The NBA begins its 80th season Tuesday and six former members of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team are on active rosters around the league.
The VFLs in the NBA this season include Tobias Harris (Detroit Pistons), Dalton Knecht (Los Angeles Lakers), Chaz Lanier (Detroit Pistons), Julian Phillips (Chicago Bulls), Jaden Springer (New Orleans Pelicans) and Grant Williams (Charlotte Hornets).
Tennessee has produced 57 all-time NBA Draft picks, including 10 since 2019.
The newest Volunteer to reach the League is Lanier. In his lone season with Tennessee in 2025, the sharp-shooting fifth-year senior set a program record with 123 made 3-pointers, the sixth-most in a season in SEC history. One of three players to start all 38 games for the Vols, he led the team in scoring (684), made field goals (243) and 3-point percentage (39.5; min. 10 3-point attempts).
The Nashville, Tenn., native was selected by the Pistons in the second round (No. 37 overall) in the 2025 NBA Draft. He went on to average 10.4 points, 2.2 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game during the 2025 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Knecht was selected by the Lakers in June 2024 at pick No. 17, becoming the highest-drafted Volunteer since Marcus Haislip went No. 13 in 2002. He was the 10th top-20 pick in Tennessee history and the first since Harris went No. 19 in 2011.
Like Lanier, Knecht played one season with the Vols as a fifth-year transfer. In that season, he led the SEC in scoring at 21.7 points per game, good for eighth-best in the country. The SEC Player of the Year and runner-up for Associated Press National Player of the Year added 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per outing, while shooting 45.8 percent overall, 39.7 percent beyond the arc and 77.2 percent at the line.
Last season with the Lakers, Knecht competed in 78 games, making 16 starts and averaging 19.2 minutes per game. He recorded a 46.1 clip from the field, including a 37.6 percent mark from long range, and scored 27-plus points four times, including scoring 37 points in a game he went 9-of-12 from deep to tie the NBA rookie record for 3-point makes.
Harris, entering his 15th professional season, is in his second stint with Detroit after playing for the organization in parts of three seasons (2016-18). In the 2024-25 regular season, he started 73 games for the Pistons, shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from beyond the arc, while averaging 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds in 31.6 minutes per contest.
Through his first 14 seasons, Harris ranks second among VFLs in total number of games (970), minutes (30,727), 3-point makes (1,309), rebounds (5,969) and assists (2,293). His 539 blocks are, by far, the most by a Tennessee alumnus, while his 15,604 points put him third.
Phillips embarks on his third professional season with Chicago. He competed in 79 contests for the Bulls in 2024-25, up from 40 in his rookie season. The one-and-done 2023 draftee improved to a 44.6 percent clip from the field in his second season and added over 10 percent to his rate from the line, making 78.9 percent of his free throw attempts as he settled in as a professional.
The Blythewood, S.C., native became a more prominent contributor down the stretch last season, highlighted by a breakout 23-point performance against Washington on April 11.
Springer sets out on his fifth season in the league, now a member of the New Orleans Pelicans after spending parts of last season with Boston and Utah. After being traded to the Jazz, he made two starts and played in 17 games, ultimately shooting 41.1 percent in Salt Lake City. He was picked up by the Pelicans in the offseason and was named to the opening day roster on Sunday.
This is the fourth NBA franchise for Springer, who began his career with the Philadelphia 76ers. He won the NBA championship with the Celtics in 2023-24.
Williams, now entering his seventh NBA season, suits up again for his hometown Charlotte Hornets in the 2025-26 season. He is recovering from a right ACL injury suffered in November of last season, which ended his campaign after just 16 games played. Williams averaged just under 30 minutes per contest in his healthy stint and set a career high in 3-pointers per game at 1.7 and total rebounds per game at 5.1. His physical rehabilitation timeline extends into the 2025-26 regular season, though the Hornets have stated they expect him to contribute to their team this season.
Williams became one of the most productive players in program history in his three seasons on Rocky Top, twice winning SEC Player of the Year honors and becoming the team’s third consensus All-American in 2018-19. He led the Vols to an SEC regular season title in 2017-18. In September, he made a $1.5 million gift to the UT Foundation, with $1 million going to Tennessee’s athletics department, including $750,000 to the men’s basketball program.
Vols in the NBA – Opening Day Schedule
Tuesday, Oct. 21
Warriors at Lakers (Knecht) – 10:00 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock
Wednesday, Oct. 22
Nets at Hornets (Williams) – 7:00 p.m. ET
Pelicans at Grizzlies (Springer) – 8:00 p.m. ET
Pistons at Bulls (Harris, Lanier, Phillips) – 8:00 p.m. ET
