NBA Players From University Of Kentucky [Updated 2023]

Davis plays as a power forward for the Lakers. Anthony Davis has been picked for the NBA All-Star team eight times and scored 15,841 points.

Originally from Chicago, Davis is one of the NBA players that went to Kentucky, where he played for a season. He committed to Kentucky on August 13, 2020, choosing it over other schools like DePaul, Ohio State, and Syracuse. 

During his time at Kentucky, Anthony was a dominant player, averaging 14 points per game with a shooting percentage of 62%, and also recorded an average of 10 rebounds per game. His excellent performance helped Kentucky win 38 out of 40 games that season.

In the tournaments, Davis played a crucial role in leading the Wildcats to a national title. He then proclaimed for the 2012 NBA Draft and signed a three-year contract with the New Orleans Hornets on July 24, 2012.

After a season with the Hornets, he was swapped to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart.

Devon Booker is one of the current NBA players from Kentucky. The 6 feet 5 inches tall Booker excels in the role of guard for the Phoenix Suns.

Booker was the team's second-leading scorer at the University of Kentucky, scoring 16 points in their first game against the University of Pikeville on November 2, 2014. 

During the 2014-15 season, he played 38 games, averaging 10.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 21.5 minutes per game. Devon received AEC Sixth Man of the Year honors and was titled SEC All-Freshman and All-SEC Second Team.

Booker decided to waive his final 3 years of college eligibility and declared for the NBA Draft on 9 April 2015, where the Phoenix Suns selected him as the 13th overall pick.

In a recent game against Denver Nuggets, he performed remarkably, scoring 47 points, six rebounds, nine assists, three steals, and one block.

Jamal Murray played college basketball for one season with the Kentucky Wildcats. Jamal was picked by Denver Nuggets in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Murray was reclassified to the class of 2015 and devoted to playing for coach John Calipari at Kentucky on June 24, 2015. During his freshman year in the 2015-16 season, he was named on the Midseason Top 25 list for the John R. Wooden Award. 

The 6 feet 4 inches tall point guard was pivotal in leading the Wildcats to a #1 grade early in the season and the SEC title before being upset by 5-seed Indiana in the second round of March Madness.

Murray asserted for the NBA draft, waiving his final three years of college eligibility in April 2016. Since then, he has relished a successful NBA career, playing alongside the likes of Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter.

Tyler Herro from Kentucky University plays for the Miami Heat. 6 feet 5 inches tall Herro was drafted by Miami as the 13th overall pick in 2019.

The Greenfield native graduated from Whitnall High School, committed to play for Kentucky on November 14, 2017, and inked a letter of intent with the university. 

Tyler was a consistent player during college averaging 14.0 points, 2.5 assists, and 4.5 rebounds as he started in all 37 games for the Kentucky Wildcats. His splendid performance earned him a spot in the All-Freshman First Team selection by Basketball Times.

In 2019, he decided to forgo his remaining three years of college eligibility and declared for the 2019 NBA Draft. Tyler Herro marked his NBA debut in a sensational 120–101 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on October 23, 2019.

In 2021, he achieved a milestone for the Heat franchise, becoming the first player to score at least 30 points and grab ten rebounds off the bench.

Unfortunately, Herro sustained an injury during Miami's Game 1 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on April 16, 2023, suffering a broken hand.

De'Aaron Fox played a total of 36 games for the Kentucky Wildcats in the 2016/17 season averaging 16.7 points and 4.6 assists per game.

After having a fantastic freshman season, he entered the 2017 NBA Draft where Sacramento Kings selected him as the fifth overall pick

On November 25, 2020, De'Aaron Fox signed a lucrative contract extension worth $163 million over five years with Sacramento.

De'Aaron relished an outstanding 2021 season earning his first All-Star selection and being named the inaugural winner of the NBA Clutch Player of the Year Award. He also led the Kings to their first postseason appearance in 16 years.

Fox was named Western Conference Player of the Week on February 8, 2021, averaging 31 points and almost nine assists while leading the Kings to four straight victories.

Isaiah Jackson is a former Kentucky player currently in the NBA. The 6 feet 9 inches tall Jackson plays power forward for the Indiana Pacers. 

During a game on December 1, 2020, Jackson made seven points, twelve rebounds, and an impressive career-high eight blocks against seventh-ranked Kansas at the Champions Classic. This feat surpassed the record of single-game blocks set by a Kentucky player in 2013. 

Later, on March 17, 2021, he announced his eligibility for the 2021 NBA draft while keeping his college eligibility. Afterward, he signed with an agent and lost his remaining eligibility. 

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Jackson as the 22nd pick in the 2021 NBA draft and later traded him to the Indiana Pacers. He made his NBA debut on October 23 and scored one point in two minutes during an overtime win over the Miami Heat. 

On January 31, 2022, Jackson impressed with a career-high 26 points, ten rebounds, and two blocks in a 122–116 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Karl-Anthony Towns was picked by the Timberwolves as the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. He honed his skills at Kentucky University.

During his first year in college, Towns was part of a unique "platoon system" that limited the minutes each player could play, which resulted in him averaging 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in only 21.1 minutes of playtime. 

Despite his basketball career, he pursued his interests in education and studied kinesiology, and he aims to become a doctor after retiring from basketball. Even after he left Kentucky for the NBA, he continued taking online courses and plans to earn his degree.

KAT made his NBA debut on October 28, 2015, in the Timberwolves' season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers. He played as a starter and recorded 14 points and 12 rebounds in a close 112–111 win.

Malik Monk averaged 19.8 points per game during his one year at Kentucky. He set a freshman record with 47 points against Tar Heels in 2016.

Monk was picked in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets, where he spent four seasons before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021.

Despite showing flashes of his scoring potential during his time with the Hornets, Monk struggled to establish himself as a consistent contributor, with his rookie season averaging only 6.7 points per game. 

However, during his first season with the Lakers, he proved to be a valuable scorer off the bench, averaging 12.4 points per game while shooting an impressive 40.1% from beyond the arc. 

In August 2021, Monk signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on a trade exception salary deal. However, on July 6, 2022, he reunited with his former college teammate De'Aaron Fox and signed a two-year, $19 million contract with the Sacramento Kings.

Kevin Knox II is one of the NBA players that went to Kentucky. Knox had an impressive freshman season leading Wildcats to a 10-8 conference record.

He topped the team with an average of 15.9 points per game and was recognized as an All-Rookie and First-Team All-SEC member. 

However, despite being picked by the New York Knicks in the 2018 NBA draft, Knox's performance in the league has been regarded by some as underwhelming, leading to him being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in January 2022. 

Although he signed with the Detroit Pistons during the 2022 offseason, Knox was later traded to the Trail Blazers in February 2023. He played a total of 21 games alongside star player Damian Lillard in the 2022/23 season for the Blazers.

Willie Cauley-Stein plays for the Houston Rockets alongside Kevin Porter Jr. Willie played college basketball for Kentucky from 2012 to 2015.

Cauley-Stein served as a reserve center in the early days supporting the promising Nerlens Noel. Throughout 20 games, the budding athlete attained an average of 7.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.0 assists, and 0.8 steals with a remarkable 63.9% field goal shooting accuracy.

In 2015, Cauley-Stein joined the Sacramento Kings, who selected him in the NBA draft. Later, he moved to the Golden State Warriors, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Subsequently, he inked a deal with the Rockets on October 9, 2022. On November 3, the Rockets assigned him to the opening night roster of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. 

Although he later returned to Houston after signing a 10-day contract in February 2023, he never got the chance to showcase his skills. Finally, on April 9, 2023, he recommitted to the Rockets.