Tracking the pro progress of former Vols
The 2022-23 NBA season has tipped off, and several former University of Tennessee basketball players were on opening-day rosters.
Veterans Tobias Harris, Grant Williams and Josh Richardson, having established themselves as reliable pros in the league, return to the respective teams with which they ended last season. Admiral Schofield, meanwhile, seems to have found a home with the Orlando Magic. Former UT point guard Kennedy Chandler is a member of the Memphis Grizzlies but has played only sparingly so far this season. Jaden Springer is under contract to the Philadelphia 76ers, and Keon Johnson is on the Portland Trail Blazers’ roster.
Harris, a starting forward for Philadelphia, is averaging 14 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game, as the 76ers have hopes of competing for a top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Williams, a two-time Southeastern Conference Player of the Year for the Volunteers, was a first-round pick for Boston, going to the Celtics as the No. 22 overall selection in the 2019 NBA Draft. He has emerged as the team’s sixth man and was key to its success last season, including in pivotal moments in the playoffs. The Celtics reached the NBA Finals, where they lost to Golden State in six games. Although he failed to extend his contract with the team in the offseason, Williams is averaging nearly 13 points, 5 boards and 2 assists in the early portion of this season.
Richardson, now with the San Antonio Spurs, scored 27 points in San Antonio’s victory over the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 21, and he is averaging 12.7 points per game thus far this year. Richardson joined the Spurs at the trade deadline last season after spending the first part with Williams in Boston.
Schofield, who had success with the Washington Wizards in the 2020 bubble in Central Florida, earned a spot on the Magic’s roster after signing a pair of 10-day contracts after being called up from the organization’s G-League affiliate in Lakeland. He has appeared in one game for Orlando this season, playing nine minutes.
Chandler, a second-round pick by the Spurs in this year’s draft, was traded to Memphis on draft night. He was impressive in the summer league and during the preseason, but he has played limited minutes thus far – although he scored 3 points, dished out 3 assists and grabbed a board in a quarter’s worth of action on Halloween night.
Jaden Springer, in his second year with Philadelphia, has played sparingly in the NBA over his first two seasons. He has yet to appear in an NBA game this season. He is a two-way player, splitting time between the 76ers and the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia’s G-League affiliate. He had just been optioned to the developmental league at the time of this writing.
Johnson began his career with the Los Angeles Clippers, where he played sparingly and was a two-way player, as well. He was sent to Portland at the trade deadline and made several starts. With the Trail Blazers, Johnson and former Vol Kyle Alexander (now playing overseas) played key roles in the team winning the NBA Summer League championship in Las Vegas. The Blazers are 3-0 out of the gate with wins over Phoenix, the Lakers and Sacramento. Johnson hasn’t played in Portland’s first three games, however.
