Where’d They End Up? 2025 ACC/NC Products Join NBA, Overseas Teams

Where’d They End Up?

2025 ACC/NC Draft Picks, Free Agents
Join NBA, International Organizations

By David Glenn
North Carolina Sports Network
(last updated Aug. 18, 2025)

More than 80 college basketball players who competed in the Atlantic Coast Conference and/or for North Carolina-based universities have entered the professional basketball ranks this summer.

While most of the attention understandably has gone to Duke forward Cooper Flagg (the #1 overall selection of the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association draft) and other NBA picks, dozens of other players with ties to the ACC and/or the Old North State signed with a wide variety of pro teams in June, July or August as undrafted free agents.

Most first-year professionals got their start in NBA Summer League action, which was divided among venues in California (July 5-8), Salt Lake City (July 5-8) and Las Vegas (July 10-20), although a majority of those players ultimately will end up opening the 2025-26 regular season in the NBA’s G League or with teams located in countries all around the globe.

Others, including Duke wing Mason Gillis (Belgium), NC State point guard Michael O’Connell (Puerto Rico) and UNC Asheville forward Greg Gantt Jr. (Slovakia), signed directly with organizations that compete in foreign-based leagues.

The lists below include five classifications (first-round NBA pick, second-round NBA pick, two-way contract, Exhibit-10 contract, Summer League signee), each of which represents a much different potential path to a 2025-26 NBA roster spot.

First-round NBA draft picks sign standard four-year rookie contracts (higher picks get a lot more money), with only the first two years guaranteed, and are typically assured of roster spots during their first two seasons as professionals. The contracts of second-round NBA picks can vary greatly, are not automatically guaranteed, and come with no assurance of a roster spot with the parent club.

The next-best path to the NBA is a two-way contract (some second-round picks fall to this status), which allows a player to split time between an NBA team and its G League affiliate. Players on two-way contracts can play a maximum of 50 regular-season NBA games — they make a lot more money when that happens — although most spend the majority of the season in the G League. Each NBA team is permitted to carry only three players on two-way contracts at any given time.

An Exhibit-10 contract is a one-year, non-guaranteed contract, typically for the NBA’s minimum salary, that can be upgraded to a two-way contract prior to the regular season.

Players who receive only a standard NBA Summer League invitation generally are not considered likely to compete for a regular-season NBA roster spot. A particularly strong Summer League performance can lead to a two-way contract offer and/or an invitation to preseason camp (typically held in early October), but far more often such Summer League-only invitees end up exploring their options in the top European leagues and elsewhere on the international basketball scene.

2025 ACC Draft Picks, Free-Agent Signees

Boston College

G Claudell Harris Jr.^ (Mississippi State), 23, Vilpas (Finland)
G Roger McFarlane (SE Louisiana), 23 Kouvot (Finland)
C Justin Vander Baan^ (Lafayette), 23, Boras (Sweden)
G Jaeden Zackery^ (Clemson), 23, Karhu (Finland)

Cal

C Mady Sissoko (Michigan State), 24, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA Summer League

Clemson

G/F Jack Clark^ (NC State/VCU), 25, Philadelphia 76ers, NBA Summer League
G Chase Hunter, 24, New Orleans Pelicans, NBA Exhibit-10
C Lynn Kidd^ (Virginia Tech/Miami), 23, Magic (Summer League), Tofaş (Turkey)
C Viktor Lakhin (Cincinnati), 23, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA Summer League
F Ben Middlebrooks^ (NC State), 22, Norrköping (Sweden)
G Jaeden Zackery (Boston College), 23, Karhu (Finland)

Duke

F Jaemyn Brakefield^ (Ole Miss), 24, Bambitious (Japan)
F Cooper Flagg, 18, Dallas Mavericks, NBA 1st-Round Pick
G Mason Gillis (Purdue), 24, Limburg United (Belgium)
G Sion James (Tulane), 22, Charlotte Hornets, NBA 2nd-Round Pick
G Kon Knueppel, 19, Charlotte Hornets, NBA 1st-Round Pick
C Khaman Maluach, 18, Phoenix Suns, NBA 1st-Round Pick
G Tyrese Proctor, 21, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA 2nd-Round Pick
G Jeremy Roach^ (Baylor), 23, King Szczecin (Poland)

Florida State

F Matthew Cleveland^ (Miami), 22, Dallas Mavericks, NBA Exhibit-10
G Primo Spears^ (UTSA), 24, Harem Spor (Turkey)
F Jamir Watkins (VCU), 23, Washington Wizards, NBA 2nd-Round Pick

Georgia Tech

G Miles Kelly^ (Auburn), 22, Dallas Mavericks, NBA Two-Way Contract
G Javian McCollum (Oklahoma), 23, Leiden (Netherlands)
G Deivon Smith^ (St. John’s), 23, Atlanta Hawks, NBA Summer League
G Lance Terry (Gardner-Webb), 24, Magic (Summer League), Gipuzkoa (Spain)

Louisville

F Matt Cross^ (Miami/SMU), 23, Dallas Mavericks, NBA Summer League
G Dre Davis^ (Ole Miss), 23, Brooklyn Nets, NBA Summer League
G/F Terrence Edwards Jr. (James Madison), 23, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA Summer League
G Chucky Hepburn (Wisconsin), 22, Toronto Raptors, NBA Two-Way Contract
C Brandon Huntley-Hatfield^ (NC State), 21, Magic (Summer League), Keravnos (Cyprus)
G Reyne Smith (Charleston), 22, Nuggets (Summer League), Cairns (Australia)

Miami

G Jalen Blackmon (Stetson), 22, Limburg United (Belgium)
F Matthew Cleveland (Florida State), 22, Dallas Mavericks, NBA Exhibit-10
F Matt Cross^ (Louisville/SMU), 23, Dallas Mavericks, NBA Summer League
F Brandon Johnson (East Carolina), 23, ZTE (Hungary)
G Bensley Joseph^ (Providence), 23, Hyères-Toulon (France)
C Lynn Kidd (Clemson/Virginia Tech), 23, Magic (Summer League), Tofaş (Turkey)
F Norchad Omier^ (Baylor), 23, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA Exhibit-10
G Wooga Poplar^ (Villanova), 22, Chicago Bulls, NBA Exhibit-10

North Carolina

G RJ Davis, 23, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Exhibit-10
F Dawson Garcia^ (Minnesota), 23, Detroit Pistons, NBA Exhibit-10
G Caleb Love^ (Arizona), 23, Portland Trail Blazers, NBA Two-Way Contract
F Drake Powell, 19, Brooklyn Nets, NBA 1st-Round Pick
F Dontrez Styles^ (NC State), 23, Charleroi (Belgium)
G Kerwin Walton^ (Texas Tech), 23, Thunder (Summer League), Den Bosch (Netherlands)
F Jae’Lyn Withers (Louisville), 24, Den Bosch (Netherlands)

NC State

G/F Jack Clark^ (Clemson/VCU), 25, Philadelphia 76ers, NBA Summer League
F Greg Gantt Jr.^ (UNC Asheville), 24, Lučenec (Slovakia)
G Cam Hayes^ (East Carolina), 23, SAM Massagno (Switzerland)
C Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Louisville), 21, Magic (Summer League), Keravnos (Cyprus)
F Ben Middlebrooks (Clemson), 22, Norrköping (Sweden)
G Michael O’Connell (Stanford), 23, Caguas (Puerto Rico)
F Dontrez Styles (UNC), 23, Charleroi (Belgium)
G Jayden Taylor (Butler), 22, Kataja (Sweden)

Notre Dame

C Matt Zona^ (Fordham), 23, Cheshire (Great Britain)

Pitt

F Zack Austin (High Point), 23, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA Exhibit-10
G Ishmael Leggett (Rhode Island), 24, Craiova (Romania)
G Femi Odukale^ (Minnesota), 24, Prievidza (Slovakia)
G/F Nate Santos^ (Dayton), 23, Orlando Magic, NBA Exhibit-10

SMU

F Keon Ambrose-Hylton (Alabama), 23, Kortrijk (Belgium)
F Matt Cross (Miami/Louisville), 23, Dallas Mavericks, NBA Summer League
G Zhuric Phelps^ (Texas A&M), 23, Dallas Mavericks, NBA Summer League

Stanford

F Max Murrell^ (UC Santa Barbara), 22, Holbæk (Denmark)
F Maxime Raynaud, 22, Sacramento Kings, NBA 2nd-Round Pick

Syracuse

G Jaquan Carlos (Hofstra), 22, Kataja (Finland)
F Jyare Davis (Delaware), 23, SC Derby (Montenegro)
G Kadary Richmond^ (St. John’s), 23, Washington Wizards, NBA Exhibit-10

Virginia

F Jabri Abdur-Rahim^ (Providence), 23, Sacramento Kings, NBA Summer League
F Igor Milicic Jr.^ (Tennessee), 22, Philadelphia 76ers, NBA Exhibit-10
G Taine Murray, 23, Brisbane (Australia)
F/C Kadin Shedrick^ (Texas), 23, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA Summer League

Virginia Tech

F Ben Burnham (Charleston), 23, Artland Quakenbrück (Germany)
C Lynn Kidd^ (Clemson/Miami), 23, Magic (Summer League), Tofaş (Turkey)
F David N’Guessan^ (Kansas State), 25, Löwen Braunschweig (Germany)
G Sean Pedulla^ (Ole Miss), 22, Portland Trail Blazers, NBA Exhibit-10
C Mylyjael Poteat (Rice), 23, Balıkesir (Turkey)

Wake Forest

F Andrew Carr^ (Kentucky), 23, Portland Trail Blazers, NBA Exhibit-10
C Efton Reid III (Gonzaga), 23, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA Summer League
G Hunter Sallis (Gonzaga), 22, Philadelphia 76ers, NBA Two-Way Contract

OTHER IN-STATE (NORTH CAROLINA) PROGRAMS

Appalachian State

F Jalil Beaubrun (SF Austin), 23, Lučenec (Slovakia)
F CJ Huntley, 23, Phoenix Suns, NBA Two-Way Contract
G Jackson Threadgill (Charlotte), 23, Starlites (Malta)

Campbell

F Caleb Zurliene, 23, Traiskirchen (Austria)

Charlotte

G Jackson Threadgill^ (App State), 23, Starlites (Malta)

Davidson

G Connor Kochera (William & Mary), 23, Köping (Sweden)

East Carolina

G RJ Felton, 23, Indiana Pacers, NBA Exhibit-10
G Cam Hayes (NC State), 23, SAM Massagno (Switzerland)
F Brandon Johnson^ (Miami), 23, ZTE (Hungary)
F CJ Walker (UCF), 24, Elitzur Yavne (Israel)

Elon

F Sam Sherry, 22, Bakken (Denmark)

Gardner-Webb

G Jordan Sears^ (LSU), 23, Göttingen (Germany)
G Lance Terry^ (Georgia Tech), 24, Magic (Summer League), Gipuzkoa (Spain)

High Point

F Zack Austin^ (Pitt), 23, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA Exhibit-10

North Carolina A&T

F Austin Johnson^ (Long Beach State), 24, Handlová (Slovakia)

UNC Asheville

F Greg Gantt Jr. (NC State), 24, Lučenec (Slovakia)
F Nick McMullen^ (Georgia State), 23, Münster (Germany)

UNC Greensboro

F Mikeal Brown-Jones^ (Ole Miss), 24, Prievidza (Slovakia)