Two former Hoosiers locked in their 2026-27 NBA homes on Monday, with Toronto keeping Trayce Jackson-Davis under contract and Cleveland bringing back Thomas Bryant.
Jackson-Davis’ deal got a boost when the Raptors exercised their team option, a move that makes his $2.41 million salary fully guaranteed, according to multiple reports. The former Golden State second-round pick was sent to Toronto at this year’s in-season deadline in a deal that sent a 2026 second-round draft pick back to the Warriors.
His time with the Warriors covered two-and-a-half seasons and included 166 total games, with 54 starts. During that stretch, Jackson-Davis averaged 6.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 15.1 minutes per game. After the trade, his role in Toronto was limited; he played just 85 total minutes across 17 appearances.
Bryant, meanwhile, is headed back to Cleveland for what will be his tenth NBA season. The 28-year-old big man played in 60 games for the Cavaliers last season, starting once, and averaged 6.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per game. He also logged nine postseason appearances.
Bryant’s NBA path has taken him through two different stops with the Lakers, plus stretches in Washington, Denver, Miami and Indiana. In all, he has appeared in 393 regular-season games.
Jackson-Davis and Bryant were two of five former Hoosiers who saw action in the NBA last season. The others were Kel’el Ware, Eric Gordon and NBA champion OG Anunoby. Ware was recently traded from Miami to Milwaukee, while Gordon remains a free agent.
In Other News...
Indiana Just Landed A Massive National Spotlight Moment
Indiana has a fresh national-stage reminder that its recent rise has reached beyond Bloomington. ESPNs early 2026 ESPY nominations put multiple Indiana-connected figures in the spotlight, with former Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza drawing notice in two separate individual categories and the football program earning a place among the nations top teams. Add former IU basketball standout OG Anunoby to the list, and it becomes a pretty strong showing for an athletic department that has been pushing itself back into bigger conversations.
Mendozas double nomination speaks to how quickly his profile has grown, while the football teams presence in the Best Team field gives the program another platform after a perfect championship run. Indiana will have plenty of company among the nominees, with the category crowded by recent winners and title teams, but just getting into that mix says plenty about where the Hoosiers stand right now. The only real question is how much more hardware this burst of attention can bring back to Bloomington when the awards are handed out. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Just Lost Another Experienced Arm To The Portal
Indianas pitching depth took another hit this offseason as an experienced arm moved on after one year in Bloomington. The left-handed reliever had already bounced from Delaware to Indiana, and he entered the portal after his latest stop with the Hoosiers, part of the wider roster churn that has become a constant for programs trying to keep veteran bullpen pieces in place.
His departure adds another layer to Indianas search for reliability on the mound, especially with a pitcher who had already logged a few seasons of college baseball and could give a staff some stability. Instead, he is headed to USC for his fifth collegiate season, while the Hoosiers are left to sort through another turnover point as the roster continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Vaughn Karvala Faces One Big Test To Earn Indiana Minutes
Vaughn Karvala arrived at Indiana with the kind of profile that usually gets attention right away: a highly regarded freshman who committed and signed in November and brings the athleticism and scoring pop that made him one of the more intriguing names in the class. For the Hoosiers, though, the excitement around his arrival comes with an immediate reality, since freshmen are walking into a roster built around experienced transfers who have already spent multiple years at the high-major level.
That makes Karvalas path to minutes less about reputation than readiness. His talent gives Indiana another upside piece to develop, but the first challenge is simply finding a way to break into the rotation ahead of older, more seasoned options. The Hoosiers will keep watching how he adjusts, because his role could grow quickly if he shows he can handle the physical side of college basketball and keep his game translating against adults. [Read more 🡒]