Seventh-year pro Devonté Graham is back in the NBA ... with Bronny James’ G League squad
Former University of Kansas basketball guard Devonté Graham has been signed by the NBA G League’s South Bay Lakers, the team has announced.
South Bay waived former UC Irvine forward Tommy Rutherford on Friday in order to make room for Graham on the roster.
Graham, who is in his seventh year as a professional basketball player, was cut by the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 17 after failing to make the regular-season roster.
A 6-foot-1, 29-year-old native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Graham spent the 2024-25 preseason camp with the Blazers on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 training camp deal. Had he made the team he would have earned $2.61 million this season.
Graham in his G League debut on Friday scored 19 points with six rebounds and five assists in a 102-91 loss to the Valley Suns in Tempe, Arizona.
He was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 34 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and traded to the Charlotte Hornets on draft night.
Graham has career NBA averages of 11.1 points, 4.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds. He’s made 37.1% of his shots including 35.4% of his 3s. He has played for the San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans and Hornets.
After the 2023-24 season, San Antonio traded Graham to the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte immediately waived him, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Graham has G League experience. He played 13 games during the 2018-19 season for the Greensboro (North Carolina) Swarm, averaging 23.3 points, 4.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 34.0 minutes a game.
Graham played at KU from 2014-18, participating in 142 games (with 111 starts). As a senior he averaged 17.3 points, 7.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 37.8 minutes per contest. He earned Big 12 player of the year honors and led KU to an appearance in the 2018 Final Four.
“Graham will bring a sharp, veteran presence to South Bay’s backcourt this season, for as long as he’s there at least,” writes Alex Kirschenbaum of SI.com. “Clearly, like former two-time All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas did last year on the Utah Jazz’s NBA G League club, the Salt Lake City Stars, Graham is working to rehabilitate his value and land with a new NBA franchise at some point this year.”
South Bay is off to a 4-9 start. Bronny James, a second-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Lakers and son of LeBron James, scored 16 points in Friday’s game, his first with Graham as a teammate.
The South Bay Lakers will next compete in the NBA G League Winter Showcase on Dec. 19-22 in Orlando, Florida.
According to hoopsrumors.com, “The Winter Showcase, which takes place from December 19-22, serves as a meeting point for executives and scouts around the NBA, so it will be a good opportunity for Graham to make his case for an NBA contract.”
There were rumors in the preseason Graham would play for the Shanghai Sharks in China. Instead he declined an offer with the hopes of continuing his NBA career. Graham at any time could be called up to South Bay’s parent club, the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers.
This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 9:41 AM with the headline "Seventh-year pro Devonté Graham is back in the NBA ... with Bronny James’ G League squad."
