Seven UVA Basketball alums suited up in the NBA in the 2025-2026 season.
Only two of our guys made the playoffs – Ryan Dunn, whose Phoenix Suns were swept out of the first round by the defending champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder; and Sam Hauser, whose 56-win Boston Celtics face a Game 7 with a not-good Philadelphia 76ers squad on Saturday night.
This time last year, we had De’Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome playing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, where they were upset in the Eastern Conference semis by the Indiana Pacers, whose head coach is Rick Carlisle, a UVA Basketball alum, and the top assistant is Jenny Boucek, another UVA hoops alum.
Jerome went to Memphis in the offseason as a free agent, Hunter was traded midseason to Sacramento, and the Pacers had a gap year with star guard Tyrese Haliburton recovering from an Achilles injury.
’Hoos in the NBA: 2025-2026
Trey Murphy III (New Orleans)
2025-2026 stats: 21.5 ppg, 5.7 rebounds/g, 3.8 assists/g, 57.7% 2FG, 37.9% 3FG, 88.6% FT
Remarks: Career highs pretty much across the board for TM3 for a Pelicans team that finished with a 26-56 record. Zion Williamson actually played in 62 games for the Pels this season (21.0 ppg, 5.7 rebounds/g, 3.2 assists/g, 60.1% 2FG, 25.0% 3FG, 71.6% FT), and the team still couldn’t win.
Bad news for TM3: Still under contract through the 2028-2029 season. He’s going to grow old on a losing team.
Ty Jerome (Memphis)
2025-2026 stats: 19.7 ppg, 5.7 assists/g, 52.2% 2FG, 42.0% 3FG, 87.5% FT
Remarks: Missed most of the season with an ankle injury; only played 15 games. The per-game numbers are more impressive when you consider that he was playing on a minutes restriction, and only got 22.6 minutes per game.
Bad news for Ty: The Grizzlies have already started a teardown, and he has two years left on his deal, keeping him in Memphis through the 2027-2028 season. On the one hand, he’s likely the guy at the point, but on the other, he’s the point guard for a rebuilding team.
De’Andre Hunter (Sacramento)
2025-2026 stats: 13.7 ppg, 4.1 rebounds/g, 2.0 assists/g, 52.2% 2FG, 30.5% 3FG, 86.7% FT
Remarks: Only played two games in Sacramento after the trade from Cleveland, after undergoing surgery to repair a retinal detachment in his left eye.
Bad news for Dre: As his vision improves, he will open his eyes and realize that he is in Sacramento. Could be a trade piece at the deadline for a team looking for a three-and-D guy off the bench.
Jay Huff (Indiana)
2025-2026 stats: 9.5 ppg, 4.0 rebounds/g, 1.9 blocked shots/g, 72.3% 2FG, 31.9% 3FG, 82.8% FT
Remarks: Tied for second in the league in blocked shots per game with Chet Holmgren (Victor Wembanyama was first).
Good news for Jay: The Pacers should be a contender again next season with the return of Tyrese Haliburton. Fits in nicely for a contender as a rotation guy at the five spot who can hit the three and protect the rim.
Sam Hauser (Boston)
2025-2026 stats: 9.2 ppg, 3.8 rebounds/g, 55.7% 2FG, 39.3% 3FG, 85.0% FT
Remarks: Started a career-high 49 games this season. Isn’t asked to do much, other than spot up from three and not make mistakes.
What’s next for Sam: Staying put – he’s under contract through the 2028-2029 season. Pretty good situation.
Anthony Gill (Washington)
2025-2026 stats: 5.8 ppg, 2.9 rebounds/g, 70.7% 2FG, 35.4% 3FG, 73.9% FT
Remarks: Started getting big minutes late in the season, and over his last 13 games, he averaged 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, shooting 77.9 percent on twos and 47.4 percent on threes.
What’s next for Gill: Will be a free agent in the offseason. His closing numbers might get him some attention from teams looking for an experienced hand with a reputation for being a great locker-room guy.
Ryan Dunn (Phoenix)
2025-2026 stats: 5.8 ppg, 4.2 rebounds/g, 56.0% 2FG, 33.1% 3FG, 48.9% FT
Remarks: Dropped out of regular rotation minutes in the playoffs – getting single digits in five of the Suns’ six games in the play-in and first round.
What’s next for Dunn: Still on his rookie contract, so, needs to keep grinding. Particularly with his shooting; that free-throw number is abysmal.
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Chris Graham
