Arizona Basketball

How former Arizona Wildcats fared in the NBA regular season

By Ryan Kelapire@RKelapire May 18, 2021, 1:04pm PDT

The 2020-21 NBA regular season has come to a close. Here’s a look at how all the Arizona Wildcats fared across the league. Nine of the 11 will be participating in the playoffs.

Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns

2020-21 stats: 69 G, 14.4 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 1.2 BPG, 62.6 FG%, 76.9 FT%
Years in league: 3
Contract: In third year of four-year, $40.3 million deal
Team record: 51-21
Playoffs? Yes. The Suns are the No. 2 seed in the West and will face the Lakers, Warriors, Grizzlies or Spurs in the first round.
Season outlook: Other than acquiring Chris Paul, Ayton’s improvement is a big reason why the Suns are in the playoffs for the first time since 2010. His numbers have dipped on a per-game basis but he’s a sharper defender and a more efficient scorer.

Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls

2020-21 stats: 49 G, 25.8 MPG, 13.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.9 APG, 48.0 FG%, 40.2 3PT%
Years in league: 4
Contract: In final year of four-year, $20 million deal
Team record: 31-41
Playoffs? No.
Season outlook: Markkanen missed more than 20 games because of injuries and lost his spot in the starting lineup shortly after the Bulls acquired Nikola Vucevic from the Magic. Markkanen is set to hit restricted free agency and he plans to explore the open market. “I feel like I’m only 23 years old and I have a lot of basketball ahead of me,” he told NBC Sports. “It’s a good opportunity to look what’s out there for me. I can be a focal point. I think I have a lot more to offer.”

T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers

2020-21 stats: 69 G, 26.0 MPG, 8.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.9 SPG, 55.9 FG%, 31.3 3PT%
Years in league: 6
Contract: In final year of two-year, $7 million contract
Team record: 34-38
Playoffs? The Pacers will face the Hornets in a play-in game.
Season outlook: A productive bench player, McConnell averaged career highs in scoring, assists, steals and field goal percentage this season, setting himself up well for free agency this summer. He completed the regular season by dishing out a career-high 17 assists.

Stanley Johnson, Toronto Raptors

2020-21 stats: 61 G, 16.5 MPG, 4.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 38.2 FG%, 32.8 3PT%
Years in league: 6
Contract: In final year of two-year, $7.4 million contract
Team record: 27-45
Playoffs? No.
Season outlook: Johnson started in 13 games, the most since 2017-18, but still isn’t playing like a No. 8 overall pick. However, he did average 24.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists over his final three games, so maybe that’s something to build on heading into free agency and next season.

Andre Iguodala, Miami Heat

2020-21 stats: 63 G, 21.3 MPG, 4.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 38.3 FG%, 33.0 3PT%
Years in league: 17
Contract: In first year of two-year, $30 million extension
Team record: 40-32
Playoffs? Yes. The Heat are the No. 6 seed in the East and will face the Bucks in the first round.
Season outlook: The last Lute Olson-coached player in the league, Iguodala averaged career lows in points, rebounds, assists, field-goal percentage. But he still has value defensively and always elevates his game in the postseason. Let’s see if he can do it again as the Heat try to repeat as Eastern Conference champions.

Solomon Hill, Atlanta Hawks

2020-21 stats: 71 G, 21.3 MPG, 4.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.1 APG, 35.9 FG%, 32.1 3PT%
Years in league: 8
Contract: Signed a one-year, $2.7 million contract
Team record: 41-38
Playoffs? Yes. The Hawks are the No. 5 seed in the East and will face the Knicks in the first round.
Season outlook: Hill is averaging 21.3 minutes per game, the third most of his career. He isn’t terribly productive on either end of the court, but his playoff experience could come in handy for a Hawks team that is making their first playoff appearance since 2017. They were one of the hottest teams in basketball in the second half of the season. Hill has drawn some shade from LeBron James for diving for a loose ball and causing the ankle injury that has plagued LeBron for the last two months.

Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic/Denver Nuggets

2020-21 stats: 50 G, 27.7 MPG, 12.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.2 APG, 46.3 FG%, 33.5 3PT%
Years in league: 7
Contract: In third year of four-year, $76 million deal
Team record: 47-25
Playoffs? Yes. The Nuggets are the No. 3 seed in the West and will face the Blazers in the first round.
Season outlook: Gordon’s numbers dipped on a per-game basis, but that is partly because he was shipped to the Nuggets at the trade deadline and has more of a complementary role in Denver. He has proven to be a wise acquisition, as the Nuggets are 19-6 since adding Gordon, who will give Denver much more defensive versatility in the playoffs this season. Denver, which lost Jamal Murray for the season, is looking to make it back to the Western Conference Finals.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Portland Trail Blazers

2020-21 stats: 11 G, 9.7 MPG, 2.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.2 SPG, 50.0 FG%, 56.3 FT%
Years in league: 6
Contract: On a one-year, minimum contract.
Team record: 42-30
Playoffs? Yes. The Blazers are the No. 6 seed in the West and will face the Nuggets in the first round.
Season outlook: Rondae signed with the Blazers in April. The Blazers have the second-worst defense in the league and Hollis-Jefferson gives them options on that end.

Josh Green, Dallas Mavericks

2020-21 stats: 39 G, 11.4 MPG, 2.6 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.4 SPG, 45.2 FG%, 16.0 3PT%, 56.5 FT%
Years in league: Rookie
Contract: In first year of two-year, $5.8 million contract that has team options for 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Team record: 42-30
Playoffs? Yes. The Mavericks are the No. 5 seed in the West and will face the Clippers in the first round.
Season outlook: Drafted 18th overall in November, Green hasn’t been in the Mavericks’ rotation for the end of the season, but has emerged as a nice energy player of the bench. He scored a career-high eight points in Dallas’ regular-season finale.

Zeke Nnaji, Denver Nuggets

2020-21 stats: 42 G, 9.5 MPG, 3.2 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 48.1 FG%, 40.7 3PT%
Years in league: Rookie
Contract: In first year of two-year, $4.9 million contract that has team options for 2022-23 and 2023-24.
Team record: 47-25
Playoffs? Yes. The Nuggets are the No. 3 seed in the West and will face the Blazers in the first round.
Season outlook: Selected by the Nuggets with the 22nd overall pick, Nnaji isn’t in Denver’s rotation heading into the playoffs. That’s not too surprising with the Nuggets having a strong frontcourt and Nnaji only being a rookie.

Nico Mannion, Golden State Warriors

2020-21 stats: 30 G, 12.1 MPG, 4.1 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 34.2 FG%, 36.7 3PT%, 82.1 FT%
Years in league: Rookie
Contract: On a two-way contract that pays a flat salary of $449K for the 2020-21 season.
Team record: 39-33
Playoffs? Yes. The Warriors will face the Lakers in a play-in game.
Season outlook: Mannion had a decent rookie season with the Steve Kerr-coached Warriors after falling deep into the second round of the NBA Draft. Interestingly, his 3-point percentage is roughly four points higher than it was in his lone season at Arizona. That’s a good sign moving forward.