NBA Opening Night 2026-27
Duke, UNC, Virginia, Florida State, Stanford Lead
Massive Parade Of NBA Players From ACC Schools
By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
(last updated Oct. 20, 2026)
On the opening night of the 2026-27 National Basketball Association regular season, Duke — with 26 of its former players available for NBA duty — leads a massive parade of 90 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 tripleheader, as Detroit hosts Boston (3 p.m., NBC), New York (the 2025-26 league champion) hosts LeBron James and Philadelphia (7 p.m., NBC), and San Antonio hosts Oklahoma City (9:30 p.m., NBC).
The Blue Devils’ massive contingent is led by Boston forward Jayson Tatum, a 10h-year veteran and six-time NBA All-Star, and Dallas point guard Kyrie Irving, a 16th-year veteran and nine-time NBA All-Star.
Each player already has been an NBA champion — Tatum in 2024 with the Celtics, Irving in 2016 with Cleveland.
Duke’s crew now also includes three NBA rookies: first-round draft pick Cameron Boozer (third/Memphis) and second-round selections Isaiah Evans (33rd/Minnesota) and Maliq Brown (44th/San Antonio).
In another eye-opening twist, this will be the first NBA season without former Wake Forest star Chris Paul on the court since the 2004-05 campaign. Paul retired earlier this year, after 21 NBA seasons.
North Carolina, Virginia, Florida State and Stanford 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 this year’s totals for each current ACC program.
ACC School — 2026-27 NBA Roster Players
26—Duke
14—North Carolina
9—Virginia
6—Florida State, Stanford
5—Pittsburgh
4—Miami
3—Louisville, Virginia Tech
2—Cal, Clemson, Georgia Tech, NC State, Wake Forest
1—Boston College, Notre Dame, SMU, Syracuse
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 2025-26 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 (26)
Player, Pos., NBA Team
Grayson Allen, G, Charlotte Hornets
Marvin Bagley III, F, Denver Nuggets
Paolo Banchero, F, Orlando Magic
RJ Barrett, F, Toronto Raptors
Cameron Boozer, F, Memphis Grizzlies (R)
Maliq Brown*, F, San Antonio Spurs (R) (two-way)
Wendell Carter Jr., C, Orlando Magic
Isaiah Evans, G Minnesota Timberwolves (R)
Kyle Filipowski, F, Utah Jazz
Cooper Flagg, F, Dallas Mavericks
Brandon Ingram, F, Los Angeles Clippers
Kyrie Irving, G, Dallas Mavericks
Sion James*, G, Charlotte Hornets
Jalen Johnson, F, Atlanta Hawks
Tre Jones, G, Chicago Bulls
Tyus Jones, G, Denver Nuggets
Luke Kennard, G, Phoenix Suns
Kon Knueppel, G/F, Charlotte Hornets
Dereck Lively II, C, Dallas Mavericks
Khaman Maluach, C, Phoenix Suns
Jared McCain, G, Oklahoma City Thunder
Tyrese Proctor, G, Cleveland Cavaliers
Jayson Tatum, F, Boston Celtics
Gary Trent Jr., G, Milwaukee Bucks
Mark Williams, C, Phoenix Suns
Zion Williamson, F, New Orleans Pelicans
Others from 2025-26: Seth Curry* (TBD), Wendell Moore Jr. (Italy), Mason Plumlee (TBD), Dariq Whitehead (G League)
North Carolina (14)
Harrison Barnes, F, San Antonio Spurs
Leaky Black, G, Sacramento Kings (two-way)
Tony Bradley, C/F, Utah Jazz
Harrison Ingram*, F, Utah Jazz (two-way)
Cameron Johnson*, F, Denver Nuggets
Walker Kessler*, C, Los Angeles Lakers
Caleb Love*, G, Portland Trail Blazers (two-way)
Pete Nance*, F, Milwaukee Bucks (two-way)
Drake Powell, G/F, Brooklyn Nets
Cormac Ryan*, G, Milwaukee Bucks (two-way)
Day’Ron Sharpe, C, Brooklyn Nets
Henri Veesaar*, C, Atlanta Hawks (R)
Coby White, G, Charlotte Hornets
Caleb Wilson, F, Chicago Bulls (R)
Others from 2025-26: Cole Anthony (Australia)
Virginia (9)
Reece Beekman, G, Washington Wizards (two-way)
Ryan Dunn, F, Phoenix Suns
Anthony Gill*, F, Washington Wizards
Sam Hauser*, F, Boston Celtics
Jay Huff, C, Indiana Pacers
De’Andre Hunter, F, Sacramento Kings
Ty Jerome, G/F, Memphis Grizzlies
Trey Murphy III*, F, New Orleans Pelicans
Ugonna Onyenso*, C, Detroit Pistons (R) (two-way)
Florida State (6)
Scottie Barnes, F, Toronto Raptors
Jonathan Issac, F, Orlando Magic
Terance Mann, G/F, Brooklyn Nets
Devin Vassell, G/F, San Antonio Spurs
Jamir Watkins, F, Washington Wizards (two-way)
Patrick Williams, F, Chicago Bulls
Stanford (6)
Harrison Ingram*, F, Utah Jazz (two-way)
Spencer Jones, F, Denver Nuggets (two-way)
Brook Lopez, C, Los Angeles Clippers
Ebuka Okorie, G, Detroit Pistons (R)
Maxime Raynaud, C, Sacramento Kings
Ziaire Williams Jr., F, Los Angeles Lakers
Others from 2025-26: Dwight Powell (TBD)
Pittsburgh (5)
Steven Adams, C, Houston Rockets
Carlton “Bub” Carrington, G, Washington Wizards
Justin Champagnie, G/F, Washington Wizards
Blake Hinson*, F, Utah Jazz (two-way)
Cameron Johnson*, F, Denver Nuggets
Miami (4)
Tre Donaldson*, G, Miami Heat (R) (two-way)
Kyshawn George, F, Washington Wizards
Jordan Miller*, G, Los Angeles Clippers
Ernest Udeh Jr.*, C, Cleveland Cavaliers (R) (two-way)
Others from 2025-26: Bruce Brown (TBD)
Louisville (3)
Mikel Brown Jr., G, Brooklyn Nets (R)
Ryan Conwell*, G, Miami Heat (R)
Donovan Mitchell, G, Cleveland Cavaliers
Others from 2025-26: Chucky Hepburn* (TBD), Terry Rozier (indefinite leave)
Virginia Tech (3)
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, G, Atlanta Hawks
Dorian Finney-Smith*, F, Atlanta Hawks
Tobi Lawal*, F, Dallas Mavericks (R) (two-way)
California (2)
Jaylen Brown, G/F, Philadelphia 76ers
Jaylon Tyson, G/F, Cleveland Cavaliers
Clemson (2)
PJ Hall, C, Charlotte Hornets (two-way)
Olivier-Maxence Prosper*, F, Memphis Grizzlies
Others from 2025-26: Trey Jemison* (TBD), Hunter Tyson (Italy)
Georgia Tech (2)
Jose Alvarado, G, New York Knicks
Josh Okogie, G, Utah Jazz
Others from 2025-26: Miles Kelly* (G League)
NC State (2)
Quadir Copeland*, G, Houston Rockets (R) (two-way)
Caleb Martin*, F, Dallas Mavericks
Others from 2025-26: Cody Martin* (G League)
Wake Forest (2)
John Collins, F, Detroit Pistons
Jake LaRavia*, F, Los Angeles Lakers
Others from 2025-26: Bobi Klintman (Italy), Chris Paul (retired), Hunter Sallis* (G League), Alondes Williams* (G League)
Boston College (1)
Quinten Post*, C, Memphis Grizzlies
Notre Dame (1)
Cormac Ryan*, G, Milwaukee Bucks (two-way)
Others from 2025-26: Pat Connaughton (TBD), Blake Wesley (TBD)
SMU (1)
Jaron Pierre Jr.*, G, New Orleans Pelicans (R) (two-way)
Others from 2023-24: Shake Milton (Serbia)
Syracuse (1)
Jerami Grant, F, Memphis Grizzlies
*—played for multiple colleges
(R)—NBA rookie in 2026-27
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)
Others from 2025-26: CJ Huntley (Davidson Day School/Appalachian State/TBD), Tristen Newton (East Carolina/UConn/G League)
