Meet the 20 Michiganders playing in NBA summer league
NBA fans have had the opportunity to get a sneak peak of many of the game’s rookies, sophomores, veterans and G-League affiliate players in summer league.
Twenty players who participated in summer league in either Sacramento, Utah and Las Vegas have roots in Michigan:
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Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman
Michigan connection: University of Michigan.
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers.
The word: Abdur-Rahkman played for the Wolverines for four years and played in a program record 144 games from 2014-18. After going undrafted and dealing with a broken bone in his foot, he signed a G-League contract with the Canton Charge, the affiliate of the Cavaliers. In his senior season at Michigan he averaged 12.9 points per game.
Travis Bader
Michigan connection: Okemos High School, Oakland University.
Team: San Antonio Spurs.
The word: Following a four-year career at Oakland where he averaged 17.2 points, Bader went undrafted in 2014. Since then, he has bounced between playing overseas and in the G-League. Bader was acquired by the Austin Spurs in February. He is second all-time on the NCAA 3-point field goal list.
Ignas Brazdeikis
Michigan connection: University of Michigan.
Team: New York Knicks.
The word: Entering his rookie campaign in the NBA after one year at Michigan. Brazdeikis led U-M in scoring with 14.8 PPG and earned Big Ten freshman of the year. He was selected 47th overall.
Miles Bridges
Michigan connection: Flint, Michigan State University.
Team: Charlotte Hornets.
The word: Drafted 12th overall in 2018 after two years in East Lansing, where he averaged 17 points and 7.6 rebounds. In his first season as a pro, Bridges put opponents on notice with his emphatic dunks.
Matt Costello
Michigan connection: Bay City Western High School, Michigan State University.
Team: Detroit Pistons.
The word: Won Michigan Mr. Basketball in his senior year of high school. Played at Michigan State from 2012-16. Led the Pistons with 20 points in a 102-84 victory Monday.
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Aubrey Dawkins
Michigan connection: University of Michigan.
Team: New Orleans Pelicans.
The word: Transferred to Central Florida after playing with Michigan from 2014-16. Dawkins scored 32 points but missed a game-winning tip-in as UCF nearly upset Duke in the 2019 NCAA tournament.
Kenny Goins
Michigan connection: Warren Mott High School, Michigan State University.
Team: Denver Nuggets.
The word: Walked-on to the MSU program before the 2014-15 season where he was redshirted. Goins averaged 30.4 minutes per game in his senior year and was instrumental in the team’s 2019 Final Four run.
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Zak Irvin
Michigan connection: University of Michigan.
Team: New York Knicks.
The word: Irvin played at Michigan from 2013-17. He spent the 2018-19 season with New York’s G-League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, where he averaged 11.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
Yante Maten
Michigan connection: Lahser High School/Bloomfield Hills High School.
Team: Miami Heat.
The word: Maten signed a two-way contract with the Heat in 2018 after going undrafted out of Georgia. He played four seasons with the Bulldogs and averaged 14.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks.
Matt McQuaid
Michigan connection: Michigan State University.
Team: Detroit Pistons.
The word: McQuaid was co-captain of the Spartans in his senior year. He averaged 9.8 points in his final season and shot a career-high 42.2% from behind-the-arc.
Darius Morris
Michigan connection: University of Michigan.
Team: San Antonio Spurs.
The word: Darius Morris was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011 and is among the oldest players playing in Vegas. Despite averaging 15 points in his last season in Ann Arbor, Morris has never been able to find a steady home in the NBA.
Kendrick Nunn
Michigan connection: Oakland University.
Team: Miami Heat.
The word: Kendrick Nunn is a 6-foot-3 shooting guard who is enjoying a productive summer thus far, averaging 18.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds. After playing three seasons at Illinois, Nunn was dismissed from the team and transferred to Oakland. He went undrafted in 2018 but signed a three-year deal worth $3.1 million with the Heat in April.
Jordan Poole
Michigan connection: Golden State Warriors.
Team: Golden State Warriors.
The word: Poole will join the Splash Brothers after being drafted 28th overall by the Warriors. He is former U-M head coach John Beilein’s last first round pick. Poole is best known for his buzzer-beater vs. Houston that sent U-M to the Sweet 16 in 2018. He scored 23 points against the Lakers on Monday.
Duncan Robinson
Michigan connection: University of Michigan.
Team: Miami Heat.
The word: After making the transition from Division III Williams College to Ann Arbor, Robinson did not miss a game in three seasons with U-M. He played in 15 games for the Heat in his first professional season but spent most of his time in the G-League with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, where he shot 48.3% 3-point range.
Edmond Sumner
Michigan connection: Detroit Country Day.
Team: Indiana Pacers.
The word: Sumner was a 2017 second-round pick. As a result of Victor Oladipo’s season-ending injury, Sumner was called up from the G-League. In February, he signed a two-year deal to stay in Indiana. He averaged 2.9 points in 23 games last season. Sumner is currently nursing a foot injury.
Moritz Wagner
Michigan connection: University of Michigan.
Team: Washington Wizards.
The word: Mo Wagner is a 7-footer from Berlin who was recently traded by the Lakers to the Washington Wizards. Wagner established himself as a premier big-man at U-M that can stretch the floor and was drafted late in the first round by Los Angeles in 2018. He made his debut with the Wizards on Monday.
Derrick Walton Jr.
Michigan connection: Chandler Park Academy High School, University of Michigan.
Team: Los Angeles Clippers.
The word: Harper Woods native Derrick Walton Jr. went undrafted in 2017 but signed a two-way contract with the Heat. Following a short stint with the Chicago Bulls in 2018, Walton Jr. was put on waivers and became a free agent. Walton Jr. joined the Clippers for summer league. At Chandler Park, he was named the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year. In his senior season in Ann Arbor, Walton Jr. was one of three players to start every game.
Nick Ward
Michigan connection: Michigan State University.
Team: Atlanta Hawks.
The word: Ward is trying to prove himself to the Hawks organization as he aims to earn a spot with the team’s G-League affiliate. He left MSU for the draft for the second time but this year, he didn’t return to school. Ward made 64.7% of his shots in the 2017-18 season which was best in the Big Ten.
Shayne Whittington
Michigan connection: Lawrence High School, Western Michigan University.
Team: Dallas Mavericks.
The word: Whittington was named to the 2014 All-MAC team and averaged 16.1 points and 8.9 rebounds. In July of 2014, Whittington signed with the Pacers as an undrafted free agent. He went back-and-forth between the Pacers and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants until he was waived during the 2016 offseason. Whittington played in Spain last season.
D.J. Wilson
Michigan connection: University of Michigan.
Team: Milwaukee Bucks.
The word: The Bucks selected Wilson with the 17th overall pick in 2017. Wilson played in 48 contests and averaged 18.4 minutes in Year 2 with the Bucks, collecting 5.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He averaged 11 points and 5.3 rebounds as a junior in his last year at U-M.