The NBA is back Tuesday, and so is the annual Kentucky takeover.
When the 2026-27 season opens with Celtics-Pistons in Detroit at 3:00 p.m. ET, then rolls into 76ers at Knicks at 7:00 p.m.
ET on NBC and Thunder at Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBC, former Wildcats will again be all over the league.
By the time Monday night’s roster deadline passed, 27 players with Kentucky ties had survived the final cuts.
That count includes players who later transferred to other schools, and it also includes Shaedon Sharpe. In other words, the BBNBA is very much alive and well heading into another season.
Only two former Wildcats are set to start the year on the injury list, and both are rookies. Otega Oweh is with the Thunder after a torn Achilles, while Jayden Quaintance is on the Spurs after another knee surgery. The expectation is that neither one will be back until 2027-28.
The rest of the Kentucky group gives this season plenty to watch. Bam Adebayo and Nick Richards are both in Miami, while Tyler Herro is now with Milwaukee.
The Thunder are loaded with Wildcats, featuring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, and Otega Oweh on the roster. The Spurs have De’Aaron Fox, Keldon Johnson, and Jayden Quaintance.
The Sixers bring together Tyrese Maxey and Justin Edwards, and the Lakers will have Adou Thiero and Jarred Vanderbilt.
There’s no shortage of bigger questions, either. How does Bam Adebayo fit alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Miami frontcourt?
What does Tyrese Maxey look like next to LeBron James in Philly? Can Anthony Davis stay healthy through the full season in Washington?
Can De’Aaron Fox bounce back after his rough NBA Finals showing? Can Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks go again?
Will Shai Gilgeous-Alexander make it three MVPs in a row? Can Reed Sheppard take a jump?
Can Cason Wallace force his way into the Most Improved Player conversation? And who might pop as the surprise breakout among all these former Cats?
That’s the kind of depth Kentucky keeps bringing to the league. The Lakers, Heat, Thunder, Sixers, and Spurs all feature multiple former Wildcats, and that kind of footprint should be easy to notice again once the All-Star break comes around.
Former Wildcats on Opening Day NBA rosters:
Bam Adebayo - Miami Heat
Devin Booker - Phoenix Suns
Anthony Davis - Washington Wizards
Justin Edwards - Philadelphia 76ers
De’Aaron Fox - San Antonio Spurs
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Oklahoma City Thunder
Tyler Herro - Milwaukee Bucks
Isaiah Jackson - LA Clippers
Keldon Johnson - San Antonio Spurs
Trey Lyles - Minnesota Timberwolves
Tyrese Maxey - Philadelphia 76ers
Malik Monk - Sacramento Kings
Jamal Murray - Denver Nuggets
Otega Oweh (R) - Oklahoma City Thunder
Jayden Quaintance (R) - San Antonio Spurs
Immanuel Quickley - Toronto Raptors
Julius Randle - Brooklyn Nets
Nick Richards - Miami Heat
Shaedon Sharpe - Portland Trail Blazers
Reed Sheppard - Houston Rockets
Adou Thiero - Los Angeles Lakers
Karl-Anthony Towns - New York Knicks
Oscar Tshiebwe - Houston Rockets
Jarred Vanderbilt - Los Angeles Lakers
Cason Wallace - Oklahoma City Thunder
PJ Washington - Dallas Mavericks
Amari Williams - Boston Celtics
In Other News...
Mark Popes New Kentucky Lead Guard Comes With Real Risk And Upside
Alex Wilkins is arriving at Kentucky with the kind of rsum that makes him easy to notice and hard to project. The Furman transfer averaged 17.8 points and 4.7 assists last season, and in recent team events he has shown improved three-point shooting while stepping into the role of a lead guard for Mark Popes team. Pope has already pointed to Wilkins creativity and shooting, and Milan Momcilovic has echoed that optimism, which is part of why the staff sees him as such an intriguing fit.
The upside is obvious, but so is the challenge that comes with handing the controls to someone adjusting to a bigger stage and a new system. Pope has made it clear Wilkins is still developing, even as his potential stands out, and Kentuckys early buzz around him reflects the balance the Wildcats are trying to strike this season. If the guard keeps building on what he has shown so far, he could give Pope exactly the kind of dynamic backcourt presence this team needs. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Has A Huge SEC Chance And One Lingering Concern
Kentucky sits in a familiar but meaningful spot as week nine arrives, tied for first in the SEC and staring at a very winnable game against Vanderbilt. The Wildcats have built their push around balance, leaning on a strong running game while trying to keep the offense steady enough to stay in control of conference play. With the league race tightening around them, this is the kind of stretch where a good team can turn a solid season into something far bigger.
The concern is on the other side of the ball, where Kentucky wants to keep heating up quarterbacks even as it navigates life without a key edge rusher. The defense has still been built to create pressure and help the Wildcats stay in the playoff conversation, but the margin gets thinner when one of the main pass-rush pieces is missing. If Kentucky is going to keep its place at the top of the SEC, it will need more than just a favorable matchup. It will need a cleaner, more complete performance than the one it has shown at times so far. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Fans Keep Asking About One Frustrating Wildcats Trend
A string of recent injury issues has naturally become one of the biggest talking points around Kentucky mens basketball, especially for fans trying to separate coincidence from something more troubling. The case being made here is that a lot of those setbacks look more like bad luck than a conditioning problem, which matters because the Wildcats are trying to build momentum with a roster that needs continuity as much as anything else.
There is also the broader frustration of where Kentucky landed in the preseason SEC basketball conversation. A seventh-place projection feels too low for a program that expects to be in the league chase, and it only adds to the sense that the Wildcats are entering the season with questions around health and respect alike. The injury chatter may not tell the whole story, but it has become part of why so many fans are paying attention to every update. [Read more 🡒]