Category: Longhorns in NBA

Former Longhorn making the most of NBA Summer League opportunity

The talented forward is trying to earn a spot on the Grizzlies roster and is making the most of his playing time

Over the last few days, Timmy Allen has showcased his potential in the NBA Summer League for the Memphis Grizzlies. The talented forward is trying to earn a spot on the Grizzlies roster and is making the most of his playing time.

In two games for the Grizzlies, the former Longhorn has scored 23 points in 47 minutes of action. The 24-year-old has also added four rebounds to his resume and dished out four assists. After only getting 15 minutes of playing time on July 9, Allen saw that number rise to 32 on July 10, and he responded by making six of his 11 shots.

While Allen still has a lot to prove, he showed last year that he had the potential to be an effective player. He made his NBA debut towards the end of the season, appearing in five games. The Arizona native averaged 2.6 and 3.4 points a game. Although those numbers don’t jump off the page, he did play well enough in the G-League to earn an opportunity.

During Allen’s brief stint with the Grizzlies during the 2023-2024 campaign, his main issue was putting the ball in the basket. He only shot 26.2 % from the field and did not make a three-pointer. Over the last few days, his shooting has been better, and he showed off his range by making a three against the Thunder on July tenth.

With the Salt Lake City League circuit in the books, Allen will get a few days of rest before resuming play. The Grizzlies will be back in action on July 15 when they take on the Dallas Mavericks in their first game of the NBA 2K25 Summer League.

Former Longhorns trio participating in NBA Summer League

Three former players, Max Abmas, Timmy Allen, and Dylan Disu, will get to shine on the national stage and show why they belong in the NBA

Over the next few weeks, the Texas Longhorns will be well-represented in the NBA Summer League. Three former players, Max Abmas, Timmy Allen, and Dylan Disu, will have an opportunity to shine on the national stage and show why they belong in the NBA.

Of the three, Allen is the only one with NBA experience. Last season, the talented forward appeared in 30 games for the Memphis Hustle, averaging 9.9 points and 3.4 rebounds a game. He also appeared in five games for the Grizzlies, averaging 2.6 points per game in his first taste of NBA action. Allen will be looking to build on his success as the Grizzlies evaluate if he can be a future piece.

After signing with the Utah Jazz, Ambas will get to show why he was a valuable piece for the Longhorns. During the 2023-2024 campaign, he led Texas in scoring, averaging 16.8 points per game. He also made history, tying the UT single-season record for most three-pointers made. Due to his play, Ambas earned All-Big 12 First Team honors.

Like Ambas, Disu signed as an undrafted free agent. The Raptors hope he can be a scoring threat and make an impact defensively like he did at Texas. In his final year in Austin, Disu was second on the team in scoring and third in blocks. Due to his play, the former Longhorns forward was named the Big 12’s Most Improved Player.

While Disu will have to wait to make his summer league debut, Abmas and Allen have already gotten a head start. They were both scheduled to participate in the Salt Lake City Summer League, which runs from July 8 to 10. All NBA teams will compete in the NBA 2K25 Summer League, which runs from July 12 to July 22

WATCH: Kai Jones puts Victor Wembanyama on poster in NBA Summer League

The former Longhorn posterized the biggest NBA prospect since LeBron James.

On Friday, basketball fans from all over the world tuned in to the NBA Summer League to watch the debut of French prodigy and No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick from the San Antonio Spurs, Victor Wembanyama.

Deemed one of the best prospects ever, the 7-foot-5 big man can dribble like a guard, shoot the three, and protect the rim at an elite level. However, in what was his first summer league game, he didn’t quite have the showing that he would have liked. Wembanyama’s shot wasn’t falling, and he looked a tad lost at times. He himself admitted after the game that he didn’t really know what he was doing on the court.

Wembanyama finished the game with nine points, eight rebounds, three assists and five blocks on 2-of-13 shooting. While it would be asinine to look too much into the shaky performance from Wembanyama, one of his low lights of the game was getting dunked on by former Longhorn big man, Kai Jones.

Jones has been in the Hornets organization for the past couple years, but is still earning his spot on the roster and maybe even in the league. He has had a couple stints in the G League, and has played in just 67 games total in the NBA.

If Jones continues to make more highlight reel plays like this, he may help his case in earning a spot with the NBA squad.

When it comes to the game itself, Wembanyama and the spurs got the last laugh winning 76-68.

Every former Longhorn in the 2023 NBA playoffs

Texas is well-represented in the NBA playoffs.

The University of Texas is well-represented in the 2023 NBA playoffs. Seven former Longhorns are set to participate in postseason play.

The NBA play-in tournament takes place from April 11-14, while the rest of the playoff bracket begins on April 15.

The playoffs consist of four rounds of best-of-seven series. The first round matches the top seed against the eighth seed, the second seed against the seventh seed, the third seed against the sixth seed, and the fourth seed against the fifth seed. The winners of each first-round series advance to the second round, until the two conference champions meet in the NBA Finals.

At least one former Longhorn has played in the NBA finals in 11 out of the last 12 seasons. PJ Tucker most recently earned his first championship as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.

13-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant is eyeing his third career NBA title, this time as a member of the Phoenix Suns.

Here is a complete look at all seven former Texas Longhorns gearing up to compete in the NBA playoffs.

Mo Bamba, Kevin Durant headline Longhorns traded before NBA deadline

Mo Bamba and Kevin Durant will look to bring new teams on playoff runs.

Two big name Longhorns will play for new teams moving forward. Kevin Durant and Mo Bamba were included in significant moves for each player’s new respective franchise.

After high profile teammate and close friend Kyrie Irving was moved to Dallas, Durant became the biggest move of the trading period. He joins Chris Paul, Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton in what could now be the best team in the Western Conference.

The blockbuster move cost the Suns Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four first round draft picks. In adding Durant, the Phoenix signals it is committed to winning it all this season.

Mo Bamba became another huge trade acquisition joining LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers. In exchange for Bamba, the Orlando Magic receive defensive ace Patrick Beverly.

Bamba hasn’t yet lived up to his lottery pick billing in Orlando, though he had a strong 2021 season. That year he put up a respectable 10.6 points per game to go with 8.1 rebounds.

Bamba will look to capitalize on a change of scenery, while Durant will push to make another NBA Finals run.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz52bnpekkafqb player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets are swept in the first round of NBA playoffs

Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets went from title favorites to first round exit.

In one of the more disappointing showings in NBA history, former Longhorn Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets were knocked out of the NBA playoffs on Monday by the Boston Celtics.

After starting the season as the perennial title favorites, the Nets were plagued by injuries, vaccine mandates, and unhappy stars that eventually would lead to the core of Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant being split up.

Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for their disgruntled star, Ben Simmons, who we have not seen play in an NBA game since last season. The Nets were hopeful that Simmons would be able to provide a defensive presence that they simply lacked being one of the worst defense teams in the league, but due to a nagging back injury and mental health issues Simmons was unavailable when the team needed him most.

It didn’t help that Durant had his worst overall playoff performance since the 2009-10 season, as he was held to 26 points per game on 38% shooting, while averaging a playoff career-high five turnovers per game.

Durant was stifled by Boston’s Jason Tatum all series who is making a case for the best two-way wing defender in the league. Tatum and the rest of the Celtics were able to force Durant to take contested shots and forced a lot of misses and errant passes.

The first round exit for Durant and the Nets makes them the only team to not win a game in the playoffs this season, and has many people such as TNT analyst Charles Barkley now questioning Durant’s mindset and legacy moving forward.

The first round exit also marks just the second time since the 2009-10 season that Durant has not advanced in the playoffs.

While it isn’t entirely his fault, as the roster construction consisted of Durant, Irving, a few shooters, and a slew of players three years past the end of their prime, Durant is widely being viewed as the reason for the exit.

After almost single-handedly taking out the would be champions Milwaukee Bucks last season, many expected that Durant would be able to take the Nets to the promised land, but running into the hottest team in the NBA in round one wasn’t ideal and now Brooklyn will join the rest of us and watch the playoffs from home.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

Skip Bayless calls Kevin Durant “The softest player on the planet” after loss

The former Longhorn is feeling the heat after the Nets most recent playoff loss.

The wild saga that is the Brooklyn Nets is still ongoing, and quite confusing. Continue reading “Skip Bayless calls Kevin Durant “The softest player on the planet” after loss”

Kevin Durant’s career night overshadowed in loss to the Hawks

One of Durant’s best performances wasn’t enough to lift the Nets to a victory over the Hawks.

Former Longhorn Kevin Durant had a career night that quite simply will not matter, as the Brooklyn Nets needed a win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday to avoid the play-in tournament.

The 122-115 loss to Trae Young’s Hawks officially cemented the Nets in the play-in tournament, where they will have to battle it out to even earn a spot as one of the top eight seeds. It’s not to say Durant didn’t give it his all, as he scored a career-high 55 points on 19-of-28 shooting from the field and making eight out of his 10 threes.

It wasn’t the lack of offensive support from his teammates that frustrated Durant, an that says a lot considering the eight players not named Kyrie Irving combined for a measly 29 points, it was rather the defensive effort that didn’t sit well with Durant. After the game Durant told ESPN’s Nick Friedell that the team was undisciplined on the defensive side of the ball.

We’re fouling early. We put them in the bonus early every quarter; 37-14 [difference in] free throw makes. And it’s not ’cause of the refs, it was because we’re reaching and being undisciplined and just playing too aggressive. That’s the game. They shot 42% from the field which is great defense, 31[%] from the 3. They outrebounded us by two, and one more assist than us … it’s just fouls. And we can’t do that if we want to be a winning team.

With the play-in tournament starting in less than two weeks, the Nets need to figure something out on the defensive end, and they need to do it quickly as there is no sign that Ben Simmons will be able to play.

Texas ex Jarrett Allen helps lead Cavs trio to NBA Skills Challenge win

Former Longhorn Jarrett Allen already has one win from the NBA All-Star weekend.

The NBA All-Star weekend for former Longhorn Jarrett Allen got off to a hot start on Saturday.

The now Cleveland Cavalier is going to be participating in his first all-star game, and he helped “Team Cavs” which included Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, win the skills challenge.

This season there was a new format to spice things up, as rather than it being an individual based event, it consisted of three teams of three players. The other two teams “Team Antetokounmpos” consisted of Giannis and his two brothers Thanasis and Alex, and “Team Rooks” which had Josh Giddey, Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes.

The challenge consisted of four rounds starting with shooting, then going to passing, followed by a team relay, and finishing it off with a half court shootout.

While Garland and Mobley were more better suited for the event, Allen did contribute as he added five of their 44 points in the passing competition. Team Cavs would go on to win after Mobley hit the half court shot in 5.5 seconds to Team Rooks’ 9.9 seconds.

Both Allen and Garland were selected as all-stars for the first time, and will be suiting up for Team LeBron.