List of Memphis Tigers in the NBA

This is a list of Memphis Tigers men's basketball players who played in the National Basketball Association.

Current NBA Players

As of the 2023–24 NBA Season, five players who were drafted as Tigers are currently signed to NBA rosters.

James Wiseman, Indiana Pacers (since 2024)
Precious Achiuwa, New York Knicks (since 2023)
Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons (since 2022)
Josh Minott, Minnesota Timberwolves (since 2022)
Lester Quiñones, Philadelphia 76ers (since 2024)

All-time List of Memphis Tigers in the NBA & NBA draft

Since the NBA draft began in 1947, 52 players from Memphis have been drafted, and an additional nine played after being signed as undrafted free agents. Of the 52 drafted players, 28 played in at least one NBA (or ABA) game. Memphis has produced 14 first-round picks, including 8 top-ten picks and one number-one pick (Derrick Rose). Three former Tigers have been named NBA All-Stars: Larry Kenon (twice), Penny Hardaway (4 times), and Derrick Rose (3 times). Four have gone on to win the NBA Championship: Win Wilfong with the St. Louis Hawks in 1958, William Bedford with the Detroit Pistons in 1990, Earl Barron with the Miami Heat in 2006, and James Wiseman with the Golden State Warriors in 2022.

In 2010, Memphis became the second college to produce two consecutive NBA Rookie of the Year winners: Derrick Rose in 2009 and Tyreke Evans in 2010 (the first being North Carolina with winners Walter Davis in 1978 and Phil Ford in 1979). In 2011, Rose became the first former Tiger to be named the NBA Most Valuable Player.

Many Memphis players since the 1960s that have gone undrafted or had unsuccessful NBA careers have also played in professional leagues in Europe, Asia and/or Latin America.

NBA Players Who Attended Memphis
Player	Year	Round	Pick	Team	Years Active (NBA & ABA)	Achievements
Win Wilfong	1957	1	4th	St. Louis Hawks	1957–1961	1958 NBA Champion
Jim Hackaday^[e]	1959	3	17th	Philadelphia Warriors
Orby Arnold^[e]	1959	7	53rd	St. Louis Hawks
George Price^[e]	1960	8	58th	New York Knicks
Wayne Yates	1961	1	5th	Los Angeles Lakers	1961–1962
Lowery Kirk^[e]	1961	4	34th	Cincinnati Royals
Hunter Beckman^[e]	1963	7	58th	Cincinnati Royals
George Kirk^[e]	1964	5	42nd	Cincinnati Royals
Bob Neumann^[e]	1964	10	83rd	Cincinnati Royals
Mike Butler^[a]	1968	10	121st	San Diego Rockets	1968–1972
Rich Jones^[a]^[b]	1969	5	58th	Phoenix Suns	1970–1977
James Douglas^[e]	1971	16	226th	Buffalo Braves
Doug Holcomb^[e]	1972	6	94th	Boston Celtics
Ronnie Robinson^[a]	1973	4	60th	Phoenix Suns	1973–1975
Larry Kenon^[a]^[c]	1973	3	50th	Detroit Pistons	1973–1983	2x NBA All-Star
Larry Finch^[a]	1973	4	68th	Los Angeles Lakers	1973–1975
Bill Cook^[e]	1976	3	49th	Washington Bullets
Marion Hillard^[e]	1976	4	65th	Washington Bullets
James Bradley^[e]	1979	2	35th	Atlanta Hawks
Rodney Lee^[e]	1979	8	150th	Detroit Pistons
Dennis Isbell^[e]	1981	5	100th	San Diego Clippers
Hank McDowell	1981	5	102nd	Golden State Warriors	1981–1986
Otis Jackson^[e]	1982	8	174th	New Jersey Nets
Chris Faggi^[e]	1982	8	179th	San Antonio Spurs
Bobby Parks^[e]	1984	3	58th	Atlanta Hawks
Phillip Haynes^[e]	1984	6	121st	Los Angeles Clippers
Keith Lee	1985	1	11th	Chicago Bulls	1985–1989
Baskerville Holmes^[e]	1986	3	68th	Milwaukee Bucks
Andre Turner	1986	3	69th	Los Angeles Lakers	1986–1992
William Bedford	1986	1	6th	Phoenix Suns	1986–1993	1990 NBA Champion
Vincent Askew	1987	2	39th	Philadelphia 76ers	1987–1988, 1990–1998
Sylvester Gray	1988	2	35th	Miami Heat	1988–1989
Dwight Boyd^[e]	1988	3	66th	Denver Nuggets
Elliot Perry	1991	2	37th	Los Angeles Clippers	1991–1992, 1994–2002
Penny Hardaway	1993	1	3rd	Golden State Warriors	1993–2007	4x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA First Team, All-NBA Third Team
Todd Mundt	1995	undrafted	n/a	Boston Celtics	1995–1996
David Vaughn III	1995	1	25th	Orlando Magic	1995–1999
Lorenzen Wright	1996	1	7th	Los Angeles Clippers	1996–2009
Cedric Henderson	1997	2	44th	Cleveland Cavaliers	1997–2002
Chris Garner	1997	undrafted	n/a	Toronto Raptors	1997–1998, 2001
Dajuan Wagner	2002	1	6th	Cleveland Cavaliers	2002–2006
Antonio Burks	2004	2	37th	Orlando Magic	2004–2006
Earl Barron	2005	undrafted	n/a	Miami Heat	2005–2006, 2010–2012	2006 NBA Champion
Shawne Williams	2006	1	17th	Indiana Pacers	2006–2015
Rodney Carney	2006	1	16th	Chicago Bulls	2006–2011
Darius Washington Jr.	2007	undrafted	n/a	San Antonio Spurs	2007
Chris Douglas-Roberts	2008	2	40th	New Jersey Nets	2008–2015
Joey Dorsey	2008	2	33rd	Portland Trail Blazers	2008–2011
Derrick Rose	2008	1	1st	Chicago Bulls	2008–2024	2011 NBA MVP, 3x NBA All-Star, All-NBA First Team, 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year
Tyreke Evans	2009	1	4th	Sacramento Kings	2009–2019	2010 NBA Rookie of the Year
Robert Dozier^[e]	2009	2	60th	Miami Heat
Antonio Anderson	2009	undrafted	n/a	Oklahoma City Thunder	2010
Elliot Williams	2010	1	22nd	Portland Trail Blazers	2010–2016
Will Barton	2012	2	40th	Portland Trail Blazers	2012–2023
D.J. Stephens	2013	undrafted	n/a	Milwaukee Bucks	2014, 2018
Adonis Thomas	2013	undrafted	n/a	Orlando Magic	2014
Tarik Black^[d]	2014	undrafted	n/a	Houston Rockets	2014–2018
Jeremiah Martin	2019	undrafted	n/a	Brooklyn Nets	2020–2021
James Wiseman	2020	1	2nd	Golden State Warriors	2020–Present	2022 NBA Champion
Precious Achiuwa	2020	1	20th	Miami Heat	2020–Present
Jalen Duren	2022	1	13th	Charlotte Hornets	2022–Present
Josh Minott	2022	2	45th	Charlotte Hornets	2022–Present
Lester Quiñones	2022	undrafted	n/a	Golden State Warriors	2022–Present
Emoni Bates^[d]	2023	2	19th	Cleveland Cavaliers	2023–Present
Boogie Ellis^[d]	2024	undrafted	n/a	Sacramento Kings	2024–Present

currently active players are in bold

^a Player chose to play professionally in the American Basketball Association (ABA), which existed from 1967 to 1976.
^b Rich Jones was originally drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 1968 in the fourth round as the 49th pick, but opted not to play. In 1969, he was drafted again by the Suns but chose instead to play in the ABA for the Dallas Chaparrals. He would eventually play in the NBA in 1976 when the New Jersey Nets joined as part of the NBA-ABA merger.
^c Larry Kenon moved to the NBA after the San Antonio Spurs joined the NBA in 1976, as part of the NBA-ABA merger.
^d These players began their careers at the University of Memphis
- Tarik Black played at Memphis from 2010 to 2013 and transferred to Kansas for his senior season.
- Emoni Bates played at Memphis from 2021 to 2022 and transferred to Eastern Michigan for his sophomore season.
- Boogie Ellis played at Memphis from 2019 to 2021 and transferred to USC for his redshirt sophomore, junior and senior seasons.
^e Player was drafted but never played an NBA game.

Source:^[1]

References

^ "NBA Draft Index | Basketball-Reference.com". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved January 25, 2014.

[NBA_Draft_(Basketball_Reference)-1] "NBA Draft Index | Basketball-Reference.com". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved January 25, 2014.

[1]

v t e Memphis Tigers men's basketball
Venues	Various locations (1920–1929) Memorial Fieldhouse (1929–1966) Mid-South Coliseum (1966–1991) Pyramid Arena (1991–2004) FedExForum (2004–present)
Rivalries	Cincinnati Louisville UAB
Culture & lore	Pouncer Newby's TOM (mascot) "Go Tigers Go" Mighty Sound of the South
People	Head coaches NBA players Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1942–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
NCAA Final Four appearances in italics