NBA Opening Night 2024-25
Duke, UVa, UNC, Florida State, Wake Forest Lead
Massive Parade Of NBA Players From ACC Schools
(Blue Devils’ 24 Products Far More Than Others)
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
On the opening night of the 2024-25 National Basketball Association regular season, Duke — with 24 of its former players available for NBA duty — leads a massive parade of more than 80 top-level professionals who played collegiately for current members of the 18-team Atlantic Coast Conference.
The NBA officially launches its new campaign with a Tuesday night doubleheader, as Boston (the league’s 2023-24 champion) hosts New York (7:30 pm, TNT) and the Los Angeles Lakers host Minnesota (10 pm, TNT).
The Blue Devils’ massive contingent is led by Boston forward Jayson Tatum, an eighth-year veteran and five-time NBA All-Star, and Dallas point guard Kyrie Irving, a 14th-year veteran and eight-time NBA All-Star. Each player already has been an NBA champion — Tatum last year with the Celtics, and Irving in 2016 with Cleveland.
Duke’s crew also includes two NBA rookies: Utah forward Kyle Filipowski and Philadelphia guard Jared McCain.
Virginia, North Carolina, Florida State and Wake Forest also have a half-dozen or more former players in the 30-team NBA.
Each NBA team’s roster typically includes 15 top-level contracts and three two-way contracts, with the latter players often shuttled back and forth to a franchise’s G League squad. A maximum of 15 players can be active for each team in a regular-season NBA game.
Here are the totals for each current ACC program.
ACC School — 2024-25 NBA Roster Players
24 — Duke
9 — Virginia
7 — North Carolina
6 — Florida State, Wake Forest
4 — Pittsburgh, Stanford
3 — Clemson, Louisville, Miami, Syracuse
2 — Boston College, Clemson, Georgia Tech, NC State, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech
1 — SMU
The comprehensive list below includes all NBA players who had any playing time at one or more of the 18 ACC current basketball programs, regardless of where he finished his college career. In rare cases, a player is listed twice, because he played at two ACC schools.
The list below also notes products of current ACC programs who were on NBA rosters during the 2023-24 season but (as of Tuesday) were not on an 18-man roster on opening night this season.
In addition, a handful of prominent NBA players with ties to the state of North Carolina (e.g., played college and/or high school basketball here) are listed at the bottom of the ACC list.
Duke (24)
Player, Pos., NBA Team
Grayson Allen, G, Phoenix Suns
Marvin Bagley III, F, Washington Wizards
Paolo Banchero, F, Orlando Magic
RJ Barrett, F, Toronto Raptors
Wendell Carter Jr., C, Orlando Magic
Seth Curry*, G, Charlotte Hornets
Kyle Filipowski, F, Utah Jazz (R)
Brandon Ingram, F, New Orleans Pelicans
Kyrie Irving, G, Dallas Mavericks
Jalen Johnson, F, Atlanta Hawks
Tre Jones, G, San Antonio Spurs
Tyus Jones, G, Phoenix Suns
Luke Kennard, G, Memphis Grizzlies
Dereck Lively II, C, Dallas Mavericks
Jared McCain, G, Philadelphia 76ers (R)
Wendell Moore Jr., G, Detroit Pistons
Mason Plumlee, F/C, Phoenix Suns
Cam Reddish, F, LA Lakers
DJ Steward, G, Chicago Bulls (two-way)
Jayson Tatum, F, Boston Celtics
Gary Trent Jr., G, Milwaukee Bucks
Dariq Whitehead, G/F, Brooklyn Nets
Mark Williams, C, Charlotte Hornets
Zion Williamson, F, New Orleans Pelicans
Others from 2023-24: Marques Bolden, Harry Giles III, AJ Griffin (retired), Justise Winslow
Virginia (9)
Reece Beekman, G, Golden State Warriors (R) (two-way)
Malcolm Brogdon, G, Washington Wizards
Ryan Dunn, F, Phoenix Suns (R)
Anthony Gill*, F, Washington Wizards
Sam Hauser*, F, Boston Celtics
Jay Huff, C, Memphis Grizzlies (two-way)
De’Andre Hunter, F, Atlanta Hawks
Ty Jerome, G, Cleveland Cavaliers
Trey Murphy III*, F, New Orleans Pelicans
Others from 2023-24: Mamadi Diakite, Joe Harris (retired), Braxton Key*
North Carolina (7)
Cole Anthony, G, Orlando Magic
Harrison Barnes, F, San Antonio Spurs
Harrison Ingram*, F, San Antonio Spurs (R) (two-way)
Cameron Johnson*, F, Brooklyn Nets
Walker Kessler*, C, Utah Jazz
Day’Ron Sharpe, C, Brooklyn Nets
Coby White, G, Chicago Bulls
Others from 2023-24: Leaky Black, Reggie Bullock, Danny Green (retired), Justin Jackson, Nassir Little, Pete Nance*
Florida State (6)
Scottie Barnes, F, Toronto Raptors
Malik Beasley, G, Milwaukee Bucks
Jonathan Issac, F, Orlando Magic
Terance Mann, G/F, LA Clippers
Devin Vassell, G/F, San Antonio Spurs
Patrick Williams, F, Chicago Bulls
Others from 2023-24: John Butler Jr., Trent Forrest (Spain), RaiQuan Gray (Greece)
Wake Forest (6)
John Collins, F, Utah Jazz
James Johnson, F, Indiana Pacers
Bobi Klintman, F, Detroit Pistons (R)
Jake LaRavia*, F, Memphis Grizzlies
Chris Paul, G, San Antonio Spurs
Alondes Williams*, G, Detroit Pistons (two-way)
Others from 2023-24: Olivier Sarr*, Ish Smith (retired)
Pittsburgh (4)
Steven Adams, C, Houston Rockets
Carlton Carrington, G, Washington Wizards (R)
Justin Champagnie, G/F, Washington Wizards
Cameron Johnson*, F, Brooklyn Nets
Stanford (4)
Spencer Jones, F, Denver Nuggets (R) (two-way)
Brook Lopez, C, Milwaukee Bucks
Dwight Powell, F, Dallas Mavericks
Ziaire Williams, F, Brooklyn Nets
Others from 2023-24: Robin Lopez
Clemson (3)
PJ Hall, C, Denver Nuggets (R) (two-way)
Olivier-Maxence Prosper*, F, Dallas Mavericks
Hunter Tyson, F, Denver Nuggets
Louisville (3)
Damion Lee*, G/F, Phoenix Suns
Donovan Mitchell, G, Cleveland Cavaliers
Terry Rozier, G, Miami Heat
Others from 2023-24: Jordan Nwora (Turkey)
Miami (3)
Bruce Brown, G/F, Toronto Raptors
Kyshawn George, F, Washington Wizards (R)
Jordan Miller*, G, LA Clippers
Others from 2023-24: Lonnie Walker IV, Isaiah Wong
Syracuse (3)
Jesse Edwards*, C, Minnesota Timberwolves (R) (two-way)
Jerami Grant, F, Portland Trail Blazers
Cole Swider*, F, Detroit Pistons (two-way)
Others from 2023-24: Buddy Boeheim, Oshae Brissett
Boston College (2)
Reggie Jackson, G, Philadelphia 76ers
Quinten Post*, C, Golden State Warriors (R) (two-way)
Others from 2023-24: Jerome Robinson (France)
California (2)
Jaylen Brown, G/F, Boston Celtics
Jaylon Tyson, G/F, Cleveland Cavaliers (R)
Georgia Tech (2)
Jose Alvarado, G, New Orleans Pelicans
Josh Okogie, G, Phoenix Suns
Others from 2023-24: Thaddeus Young
NC State (2)
Caleb Martin*, F, Philadelphia 76ers
Cody Martin*, F, Charlotte Hornets
Others from 2023-24: Dereon Seabron, Dennis Smith Jr., Terquavion Smith (China), TJ Warren, Omer Yurtseven* (Greece)
Notre Dame (2)
Pat Connaughton, G, Milwaukee Bucks
Blake Wesley, G, San Antonio Spurs
Others from 2023-24: Matt Ryan*
Virginia Tech (2)
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, G, Minnesota Timberwolves
Dorian Finney-Smith*, F, Brooklyn Nets
SMU (1)
Shake Milton, G, Brooklyn Nets
*—played for multiple colleges
(R)—NBA rookie in 2024-25
Others With North Carolina Ties
Bam Adebayo, C, Miami Heat (High Point Christian Academy/Kentucky)
Steph Curry, G, Golden State Warriors (Charlotte Christian School/Davidson)
Tristen Newton, G, Indiana Pacers (East Carolina/UConn)
PJ Tucker, F, LA Clippers (Raleigh Enloe HS/Texas)
