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A new NBA season is here, and per usual, it will be filled with former Kentucky Wildcats.
Entering the season, UK leads the nation with 29 former players on opening-day rosters, which includes two-way contracts and inactive lists. The next closest is Duke with 23.
Of the 29 Wildcats on an opening-day NBA roster, UK head coach John Calipari has coached 28 of them. Along with former Memphis guard Derrick Rose, Calipari has coached 29 players on opening-day rosters.
Most impressively, Calipari-coached players have amassed more than $2.26 billion in career NBA contracts. In the 2019-20 season, UK players are making over $255 million, highlighted by max contracts signed by John Wall, Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jamal Murray.
The newest additions are PJ Washington, Tyler Herro and Keldon Johnson, all of whom were selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft.
Kentucky Wildcats in the NBA for 2019-20 Season
- Bam Adebayo – Miami Heat
- Eric Bledsoe – Milwaukee Bucks
- Devin Booker – Phoenix Suns
- Willie Cauley-Stein – Golden State Warriors
- DeMarcus Cousins – Los Angeles Lakers
- Anthony Davis – Los Angeles Lakers
- Hamidou Diallo – Oklahoma City Thunder
- De’Aaron Fox – Sacramento Kings
- Wenyen Gabriel- Sacramento Kings
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder
- Tyler Herro – Miami Heat
- Keldon Johnson – San Antonio Spurs
- Enes Kanter – Boston Celtics
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – Charlotte Hornets
- Brandon Knight – Cleveland Cavaliers
- Kevin Knox – New York Knicks
- Skal Labissière – Portland Trail Blazers
- Trey Lyles – San Antonio Spurs
- Darius Miller – New Orleans Pelicans
- Malik Monk – Charlotte Hornets
- Jamal Murray – Denver Nuggets
- Nerlens Noel – Oklahoma City Thunder
- Patrick Patterson – Los Angeles Clippers
- Julius Randle – New York Knicks
- Rajon Rondo – Los Angeles Lakers
- Karl-Anthony Towns – Minnesota Timberwolves
- Jarred Vanderbilt – Denver Nuggets
- John Wall – Washington Wizards
- PJ Washington – Charlotte Hornets