Devonte' Terrell Graham (born February 22, 1995) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA). He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Kansas Jayhawks The Kansas Jayhawks, commonly referred to as simply KU or Kansas, are the athletic teams that represent the University of Kansas. KU is one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a mem ...

High school career

Graham attended Broughton High School in

Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the List of North Carolina county seats, seat of Wake County, North Carolina, Wake County in the United States. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most ...

. As a senior, Graham averaged 15.7 points and 5.4 assists per game, leading the team to a 26–6 record and the 4A state championship game during the 2012–13 season. Graham originally committed to

Appalachian State Appalachian State University (; Appalachian, App State, App, or ASU) is a public university in Boone, North Carolina. It was founded as a teachers college in 1899 by brothers B. B. and D. D. Dougherty and the latter's wife, Lillie Shull Dough ...

before deciding he wanted to play elsewhere. However, Appalachian State’s head coach at the time,

Jason Capel Jason Maurice Capel (born January 15, 1980) is an American college basketball coach, currently an assistant at Pittsburgh. He was previously the 15th head coach of the Appalachian State Mountaineers men's basketball team. He is a former basketbal ...

, would not allow him to de-commit, as he felt other teams may have been tampering with Graham following his commitment to the university. Due to this, Graham elected to play a

post-graduate year A postgraduate (PG) year is an extra year of secondary coursework at a boarding school following high school graduation, but before entering college. It is a gap year option intended for students who either have not applied or were not admitted ...

Brewster Academy ) , established = , type = Independent boarding school , gender = Co-educational , head_name = Head of School , head = Kristy Kerin , chair_label = Chair of Trustees , chair = R C Ballentine Esq , city = ...

, in

Wolfeboro, New Hampshire Wolfeboro is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,416 at the 2020 census. A resort area situated beside Lake Winnipesaukee, Wolfeboro includes the village of Wolfeboro Falls. History The town was granted ...

, rather than honor his commitment to play for Appalachian State. At Brewster Academy, Graham averaged 17.2 points and 5.0 assists per game, leading the team to the national prep championship and the New England championship during the 2013–14 season. On May 2, 2014, Graham committed to

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, choosing them over

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

College career

Freshman

As a freshman at Kansas, Graham averaged 5.7 points and 2.1 assists per game. He had a season-high 20 points against

TCU TCU may stand for: Education * Tanzania Commission for Universities, regulatory body for Universities in Tanzania * Texas Christian University, a private university in Fort Worth, Texas ** TCU Horned Frogs, the athletic programs of the school * Tok ...

on February 21, 2015. In the NCAA Tournament, he scored 17 points against

Wichita State Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...

Sophomore

After scoring a then career-high 27 points on 8-of-13 shooting against

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

, Graham was named Big 12 Player of the Week for the week of February 14, 2016. At the conclusion of the regular season, Graham was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. He was named MVP of the

2016 Big 12 men's basketball tournament The 2016 Phillips 66 Big 12 men's basketball tournament was a postseason men's basketball tournament for the Big 12 Conference. It was played from March 9 to 12, in Kansas City, Missouri at the Sprint Center. Kansas won the tournament for the ...

after scoring 27 points against

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

in the championship game. As a sophomore in the 2015–16 season, Graham averaged 11.3 points per game while shooting 46 percent overall and 44 percent from 3 point territory.Trotter, Jake
In big moments, Devonte' Graham has been Kansas' X factor all season
ESPN, March 26, 2018.

Junior

As a junior, Graham was named to the Second Team All-Big 12. Along with

Frank Mason III Frank Leo Mason III (born April 3, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for SLUC Nancy Basket of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for the University of Kansas, where he was the starting point guard for the Jayhawks. F ...

, Graham formed the backcourt of a Kansas team that went 31–5 but lost in the Elite Eight, as Graham shot 0 for 7 from the field and missed six 3-pointers in a season-ending 74–60 loss to

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. For the season, he averaged 13.4 points, 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game. In April, Graham announced on Twitter that he was returning for his senior year.

Senior

In his senior season, Graham was named the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year for the 2017–18 season. On November 28, Graham scored a career high 35 points in a 96–58 win over Toledo. The following game, a 76–60 win over

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

, Graham again scored 35 points. Graham would go on to be unanimously selected as the Big 12 Player of the Year, averaging 17.6 points and 7.2 assists per game as a senior. He was also named a consensus member of the First Team All-America by multiple organizations, leading his team to the 2017-18 Final Four in San Antonio, Texas. During his senior season, he averaged about 38 minutes a game.

Professional career

Charlotte Hornets (2018–2021)

Graham was drafted in the 2nd round, 34th overall, of the

2018 NBA draft The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including inte ...

by the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

before being traded to the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

in exchange for two second round picks. In the Hornets' first three summer league games, he averaged ten points and six assists per contest. However, he would miss the rest of summer league with a knee injury. Graham made his NBA debut on October 22, 2018, against the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

, recording no points and one assist in five and a half minutes of play. On October 23, 2019, Graham scored 23 points along with eight assists and four rebounds in a 126–125 win over the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...

. Graham hit six three-pointers to help the Hornets set a new franchise record for three-point field goals made in a single game. On December 11, 2019, Graham scored a career-high 40 points with five rebounds and five assists in a 113–108 win over the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...

. Graham was featured on The Dodo's

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channel in June 2021, in a video about his basketball career and his life with his German Shepherd dog 'Charlotte', who is named after the team he had been playing for.

New Orleans Pelicans (2021–2023)

On August 7, 2021, Graham was traded to the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

in a three-team trade involving the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

. He made his Pelicans debut on October 20, recording 18 points and five assists in a 117–97 loss to the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

. On November 26, Graham hit a game-winning three-pointer with 1.9 seconds left to give the Pelicans a 98–97 win over the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

. On December 15, he hit a 61-foot, buzzer-beating shot to hoist the Pelicans to a 113–110 win over the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

. The shot set the NBA record for the longest buzzer-beating game-winner in league history, beating out

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (born Chris Wayne Jackson; March 9, 1969) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for nine years with the Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings and Vancouver Griz ...

's 55-foot shot in 1992 for the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

. On March 24, 2022, Graham scored a season-high 30 points, alongside two rebounds and four assists, in a 126–109 win over the

. After a set of play-in tournament wins, the Pelicans qualified for the playoffs for the first time since

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

and faced the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

during their first-round series. Graham made his playoff debut on April 17, playing ten minutes in a 110–99 Game 1 loss.

San Antonio Spurs (2023–present)

On February 9, 2023, Graham was traded, alongside four second-round picks, to the

in exchange for

Josh Richardson Joshua Michael Richardson (born September 15, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning first-tea ...

. Graham made his Spurs debut a day later, recording a season-high 31 points, three rebounds and three assists in a 138–131 double overtime loss to the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...

. Graham's 31 points were also the most points scored in a debut in Spurs history.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

, 46 , , 3 , , 14.7, , .343 , , .281 , , .761 , , 1.4 , , 2.6 , , .5 , , .0 , , 4.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 63 , , 53 , , 35.1 , , .382 , , .373 , , .820 , , 3.4 , , 7.5 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 18.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 55 , , 44 , , 30.2 , , .377 , , .375 , , .842 , , 2.7 , , 5.4 , , .9 , , .1 , , 14.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, 76 , , 63 , , 28.4 , , .363 , , .341 , , .843 , , 2.3 , , 4.2 , , .9 , , .2 , , 11.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, 53 , , 0 , , 15.3 , , .368 , , .347 , , .746 , , 1.4 , , 2.2 , , .6 , , .2 , , 5.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 293 , , 163 , , 25.7 , , .371 , , .356 , , .819 , , 2.3 , , 4.5 , , .8 , , .2 , , 11.5

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

, style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, 6 , , 0 , , 10.0 , , .333 , , .357 , , .875 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , .2 , , .2 , , 4.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 6 , , 0 , , 10.0 , , .333 , , .357 , , .875 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , .2 , , .2 , , 4.0

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;",

, 29 , , 0 , , 17.8 , , .393 , , .425, , .724 , , 1.5 , , 2.1 , , 0.9 , , 0.0 , , 5.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;",

, 38 , , 36 , , 32.6 , , .460 , , .441 , , .744 , , 3.3 , , 3.7, , 1.4 , , 0.1 , , 11.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;",

, 36 , , 36 , , 35.3 , , .428 , , .388 , , .793 , , 3.1 , , 4.1 , , 1.5 , , 0.2 , , 13.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2017–18 , style="text-align:left;",

, 39 , , 39 , , 37.8 , , .400 , , .406 , , .827 , , 4.0 , , 7.2 , , 1.6 , , 0.1, , 17.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 142 , , 111 , , 31.7 , , .422 , , .409 , , .787 , , 3.1 , , 4.5 , , 1.4 , , 0.1 , , 12.3

References

External links

Kansas Jayhawks bioDevonte Graham
on Twitter {{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Devonte' 1995 births Living people African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks draft picks Basketball players from Raleigh, North Carolina Brewster Academy alumni Charlotte Hornets players Greensboro Swarm players Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball players Medalists at the 2015 Summer Universiade Needham B. Broughton High School alumni New Orleans Pelicans players Point guards San Antonio Spurs players Universiade gold medalists for the United States Universiade medalists in basketball