The NBA Summer League starts up today, and there are plenty of former Wildcats making the rosters for various teams.
There are four Cats playing this summer, Alex Poythress, Aaron Harrison, Marquis Teague and Dakari Johnson. Harrison will be playing for the Charlotte Hornets, Johnson will play for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Poythress will play for the Orlando Magic and Teague will play for the Dallas Mavericks.
All of these players aside from Poythress have played in either the NBA or the NBA D-League in the past. Johnson became a member of the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA D-League after being drafted by the Thunder and playing in the Summer League last season. Over the course of 50 games in the D-League, he averaged 12.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.6 blocks. Johnson is sure to offer a scoring threat down low and a strong defensive presence for the Thunder in the Summer League, and if he can make his presence felt on both ends of the floor he could find himself on the NBA roster.
Harrison is another player who competed in the Summer League last season, playing for the Hornets. Harrison was signed by Charlotte after going undrafted, and went back and forth between the NBA and the D-League (playing for the Oklahoma City Blue and the Erie BayHawks) following his summer competition. There aren't any mind-boggling numbers for Harrison at the NBA level due to his back-and-forth trips to the D-League, but all UK fans are well-aware of his clutch capabilities. If Harrison can step up in big moments to score when it matters, he could certainly get his foot in the door for an NBA roster spot again this season.
Teague, like Johnson and Harrison, has gone through the NBA and D-League before. Teague was drafted back in 2012 by the Chicago Bulls, and played for the Iowa Energy in the D-League before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets. He has also been traded to the 76ers, and played for the Oklahoma City Blue in the D-League. Teague now joins the Mavericks in the Summer League this year, as he'll look to get himself to a roster spot in Dallas. Teague has the most playoff experience of any of the other former Wildcats in this Summer League, as he played eight playoff games for the Bulls back in 2013, while Harrison played in two postseason games last season. Teague's added experience should help him as he tries to get back into the NBA scene after falling into the D-League.
Poythress is the rookie of the group, having no NBA experience and coming off his senior season at UK. Poythress will play for one of the two Orlando Magic teams, Orlando Magic Blue. Alex is certainly one of the most cherished Cats from the Calipari era, as he finished his four years of college and still shows some NBA capabilities. Poythress will look to use his athleticism and size to work down low in the Summer League and find a way onto the Orlando roster.
As stated before, Summer League games will start today, and some of these Cats will be playing against each other. Teague, Harrison and Johnson will all face off against each other, and Poythress will take on Teague. You can find the full schedules for each respective former Wildcat here.
The NBA Network will be showcasing games throughout this summer circuit, so you can watch these former Kentucky players fight for a roster spot live.