Alabama Basketball players on NBA rosters for 2024-2025

It wasn't long ago that Alabama Basketball didn't have much of a presence in the NBA. For a while, former forward JaMychal Green, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent and worked his way up from the G-League, was the only former Crimson Tide player on a roster.

The talent uptick happened initially under Avery Johnson, and Nate Oats has now taken it into a different stratosphere.

We're in the midst of the NBA preseason, with opening night of the regular season just two weeks away.

Alabama has 12 former players currently on rosters, though some of them are not on full contracts and just have training camp deals as they look to play well enough to get a roster spot from their current team or elsewhere.

Let's take a look at all the former Tide hoops players who are currently on rosters:

The Exhibit 10 guys

What is an Exhibit 10 contract? Basically, it's a non-guaranteed deal for the league minimum that typically doesn't include a signing bonus. It being non-guaranteed allows NBA teams to waive guys on these contracts without any salary cap ramifications. They can also very easily be converted into two-way deals, which allows a player to bounce between the NBA's developmental G-League team and the main roster for a certain amount of games each season.

Kira Lewis Jr. (Washington Wizards)

It's been a difficult NBA journey for Kira Lewis since he was selected No. 13 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2020. A torn ACL slowed his development, and he just hasn't been able to catch on in his four seasons in the league.

The Pelicans traded him last season to the Raptors, who then re-routed him to the Jazz. He played in 12 games for the Jazz, but they didn't tender him an offer following the season.

In early September, Lewis signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Washington Wizards after not having a market in free agency. The Wizards have a pretty crowded backcourt featuring veterans Malcom Brogdon and Jordan Poole as well as young guys in Bilal Coulibaly, Johnny Davis, and Bub Carrington.

Lewis is still only 23 so his journey isn't over in the NBA, but it's getting more difficult to see him carve out a role somewhere. He's unlikely to make the Wizards roster, and will probably spend the season in the G-League.

Jaden Shackelford (Phoenix Suns)

Shackelford was traded to the Suns, but was waived before he had a chance to compete in training camp. He'll be in the G-League again this season, hoping for an uptick in efficiency to possibly have a shot at the NBA one day.

Shackelford shot 35% from three last season with the Oklahoma City Blue, down from the 39% he shot in his first season with them. He was part of the G-League Championship team last season.

Joshua Primo (Chicago Bulls)

The former lottery pick of the Spurs has had off-court drama get in the way of a potential role in the NBA.

Primo was away from the NBA for a year, but caught on with the Los Angeles Clippers last season, mainly on the G-League Team. Primo signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Chicago Bulls last week, but was immediately waived as he rehabs an injury.

He'll look to rehab his career with the Bulls' G-League affiliate once he gets healthy.

Alex Reese (Oklahoma City Thunder)

After his college career concluded, Reese spent a year away from basketball before signing with a pro team in Luxembourg. He was dominant overseas, averaging 24-points and 13-rebounds per game in his one season, which got him noticed and earned him a shot with the Rip City Remix, the Portland TrailBlazers' G-League affiliate.

Reese averaged over 13 points-per-game last season and shot 41% from three. He signed a training camp deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He didn't play in their first preseason game, and isn't likely to make the roster. Another strong season in the G-League could open doors for him elsewhere, though.

Charles Bediako (Denver Nuggets)

This week, Bediako signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Denver Nuggets. He spent last season on a Two-Way deal with the San Antonio Spurs, but never appeared in an NBA game.

He'll start the season in the G-League, but could earn a Two-Way deal from Denver as the Nuggets look for some quality depth behind star center Nikola Jokic.

Aaron Estrada (Detroit Pistons)

Estrada is the lone Tide rookie in the NBA this season. He played with the Pistons in the Summer League and recently signed an Exhibit 10 deal with them to go through training camp. He'll likely be waived and end up in the G-League.

Two-Way Contracts

JD Davison (Boston Celtics)

Davison agreed to a second Two-Way contract with the Boston Celtics after spending the first two seasons of his NBA career under that contract.

Davison has played in 20 career games in the NBA, but has spent the majority of his time with Boston's G-League team in Maine. Davison averaged 22 points and 8 assists per game last season.

He'll likely see a similar split in Boston this year.

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Brandon Miller (Charlotte Hornets)

Brandon Miller enjoyed a strong rookie season with the Hornets, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting after the Hornets drafted him 2nd overall in 2023.

He's an integral part of Charlotte's attempted rebuild, and the pairing of him and guard LaMelo Ball will hope to push the Hornets toward a playoff spot.

Noah Clowney (Brooklyn Nets)

Clowney battled injuries in his rookie season, but ended up playing 23 games for the Nets after starting the year in the G-League. He flashed he potential that made him a first round pick in 2023, and will be looking to build off of that and become part of the rotation this season.

Keon Ellis (Sacramento Kings)

Ellis earned his way to a full NBA contract after initially being on a Two-Way deal with the Kings. After spending most of his rookie season in the G-League, Ellis played 57 games with Sacramento last year and made 21 starts.

He shot just under 42% from three and is a menacing on-ball defender. With the offseason addition of DeMar DeRozan, Ellis probably won't start much, but he has a clear cut role for Sacramento.

Herb Jones (New Orleans Pelicans)

Any Alabama Basketball fan isn't surprised to see that Herb Jones is a fan favorite of Pelicans supporters.

The former 2nd round pick has morphed into one of the best defenders in the NBA and made the All-Defensive 1st Team last season. His improved three-point shooting (up to 42% last season) has made him a valuable three-and-D commodity.

He signed a four-year, $54 million extension with New Orleans last year.

Collin Sexton (Utah Jazz)

Sexton is entering his third season with the Utah Jazz after inking a 4-year, $72 million deal following a trade to the Jazz from the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of the Donovan Mitchell move.

Sexton averaged 19 points-per-game last season in 27 minutes and shot 39% from three for the second year in a row.

On a team friendly contract with the new CBA, Sexton has been a popular trade candidate, but the Jazz have so far shown no willingness to move him.