This is a list of Memphis Tigers men's basketball players who played in the National Basketball Association .
Current NBA Players
As of the 2023–24 NBA Season , five players who were drafted as Tigers are currently signed to NBA rosters.
All-time List of Memphis Tigers in the NBA & NBA draft
Since the NBA draft began in 1947, Memphis has produced 14 first-round picks, including 8 top-ten picks and one number-one pick (Derrick Rose ). Three former Tigers have been named NBA All-Stars : Larry Kenon (twice), Penny Hardaway (4 times), and Derrick Rose (3 times). Four have gone on to win the NBA Championship: Win Wilfong with the St. Louis Hawks in 1958 , William Bedford with the Detroit Pistons in 1990 , Earl Barron with the Miami Heat in 2006 , and James Wiseman with the Golden State Warriors in 2022 .
In 2010, Memphis became the second college to produce two consecutive NBA Rookie of the Year winners: Derrick Rose in 2009 and Tyreke Evans in 2010 (the first being North Carolina with winners Walter Davis in 1978 and Phil Ford in 1979 ). In 2011, Rose became the first former Tiger to be named the NBA Most Valuable Player .
Many Memphis players since the 1960s that have gone undrafted or had unsuccessful NBA careers have also played in professional leagues in Europe, Asia and/or Latin America.
Penny Hardaway playing for the New York Knicks (2004–2006)
Lorenzen Wright playing for the Memphis Grizzlies (2001–2006)
Derrick Rose playing for the Chicago Bulls (2008–2016)
Tyreke Evans playing for the New Orleans Pelicans (2013–2017)
NBA Players Who Attended Memphis
Player
Year
Round
Pick
Team
Years Active
(NBA & ABA)
Achievements
Win Wilfong
1957
1
4th
St. Louis Hawks
1957–1961
1958 NBA Champion
Jim Hackaday[e]
1959
3
17th
Philadelphia Warriors
Orby Arnold[e]
1959
7
53rd
St. Louis Hawks
George Price[e]
1960
8
58th
New York Knicks
Wayne Yates
1961
1
5th
Los Angeles Lakers
1961–1962
Lowery Kirk[e]
1961
4
34th
Cincinnati Royals
Hunter Beckman[e]
1963
7
58th
Cincinnati Royals
George Kirk[e]
1964
5
42nd
Cincinnati Royals
Bob Neumann[e]
1964
10
83rd
Cincinnati Royals
Mike Butler [a]
1968
10
121st
San Diego Rockets
1968–1972
Rich Jones [a] [b]
1969
5
58th
Phoenix Suns
1970–1977
James Douglas[e]
1971
16
226th
Buffalo Braves
Doug Holcomb[e]
1972
6
94th
Boston Celtics
Ronnie Robinson [a]
1973
4
60th
Phoenix Suns
1973–1975
Larry Kenon [a] [c]
1973
3
50th
Detroit Pistons
1973–1983
2x NBA All-Star
Larry Finch [a]
1973
4
68th
Los Angeles Lakers
1973–1975
Bill Cook[e]
1976
3
49th
Washington Bullets
Marion Hillard[e]
1976
4
65th
Washington Bullets
James Bradley[e]
1979
2
35th
Atlanta Hawks
Rodney Lee[e]
1979
8
150th
Detroit Pistons
Dennis Isbell[e]
1981
5
100th
San Diego Clippers
Hank McDowell
1981
5
102nd
Golden State Warriors
1981–1986
Otis Jackson[e]
1982
8
174th
New Jersey Nets
Chris Faggi[e]
1982
8
179th
San Antonio Spurs
Bobby Parks[e]
1984
3
58th
Atlanta Hawks
Phillip Haynes[e]
1984
6
121st
Los Angeles Clippers
Keith Lee
1985
1
11th
Chicago Bulls
1985–1989
Baskerville Holmes[e]
1986
3
68th
Milwaukee Bucks
Andre Turner
1986
3
69th
Los Angeles Lakers
1986–1992
William Bedford
1986
1
6th
Phoenix Suns
1986–1993
1990 NBA Champion
Vincent Askew
1987
2
39th
Philadelphia 76ers
1987–1988,
1990–1998
Sylvester Gray
1988
2
35th
Miami Heat
1988–1989
Dwight Boyd [e]
1988
3
66th
Denver Nuggets
Elliot Perry
1991
2
37th
Los Angeles Clippers
1991–1992,
1994–2002
Penny Hardaway
1993
1
3rd
Golden State Warriors
1993–2007
4x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA First Team, All-NBA Third Team
Todd Mundt
1995
undrafted
n/a
Boston Celtics
1995–1996
David Vaughn III
1995
1
25th
Orlando Magic
1995–1999
Lorenzen Wright
1996
1
7th
Los Angeles Clippers
1996–2009
Cedric Henderson
1997
2
44th
Cleveland Cavaliers
1997–2002
Chris Garner
1997
undrafted
n/a
Toronto Raptors
1997–1998,
2001
Dajuan Wagner
2002
1
6th
Cleveland Cavaliers
2002–2006
Antonio Burks
2004
2
37th
Orlando Magic
2004–2006
Earl Barron
2005
undrafted
n/a
Miami Heat
2005–2006,
2010–2012
2006 NBA Champion
Shawne Williams
2006
1
17th
Indiana Pacers
2006–2015
Rodney Carney
2006
1
16th
Chicago Bulls
2006–2011
Darius Washington Jr.
2007
undrafted
n/a
San Antonio Spurs
2007
Chris Douglas-Roberts
2008
2
40th
New Jersey Nets
2008–2015
Joey Dorsey
2008
2
33rd
Portland Trail Blazers
2008–2011
Derrick Rose
2008
1
1st
Chicago Bulls
2008–2024
2011 NBA MVP, 3x NBA All-Star, All-NBA First Team, 2009 NBA Rookie of the Year
Tyreke Evans
2009
1
4th
Sacramento Kings
2009–2019
2010 NBA Rookie of the Year
Robert Dozier[e]
2009
2
60th
Miami Heat
Antonio Anderson
2009
undrafted
n/a
Oklahoma City Thunder
2010
Elliot Williams
2010
1
22nd
Portland Trail Blazers
2010–2016
Will Barton
2012
2
40th
Portland Trail Blazers
2012–2023
D.J. Stephens
2013
undrafted
n/a
Milwaukee Bucks
2014, 2018
Adonis Thomas
2013
undrafted
n/a
Orlando Magic
2014
Tarik Black [d]
2014
undrafted
n/a
Houston Rockets
2014–2018
Jeremiah Martin
2019
undrafted
n/a
Brooklyn Nets
2020–2021
James Wiseman
2020
1
2nd
Golden State Warriors
2020–Present
2022 NBA Champion
Precious Achiuwa
2020
1
20th
Miami Heat
2020–Present
Jalen Duren
2022
1
13th
Charlotte Hornets
2022–Present
Josh Minott
2022
2
45th
Charlotte Hornets
2022–Present
Lester Quiñones
2022
undrafted
n/a
Golden State Warriors
2022–Present
Emoni Bates [d]
2023
2
19th
Cleveland Cavaliers
2023–Present
Boogie Ellis [d]
2024
undrafted
n/a
Sacramento Kings
2024–Present
currently active players are in bold
a Player chose to play professionally in the American Basketball Association (ABA), which existed from 1967 to 1976.
b Rich Jones was originally drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 1968 in the fourth round as the 49th pick, but opted not to play. In 1969, he was drafted again by the Suns but chose instead to play in the ABA for the Dallas Chaparrals. He would eventually play in the NBA in 1976 when the New Jersey Nets joined as part of the NBA-ABA merger.
c Larry Kenon moved to the NBA after the San Antonio Spurs joined the NBA in 1976, as part of the NBA-ABA merger.
d These players began their careers at the University of Memphis
Tarik Black played at Memphis from 2010 to 2013 and transferred to Kansas for his senior season.
Emoni Bates played at Memphis from 2021 to 2022 and transferred to Eastern Michigan for his sophomore season.
Boogie Ellis played at Memphis from 2019 to 2021 and transferred to USC for his redshirt sophomore, junior and senior seasons.
e Player was drafted but never played an NBA game.
Source:[ 1]
References
Venues Rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons NCAA Final Four appearances in italics