Category: Buffs in NBA

Cody Williams, Tristan da Silva impressing many in NBA 2K25 summer league

Colorado’s two first-round selections are impressing many in the NBA 2K25 summer league

In their first few games of the NBA 2K25 summer league, former Colorado Buffaloes Cody Williams and Tristan da Silva have proven their worth as first-round draft picks.

Da Silva’s Orlando Magic set the tone early, securing the league’s first game with a 106-79 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 6-foot-9 forward posted 13 points in his first NBA action, highlighted by three 3-point makes and an all-around strong performance. Two days later, da Silva knocked down three more deep balls en route to 23 points in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

His efficiency, offensive read-making and two-way prowess shined in the two victories.

Williams, on the other hand, already had two games under his belt in the Salt Lake City Summer League. He struggled in front of his new home crowd early, but the lottery pick bounced back when he got to Vegas. In his first game there, Williams posted a game-high 21 points, hit three 3-pointers and slammed down a left-handed posterizing dunk while leading Utah to a one-point win over the Dallas Mavericks.

He couldn’t will his team to success in Utah’s next game against the Sacramento Kings, but scored an efficient 14 points.

Da Silva will try to continue his role as a smart catch-and-shoot forward this summer with a budding Orlando squad. Williams, with great potential on a poor team, will have different goals in mind as he and the Jazz wish to find stardom.

Both former Buffs will play again on Wednesday with Williams’ Jazz taking on the Toronto Raptors at 3 p.m. MT (ESPN2) and da Silva’s Magic facing the Memphis Grizzlies at 5 p.m. MT (ESPN+/ESPN3).

KJ Simpson, the No. 42 overall pick of the Charlotte Hornets, is missing the entire summer league due to a hamstring injury.

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Former Buff Derrick White joins US men’s basketball team ahead of Summer Olympics

Derrick White’s year keeps getting better

Now that Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard is officially ruled out for the 2024 Paris Olympics, former Colorado star Derrick White will take his spot on the U.S. men’s basketball team.

The Team USA nod is another mark of success in what has been the best year of White’s basketball career.  The 30-year-old guard posted a career season for the NBA champion Boston Celtics in his seventh year in the league, averaging 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists while remaining the best shot-blocking guard in the league. As a reward, the former Buff was named a potential replacement player for Leonard in mid-June before signing a large contract extension with the Celtics on July 1.

White’s selection will make him the third-ever CU men’s basketball alum to play for the U.S. men’s basketball team in the Summer Olympics, following in the steps of Burdette Haldorson and Bob Jeangerard. White also joins Boston teammates Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday on the stacked national team roster.

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Cody Williams goes quiet in Utah Jazz summer league debut

Cody Williams’ summer league debut with the Utah Jazz was less than ideal

Cody Williams, Colorado men’s basketball’s first-ever one-and-done player, didn’t make the impact he wanted in his NBA summer league debut with the Utah Jazz.

Tad Boyle’s first lottery pick since Alec Burks started for Utah, but the Jazz’s 2023 first-round selections were the top scoring options against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. With few touches, Williams only posted six points, five rebounds, a steal and a turnover on 3-for-5 shooting from the field. Despite having a plus-four plus-minus, Williams only played 20 minutes and was replaced by Utah’s other 2024 first-rounder and former USC Trojans guard Isaiah Collier for the fourth quarter’s final minutes and the entirety of overtime.

Behind Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh and Collier, who combined for 59 points on 44 of Utah’s 75 shots, the Jazz managed to fight off the Grizzlies in overtime, 97-95. Williams’ three baskets consisted of a euro-step layup, a tough midrange jumper and a layup off a backdoor cut.

Williams and the Jazz play again at 7 p.m. MT on Tuesday. They take on the Oklahoma City Thunder, broadcast on ESPN2.

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Colorado’s three NBA draft picks officially sign rookie contracts

All three of the new NBA Buffs have signed their rookie contracts

All three former Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball players selected in the 2024 NBA draft have officially signed their rookie deals.

Cody Williams, the highest draft selection of the three at No. 10 overall, was the first to agree to terms with his new team, the Utah Jazz. Tristan da Silva, selected with the No. 18 pick by the Orlando Magic, and KJ Simpson, the No. 42 pick of the Charlotte Hornets, have inked their contracts since then. Simpson signed a two-way deal, meaning he’ll spend time with the Hornets’ G League affiliate Greensboro Swarm.

Contract details have yet to be announced, per each team’s policy. However, sports contract database Spotrac says Williams and da Silva signed four-year contracts. Williams’ deal is potentially worth $24.9 million total and da Silva’s could be $17.6 million.

Two of the Buffs’ top three scorers from last season will see their first NBA action in the summer league while Simpson recovers from a pre-draft hamstring injury. Williams and the Utah Jazz play Monday (July 8) at 7 p.m. MT (ESPN) while da Silva and the Orlando Magic open on Friday at 2 p.m. MT (NBA TV).

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KJ Simpson to miss entirety of NBA summer league with injury

KJ Simpson’s first NBA action will have to wait

If Colorado fans were wondering why KJ Simpson didn’t play in the Charlotte Hornets’ first NBA summer league game, it’s because the former Buffaloes guard is dealing with an injury.

The Hornets released the news at the start of July, reporting that Simpson injured his hamstring during the pre-draft process and will miss the entire summer league. The good news, however, is that Simpson is expected to be fully healthy by the beginning of training camp.

While the injury is unfortunate, especially for Simpson as a second-round selection, missing the summer league isn’t anything to be too worried about. After all, the Hornets still drafted the 6-foot guard despite the injury.

In the meantime, former CU teammates Cody Williams and Tristan da Silva are supposed to be active for their respective summer league rosters. Williams and the Utah Jazz play their first game on Monday (July 8) at 7 p.m. MT (ESPN) while da Silva and the Orlando Magic open on Friday at 2 p.m. MT (NBA TV).

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Former Buff Alec Burks signs one-year deal with Miami Heat

Former Colorado standout Alec Burks is taking his talents to South Beach

Former Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball guard Alec Burks is headed to the Miami Heat on a one-year contract, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Burks began the 2023-2024 season with the Detroit Pistons before being traded to the New York Knicks at the trade deadline. The soon-to-be 33-year-old averaged 10.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists between the two teams. Amid New York’s injury-ridden playoff run, Burks stepped up by averaging almost 15 points per game on 50% shooting.

Burks’ deal is another accomplishment to add to the busy year NBA Buffs have had. Boston Celtics guard Derrick White inked a four-year, $125.9 million extension and Colorado had three players drafted for the first time since 1981. Cody Williams became the second player behind Burks to be a lottery selection in the head coach Tad Boyle era, coincidentally heading to the same organization that took Burks in the Utah Jazz.

Burks has played for the Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Pistons and Knicks in his 13-year NBA career.

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Former Buff Derrick White reportedly agrees to substantial contract extension with Celtics

Derrick White will be making the big bucks

After becoming the fourth Colorado Buffalo to win an NBA championship last month, Boston Celtics guard Derrick White has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $125.9 million contract extension.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news on Monday, adding that the deal includes a player option.

Completing the extension was a huge offseason priority for Boston, which has enjoyed three deep playoff runs since acquiring White from the San Antonio Spurs at the 2022 NBA trade deadline. The move is one of a few that the Celtics’ front office has pulled off to keep intact their championship-winning roster.

The extension piles on to the best year of White’s NBA career, which included a second NBA All-Defensive second-team selection and an NBA Finals win over the Dallas Mavericks. He could also soon earn a spot on Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

During his second full season in Boston, the Colorado native averaged 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists and a career-high 1.2 blocks per game.

After signing the extension, White remains the highest-paid former Buff in the NBA.

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A photographic look at Tristan da Silva and Cody Williams’ NBA draft night

It was a special night

Last week, head coach Tad Boyle watched three players from last season’s Colorado men’s basketball team hear their names called at the 2024 NBA draft in Brooklyn.

Forwards Cody Williams and Tristan da Silva went to the Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic, respectively, and guard KJ Simpson landed with the Charlotte Hornets in the second round. The Kentucky Wildcats (three) and two-time defending national champion UConn Huskies (four) were the only other college programs that produced at least three NBA draft picks.

As Colorado’s former stars transition to the NBA, check out the best pictures from da Silva and Williams’ draft night:

What the Charlotte Hornets can expect out of KJ Simpson

How high is KJ Simpson’s NBA ceiling?

After a career-best season with the Colorado men’s basketball program, KJ Simpson became the third Buff selected in the 2024 NBA draft on Thursday, going to the Charlotte Hornets with the 42nd overall pick.

Simpson lands with a team that could certainly use his outside shooting and playmaking abilities. Last season, the Hornets were 21st in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (35.5%). Although he’s a good ball handler and playmaker, the Hornets have veteran point guards on the team, so Simpson could slot in as an undersized shooting guard with Seth Curry now waived from Charlotte.

On the defensive end, Simpson’s lack of size isn’t ideal, but the former Buff has shown great defensive intensity that should allow the Hornets to keep him on the court for his scoring abilities.

Because of the new NBA rules for second-round contracts, Simpson could be signed to a three or four-year deal or a two-way contract. A two-way contract allows players to move between the NBA and its developmental G League. I could see Simpson landing a similar contract to what Hunter Tyson received last year with the Denver Nuggets (four years, $7.7 million).

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What the Orlando Magic are getting in Colorado product Tristan da Silva

Tristan da Silva could be a plug-and-play type of draft pick for Orlando

Tristan da Silva, a mainstay of the Colorado men’s basketball program over the past four years, is set to play for another former Buff in Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley.

It might be because it’s another Florida team, but this pick reminds me a lot of the Miami Heat selecting UCLA Bruins product Jaime Jazquez last year.

The former Buffs forward brings versatility to Orlando’s roster, which is loaded with frontcourt talent. Depending on the situation, I can see da Silva either as a wing or in the post. Because of his shooting ability and overall basketball IQ, da Silva is a plug-and-play draft pick who can help the Magic take the next step in its rebuild.

Similar in size to Jazquez, da Silva is 6-foot-8 but has the lateral quickness to guard out on the wing. He has flashed a two-way ability that the Magic seem to covet. It will be hard to keep da Silva out of the rotation — even in year one — as he brings great positional size and skill.

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