Vanderbilt NBA Players: Where Are They Now?

It’s been almost a decade since Vanderbilt had an NBA player Where are they now?

Vanderbilt’s NBA players where are they now?

Vanderbilt has had a total of 12 players drafted into the NBA since the 1981-1982 season. Of those 12 players, only five have been active in the last five years. Here is an update on where Vanderbilt’s NBA players are now:

Will Bartley: Retired in 2006 after playing two seasons with the Miami Heat

Shawn Dawson: Currently plays for the New Orleans Pelicans

Festus Ezeli: Currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers

Matthew Fisher-Davis: Plays for the Charlotte Hornets G-League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm.

John Jenkins: played for six different NBA teams over his seven-year career. He is currently a free agent

What happened to Vanderbilt’s NBA players?

Vanderbilt has a long and storied history of sending players to the NBA. In fact, 60 former Vanderbilt players have been drafted by NBA Teams over the years. But what happened to these players after their time in Nashville? Let’s take a look at some of Vanderbilt’s most successful NBA alumni and see where they are now.

First, we have Jeff Green who was drafted fifth overall by the Boston Celtics in 2007. Green had a solid rookie season, averaging 10 points and three rebounds per game However, he really broke out in his second season, averaging 16 points and six rebounds per game He was traded to Seattle SuperSonics in 2011 and spent two seasons there before being traded again, this time to the Memphis Grizzlies Green is currently in his seventh NBA season and is averaging 13 points and four rebounds per game for the Orlando Magic

Next up is Wesley Matthews, who was drafted by the Utah Jazz in 2009. Matthews had a productive rookie season, averaging nine points per game He really came into his own in his second season, however, averaging 16 points per game He has since played for the Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks and is currently in his ninth NBA season Matthews is averaging 12 points per game for the Indiana Pacers this season.

Finally, we have Festus Ezeli, who was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2012. Ezeli saw limited action as a rookie but really came into his own in his second season, when he averaged six points and five rebounds per game while serving as a key reserve for the Warriors’ championship team. Ezeli played one more season for Golden State before signing with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2016. He is currently averaging seven points and five rebounds per game for Portland.

Where are Vanderbilt’s NBA players today?

In recent years Vanderbilt has sent a Number of players to the NBA. But where are they now?

Jeffrey Taylor was a second-round pick of the Charlotte Bobcats in 2012 and played two seasons with the team before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies He is currently a free agent

Festus Ezeli was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2012 and played three seasons with the team, winning an NBA Championship in 2015. He is currently a Free Agent

Damian Jones was drafted by the Warriors in 2016 and traded to the Pelicans in 2017. He is currently on his rookie contract with New Orleans.

Wade Baldwin IV was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2016 and played one season with the team before being traded to Memphis. He is currently on his rookie contract with the Grizzlies.

What became of Vanderbilt’s NBA players?

Since the NBA began in 1946, there have been hundreds of players who have made their way from college campuses to the professional ranks. Of those players, a select few have had the distinction of being drafted out of Vanderbilt University Over the years, Vanderbilt has sent 19 players to the NBA, including four first-Round Draft picks. But what became of these men after their playing days were over? Here is a look at what some of Vanderbilt’s most notable NBA alumni are doing today.

Walt Frazier was selected fifth overall by the New York Knicks in the 1967 NBA draft He would go on to spend 10 seasons with the Knicks, winning two championships while being named an All-Star seven times. After his playing career, Frazier went into broadcasting, working as a color analyst for various television and radio networks. He currently serves as the radio play-by-play announcer for New York Knicks games.

Willis Reed was selected eighth overall by the New York Knicks in the 1964 NBA Draft He spent his entire 10-year career with the Knicks, winning two championships and being named MVP in both 1974 and 1975. After his playing days were over, Reed became Head Coach of the Knicks and then eventually transitioned into a front office role with the team. He currently serves as special adviser to Knicks owner James Dolan.

Bill Russell was selected second overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1956 NBA Draft He would go on to spend 13 seasons with the Celtics, winning an astounding 11 championships while being named MVP five times along the way. After retiring from basketball, Russell became head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics before moving into a front office role with them as well. He later returned to coaching with stints at Stanford and Sacremento State before settling into retirement.

Where are the Vanderbilt NBA players now?

In recent years Vanderbilt has become known for producing some of the best NBA talent in the country. But where are these players now?

Most recently, Vanderbilt has produced two #1 overall picks in the NBA draft Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis Kyrie Irving is a superstar point guard for the Boston Celtics while Anthony Davis is a dominant big man for the New Orleans Pelicans

Other notable Vanderbilt alumni who have had success in the NBA include Russell Westbrook Jeff Green, Lance Thomas, and Matt Freije. Westbrook is a superstar for the Oklahoma City Thunder while Green and Thomas have both had long careers as role players for various teams. Freije was a journeyman who bounced around the league for several years before finally finding a home with the New Orleans Pelicans

So whatever happened to these Vanderbilt stars? Let’s take a look at where they are now:

Kyrie Irving – Boston Celtics
Anthony Davis – New Orleans Pelicans
Russell Westbrook – Oklahoma City Thunder
Jeff Green – Cleveland Cavaliers
Lance Thomas – New York Knicks
Matt Freije – Retired

What is the current status of Vanderbilt’s NBA players?

In recent years Vanderbilt has become known for its Basketball Program with several players going on to successful careers in the NBA. But what is the current status of Vanderbilt’s NBA players?

point guard Damian Lillard was recently named to the All-NBA First Team He is currently signed to the Portland Trail Blazers

meanwhile, center Festus Ezeli is a free agent after spending last season with the New Orleans Pelicans

small forward Jeff Green was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Houston Rockets in January 2020. He is currently signed to the Rockets.

shooting guard Wade Baldwin IV was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2016 and played two seasons with the team before being waived in 2018. He then spent time with various G League teams before signing with Khimki Moscow Region of Russia’s VTB United League in 2019.

What is the latest on Vanderbilt’s NBA players?

There are currently four former Vanderbilt players in the NBA. They are Jeff Roberson (Golden State Warriors), Luke Kornet (Chicago Bulls), Damian Jones (Atlanta Hawks), and Wade Baldwin IV (Portland Trail Blazers).

Roberson is averaging 3.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game for the Warriors. Kornet is averaging 7.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game for the Bulls. Jones is averaging 5.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game for the Hawks. Baldwin IV is averaging 3.2 points and 1 rebound per game for the Trail Blazers

Find out what happened to Vanderbilt’s NBA players

Since the 2000 NBA draft Vanderbilt has had 38 players drafted. Of those 38, only 17 have actually made an appearance in an NBA game In fact, only eight of those players are currently active in the NBA. So what happened to the other 30-something guys? Let’s take a look at what some of Vanderbilt’s more notable NBA Draft picks are doing now.

Mike Miller: The Orlando Magic selected Miller with the 5th overall pick in the 2000 Draft. After playing parts of three seasons with the Magic, Miller was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies where he helped the team make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In 2008, Miller was named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year and in 2009 he won an NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers He is currently a Free Agent

Shaun Livingston: Livingston was drafted 4th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2004. He was viewed as a can’t-miss prospect and looked to have a very promising career ahead of him. Unfortunately, during a game against Charlotte in 2007, Livingston suffered one of the most gruesome injuries in recent memory when he dislocated his knee and tore every major ligament in his left leg. Miraculously, he was able to return to action and has played for eight different teams over his 11-year career. He is currently a member of the Golden State Warriors and is averaging 5.4 points per game off the bench.

Matt Freije: Freije was drafted by New Orleans with the 37th overall pick in 2004 but never made an appearance for the Hornets. He bounced around between a few different teams before eventually finding himself out of the league entirely. In 2012, Freije decided to give Professional Basketball one last shot and joined BC Spartak Saint Petersburg of Russia’s Basketball Super League 1 (BSL). He played two seasons for Spartak before retiring for good in 2014.

Check in on Vanderbilt’s NBA players

It’s been a while since Vanderbilt has had an NBA player In fact, the last Commodore to play in the NBA was Festus Ezeli, who was drafted 30th overall by the Golden State Warriors in 2012. He last played in 2016 before his career was derailed by injuries.

But there are still a few Vanderbilt alumni in the NBA G League trying to make their way back to the big leagues Here’s a look at where some of Vanderbilt’s former NBA players are now:

Shan Foster: The 2008 SEC Player of the Year is now an Assistant Coach for the Texas Legends, the G League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks He played parts of two seasons with the Mavericks and one with the New Orleans Pelicans before going to Europe to continue his playing career.

John Jenkins: After being drafted 23rd overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2012, Jenkins had stints with the Hawks, Phoenix Suns Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards He also played in Israel and Greece before joining Foster on the Texas Legends Coaching Staff this season.

Jeff Taylor: A second-round pick (31st overall) by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2012, Taylor played three seasons for Charlotte before stops with the Brooklyn Nets Minnesota Timberwolves and most recently, Fiat Turin of Italy’s Serie A.

Get the latest on Vanderbilt’s NBA players

Since the Vanderbilt Commodores men’s basketball team last took the court, a lot has changed for the program. Several players have gone on to play in the NBA, while others have pursued careers overseas. Here’s a look at where Vanderbilt’s NBA players are now:

--John Jenkins After spending two seasons with the Phoenix Suns Jenkins was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2014. He played sparingly for Dallas before being waived in 2015. He is currently a free agent
-Jeffery Taylor: Taylor was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in 2012 and spent two seasons with the team. He was waived by the Hornets in 2014 and picked up by the Minnesota Timberwolves He played one season with Minnesota before being waived in 2015. He is currently a free agent
-Festus Ezeli: Ezeli was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 2012 and spent three seasons with the team. He won an NBA Championship with Golden State in 2015 before signing with the Portland Trail Blazers as a free agent in 2016.
-Shawn Long: Long was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016 and traded to the Houston Rockets on draft night. He has yet to play an NBA game and is currently playing for Houston’s D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.