's become a key piece of the organization, appearing in 284 games (232 starts) over the past five seasons, posting averages of 12.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per outing.
TyTy Washington Jr.
Time at UK: One season (2021-22)
Current NBA team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Current stats: 1.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg
Washington landed on the All-SEC second team (voted on by the league's coaches) and the conference's All-Freshman Team after scoring 388 points and dishing out 120 assists, both marks ranking second on the 2021-22 squad. He then became the 29th overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, selected by the Memphis Grizzlies. It's been tough sledding for Washington so far, though: He's appeared in only 33 games over two seasons, averaging 4.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game; he's averaging just 1.5 points and 0.5 rebounds in two games for Milwaukee in 2023-24.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball players in the NBA: Bam Adebayo to TyTy Washington
