There’s a significant Indiana basketball presence in the NBA this season. Specifically from the Hoosiers.
Eight former IU players spent time in 2023-24 NBA training camps. Second on that list is Notre Dame with three. These colleges have one NBA player each: Butler, Evansville, Indiana State, Purdue and Purdue Fort Wayne.
Seventeen high schools are represented in the league, as are six Mr. Basketball winners (Eric Gordon, Gary Harris, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Romeo Langford, Trey Lyles, Cody Zeller).
Contact figures from Spotrac.
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O.G. Anunoby, Indiana
The 26-year-old wing is entering his seventh season with the Toronto Raptors. He is coming off a season in which he led the NBA in steals (1.9 per game) and earned second-team All-Defense honors. He also averaged 16.8 points per game, including 38.7% 3-point accuracy.
The Raptors expect more of that defense this season. Here’s what coach Darko Rajakovic said after a recent preseason game.
“He was outstanding. Followed the gameplan, his length, physicality. But it’s very underestimated the way he’s processing the game, the way he’s approaching to the opponents, the amount of time he’s spending watching film and actually analyzing those guys. O.G. Anunoby is as good as anybody defensively.”
He is set to make $18.6 million in 2023-24 and has a player option for 2024-25.
Desmond Bane, Seton Catholic
With Ja Morant missing the first 25 games of the Memphis Grizzlies’ season, Bane is gearing up to be an offensive leader. He averaged 21.5 points per game in his third season, hitting 40.8% of his 3-pointers. He is making $3.85 million in the final year of his rookie contract, but will make $207 million over the next five seasons after extending the deal.
“We’ve all been through it now,” Bane said during training camp. “We’ve been in the playoffs three times together, and we know we need to give more to ultimately win and get to where we want to get to so really taking ownership within the locker room, within our guys of just getting to the next level whether that’s practice, games, whatever.”
Thomas Bryant, Indiana
The 26-year-old post player has bounced around the league already, but he wound up with a championship as a Denver Nuggets backup last season.
He joined the Miami Heat, last season’s Eastern Conference champs, on a two-year, $5.4 million contract (his option in the second season). He has career averages of 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds.
Bryant was plenty impressed with, or maybe it was bewildered by, Victor Wembanyama on one play in the preseason.
Mike Conley, Lawrence North
The 36-year-old point guard is entering his 17th season, and is making $24.4 million in the final year of his contract. The Minnesota Timberwolves are expecting him to score as well as set up Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert. Conley averaged 14 points on 42% 3-point shooting and 5 assists in 24 games with the T-Wolves at the end of last season.
“To win I have to do this,” Conley said. “It just gave me a little bit more extra motivation to go out there and be myself, kind of get back to what I’m good at.”
Pat Connaughton, Notre Dame
The 30-year-old is entering his sixth season with the Milwaukee Bucks and ninth overall. He averaged 7.6 points and 4.6 rebounds as a part-time starter last season, and is due $9.4 million this season and next. As long as Khris Middleton is healthy, Connaughton figures to come off the bench.
Eric Gordon, North Central, Indiana
The 34-year-old shooting guard is entering his 16th season overall and first with the Phoenix Suns after signing a two-year, $6.6 million deal (second year is a player option).
Gordon split time between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers last season, averaging 12.4 points on 37.1% 3-point shooting. He recently said he chose the Suns over the Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors in free agency.
“I felt Phoenix was onto something special,” he said. “It was a tough decision, but I really think we have everything going on here from ownership, to coaches and to players. It’s hard to beat.”
Gordon will be backing up Devin Booker.
Gary Harris, Hamilton Southeastern
The 29-year-old shooting guard averaged 8.3 points and hit 43% of his 3-pointers for the Orlando Magic last season. He is entering his 11th season and is due $13 million in the final year of his contract. With younger players likely to get opportunities, he could be a trade candidate.
Gordon Hayward, Brownsburg, Butler
The 33-year-old 14th-year veteran is starting his fourth season with the Charlotte Hornets. He missed some time in the preseason with foot issues.
He averaged 14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 50 games last season. He’s making $31.5 million in the final year of his deal. Given his age and contract status on a team that is trying to build for the long term, his name will likely appear in trade speculation.
Jalen Hood-Schifino, Indiana
The 17th overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers, and he’s already learning to be a bigger personality. Lakers coach Darvin Ham says that’s necessary if JHS is going to be a point guard on a team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
“Just the stability at the position. I got on him a little bit yesterday,” Ham said during preseason. “Jalen is really soft-spoken. I said, ‘Kid, you’re going to be a 15-year point guard in this league with the skillset you have, the way you’re going to get better and how young you are … you got to start screaming. Just scream when you’re in the house by yourself. Just start yelling and screaming for no reason. Because you’re going to have to be the one who keeps your teammates organized and they’ve gotta always understand what we’re doing out there – whatever possession it is each, each and every possession.’”
R.J. Hunter, Pike
The 30-year-old who last played in the NBA in 2019 was recently cut by the Charlotte Hornets. He has 45 games of NBA experience.
“I’ve been all around, a bunch of different places, so I was just forced to appreciate every single day that you’ve got because it’s a blessing and you kind of go through it like it’s not,” Hunter said prior to being waived. “It’s been super tough. Just trying to find myself, two years away from the league. It was a shock to me and I was just forced to find myself and if I wanted to continue this game.”
Jaden Ivey, Mishwaka Marian, Purdue
The 21-year-old guard enters his second year with the Detroit Pistons coming off an All-Rookie second team season. The fifth overall draft pick averaged 16.3 points and 5.2 assists.
With so many young players on the Pistons roster, he didn’t start until their final preseason game. It’s uncertain whether he will start when the season begins.
He’s set to make $7.6 million this season, and the team has options for the following two years.
Jaren Jackson Jr., Park Tudor
The 2022-23 NBA Defensive Player of the Year averaged 18.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and a league-leading 3.0 blocked shots per game for the Memphis Grizzlies. He is earning $27.1 million this season in a $104 million contract that runs through 2025-26.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Center Grove, Indiana
The first-team All-American was the next-to-last pick in the NBA Draft, but Jackson-Davis has drawn praise since joining the Golden State Warriors.
“So fun to see Trayce out there as a rookie going against an All-Star center in (Domantas) Sabonis,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after a recent preseason game. “What a great experience for him. He was terrific. Just the rebounding. Scoring. Rolling to the rim, giving us a lob threat. Defensively, he battled. They’re giving him the rookie treatment, the refs are. He’s picking up a lot of fouls that look a little questionable to me. But, he’s so coachable. He has a great foundation underneath him. Understands how to play basketball. He played 125 college games. He comes to us as a much more finished product than most rookies these days.”
John Konchar, Purdue Fort Wayne
The 27-year-old wing is entering his fifth season with the Memphis Grizzlies, earning $2.4 million in the final year of his contract. He averaged 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season, mostly off the bench. He has been away from the team for much of the preseason (personal reasons).
Romeo Langford, New Albany, Indiana
The Utah Jazz recently waived Langford. Over four NBA seasons, he has averaged 4.6 points per game.
Jake LaRavia, Lawrence Central, Indiana State
He appeared in 35 games for the Memphis Grizzlies in his rookie season, averaging 3.0 points. The 19th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft is set to make $3.2 million this year, with club options for the next two.
Trey Lyles, Tech
The 27-year-old is entering his ninth NBA season, and second full season with the Sacramento Kings. Lyles signed a two-year $16-million contract in the offseason. He averaged 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds coming off the bench last season, a role he expects to repeat this season.
Lyles is considering starting a book club in Sacramento.
“These self-help books can get repetitive,” Lyles said. “But the best self-help book I came across last season was ‘The Power of Now.’ That helped me a lot to center and focus myself — not only on the court, but in life in general. Being where my feet are, living in the moment, not trying to live in the future and definitely not living in the past. Just living in the moment, appreciating the moment and everything that comes with it.”
Victor Oladipo, Indiana
The 31-year-old, 11th-year veteran was traded to the Houston Rockets during the preseason. He’s making $9.5 million in the final year of his contract, but he’s still recovering from a knee injury.
He has an interesting theory on how Taylor Swift has affected Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s play.
“Invest in someone who is going to make you greater,” Oladipo shared on Instagram. “Not just in your craft but in every way. We look at it like, it’s Taylor Swift. Yes, you’re right for looking at it that way, but what about the things we don’t see. It’s not just her coming to the games that’s contributing to his success. It’s a whole different mentality now. She is making him better and challenging him in more than one way. We just see it in his play.”
Glenn Robinson III, Lake Central
The Milwaukee Bucks signed the 30-year-old to an Exhibit 10 contract, which pays the league minimum and allows the team more contract flexibility early in the season. Robinson has appeared on 304 NBA games, most recently in 2021.
As a member of the Indiana Pacers, Robinson won the 2017 dunk contest during All-Star Weekend.
Matt Ryan, Notre Dame
The New Orleans Pelicans signed the 26-year-old third-year player to a two-way contract just before the season started. He has played in 35 NBA games.
Dru Smith, Evansville Reitz, University of Evansville
The Miami Heat signed him to a two-way contract during the summer, but have changed it to a standard contract. The deal pays him $3.9 million over two seasons.
The 25-year-old 6-3 guard played 15 games last season, split between the Heat and Brooklyn Nets.
Blake Wesley, South Bend Riley, Notre Dame
The San Antonio Spurs picked Wesley 25th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. He appeared in 37 games as a rookie, averaging 5.0 points. He is expected to be a defensive presence off the bench this season.
Dylan Windler, Perry Meridian
The 6-6 wing’s contract was converted from a two-way deal to a standard one-year, $2.16 million contract, making him part of the Knicks roster.
The 27-year-old played in Cleveland his first three seasons after he was picked 26th overall in 2019, but he appeared in just three games in 2022-23 while battling foot injuries.
Cody Zeller, Washington, Indiana
The 31-year-old, 11th-year veteran big man signed a one-year deal for $2 million with the New Orleans Pelicans. He averaged 6.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 15 games with the Miami Heat last season.
Some of Zeller’s best and worst NBA memories involve dunks.
Best: “I had one on Giannis Antetokounmpo that I think surprised him a little bit. To have one on the league MVP is pretty special.”
Worst: “Probably being on the wrong side a few times getting dunked on. I’ve had my fair share of those, but it happens. You win some, you lose some.”
Mason Plumlee, who spent part of his childhood in Warsaw, Indiana, did not attend an IHSAA school, but he is on the Los Angeles Clippers.
