Illinois NBA Players (2026-27)
All 7 former Illinois players on an NBA roster this season.
Updated Oct 16, 2026 · rosters as of the 2026-27 preseason
- Players
- 7
- Average height
- 6'6"
- Average age
- 22.7
- Teams represented
- 6 of 30
- Tallest
- Giorgi Bezhanishvili (6'9")
- Shortest
- Kylan Boswell (6'1")
- Oldest
- Giorgi Bezhanishvili (27)
- Youngest
- Keaton Wagler (19)
Seven Illinois alumni are on NBA rosters for the 2026-27 season, spread across 6 teams. The group skews young, with an average age of 22.7, and runs heavily toward guards — 6 of the 7 play the position.
The tallest player on the list is Giorgi Bezhanishvili of the Atlanta Hawks at 6'9", who is also the oldest at 27. The youngest is Keaton Wagler of the LA Clippers at 19, standing 6'5".
Think you'd know these players from their team, height, age and jersey number alone?
Play Guess-the-Player with only Illinois alumni →| Player | Team | Pos | Ht | Age | No. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ayo Dosunmu
|
Minnesota Timberwolves
|
G | 6'4" | 26 | #13 |
Giorgi Bezhanishvili
|
Atlanta Hawks
|
F | 6'9" | 27 | — |
Kasparas Jakucionis
|
Milwaukee Bucks
|
G | 6'5" | 20 | #25 |
Keaton Wagler
|
LA Clippers
|
G | 6'5" | 19 | #1 |
Kylan Boswell
|
Charlotte Hornets
|
G | 6'1" | 21 | #18 |
Terrence Shannon Jr.
|
Minnesota Timberwolves
|
G | 6'6" | 26 | #4 |
Will Riley
|
Washington Wizards
|
G | 6'9" | 20 | #27 |
Click any column heading to sort. Players with no college listed came into the league from overseas or straight out of high school.
Where Illinois Alumni Play in 2026-27
The 7 players are distributed across 6 teams, meaning most squads carry just one Illinois alumnus. Minnesota is the exception, with 2 on its roster: Ayo Dosunmu (#13) and Terrence Shannon Jr. (#4), both guards born in Chicago, IL. The remaining 5 players each suit up for a different franchise — Atlanta, Charlotte, Milwaukee, LA, and Washington.
Positions and Heights Across the Group
Guards dominate this list. Kylan Boswell of the Charlotte Hornets is the shortest at 6'1", while Will Riley (#27) of the Washington Wizards and Giorgi Bezhanishvili of the Atlanta Hawks both check in at 6'9" at the other end. Kasparas Jakucionis (#25) and Keaton Wagler (#1) both stand 6'5". The lone forward is Bezhanishvili; every other player on the list is a guard.
Birthplaces Represented on the Roster
Most of the group was born in the United States, with 2 players born in Chicago, IL. The list also includes players born in Champaign, IL, Shawnee, KS, Kitchener, ON, Vilnius, Lithuania, and Rustavi Georgin, Georgia — making it a geographically varied set of alumni despite the shared college.