Former Spartans who will play in the NBA this season

The 2024-25 NBA season is just around the corner as the first game begins on October 22nd.

Michigan State Basketball has a constant presence in the NBA, from legends Steve Smith and Magic Johnson to league stars Zach Randolph, Kevin Willis and Draymond Green to role players like Xavier Tillman Sr. and Max Christie.

Here’s a look at former MSU basketball players who will be playing in the NBA this season.

Draymond Green

At MSU, Green was a three-level scorer and robust rebounder. His decades-long role in the recent NBA dynasty has led to something completely different.

Green has been in the NBA since 2012, when he was drafted in the second round by the Golden State Warriors. Since then, he has helped Golden State win four NBA championships since 2015 alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

The four-time All-Star and 2016-2017 Defensive Player of the Year did a little bit of everything for the Warriors during his 12-year tenure, but didn’t come close to the kind of scoring numbers he achieved late in his MSU career.

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jackson Jr. was one of the most dominant defensive players at MSU and played just one year in East Lansing before going No. 4 overall to Memphis in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Nearly five years later, he won the 2022-23 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.

Jackson Jr. is entering his seventh year in the NBA and wants to help get the Memphis Grizzlies back on track.

Last season, the Grizzlies suffered numerous injuries to star players and finished third-to-last in the Western Conference at 27-55. While Jackson Jr. scored a career-high 22 points per game, his defensive numbers dropped as he was tasked with more offensive duties without superstar Ja Morant.

Max Christie

The NBA potential for Max Christie was always there, even if it wasn’t always evident at MSU.

Christie begins his third year in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers. Last year was a step forward for Christie compared to his rookie year, as he improved points, rebounds and assists and became more comfortable on the court.

His play earned him a contract extension with the Lakers this offseason worth four years and $32 million.

Gary Harris

One of MSU’s best two-way players has been in the NBA for ten seasons now.

Gary Harris begins his fourth season with the Orlando Magic after being traded to Denver during the 2020-2021 season. Orlando is a young team led by star power forward Paolo Banchero that wants to compete for a championship. Harris has played good minutes for the Magic and is a key player off the bench as a three-and-D guy. Last year, Harris averaged seven points per game while shooting 37% from distance.

Xavier Tillman Sr.

Tillman Sr. came to Green as a former MSU basketball player and won a championship after coming off the bench for the Celtics last season.

Tillman played a crucial role in MSU’s last Final Four run in 2019, when he teamed with Cassius Winston to defeat a deep-seeded Duke team in the Elite Eight. He was the epitome of the paint presence under head coach Tom Izzo.

Tillman was a trade deadline acquisition for Boston, as Memphis traded him for Lamar Stevens and two second-round picks. With the Celtics, Tillman averaged four points and three rebounds per game while playing his role in interior defense. During the offseason, Tillman signed a two-year contract to remain with the Celtics.

mile bridges

Bridges was drafted 12th overall to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2018, but was quickly traded to the Hornets and has been in Charlotte ever since.

Bridges played five seasons with the Hornets and missed the 2022-2023 season due to off-field issues. Last season he set career highs of 21 points per game and seven rebounds per game.

While the Hornets were one of the worst teams in the league last season, Bridges was a bright spot. His play earned him an extension with the Hornets worth three years and $75 million.