The NBA’s opening night is this Tuesday, and eight former Cardinal players are preparing to tackle a highly competitive 2026-2027 season. One is entering the league for the first time, while the rest plan to step up their production or remain a cornerstone of their respective franchises.
Ebuka Okorie was a one-and-done freshman phenom last year who carried most of the offensive load for the Cardinal. His short collegiate career was full of accolades: he walked out as an AP All-American Honorable Mention awardee, Kyle Macy Award Finalist (given to the best freshman in the nation) and All-ACC first team member, just to name a few. Now, as a first-round pick selected by the Detroit Pistons, Okorie is slotted to serve as a bench point guard under Daniss Jenkins and superstar Cade Cunningham. Though Okorie may have limited minutes this season, his role could expand as a potential backup offensive playmaker and slash scorer behind Cunningham when points are needed. The Pistons face a very tough superstar-filled Eastern Conference, but are still projected to be amongst the teams contending for a championship title. Okorie will need to continue to build his collegiate offensive skill set to secure a spot in the depth chart and give the boost that brings the Pistons to extended playoff runs.
Maxime Raynaud ’25 is entering his second season with the Sacramento Kings and is set to take bigger leaps on both ends of the court. After Domantas Sabonis’ injury, Raynaud was placed as the starting center until the end of last season with game averages of 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 0.5 blocks. The Kings finished with the fewest wins, tied with the Utah Jazz last year and are still in a rebuilding phase. Although Sabonis will take Raynaud’s starting center role, Raynaud can prove to be a reliable backup center as a pick-and-roll threat and talented rebounder.
Many fans and critics, however want Raynaud to showcase the perimeter and three-point shooting skills that dominated his collegiate career. If Raynaud can expand his shooting range and his playmaking abilities, he can push the Kings away from their losing ways and help Sacramento fans “Light The Beam” more often.
Spencer Keith Jones ’24, Stanford’s all-time 3-point leader, is entering his third year in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets. Jones went from an undrafted two-way contract player to a starter who kept the injury-ridden Nuggets in playoff position in the 25-26 season. This upcoming season, Jones will be an essential role player who takes on heavy defensive duties (especially after the loss of Peyton Watson to the Cavaliers) while adding additional three-point shooting. Jones has room to improve his playmaking as a passer and ball handler, but with a healthy squad that includes Jokic and Jamal Murray, he may not be asked to take on an expanded offensive role. Jones is expected to be a key momentum piece in close games and provide much-needed defensive ability to keep the aging Nuggets amongst the best teams in the Western Conference.
Ziarie Williams ’21, in his sixth NBA season, is making his debut with his third NBA team — the Los Angeles Lakers. The highest-rated recruit out of Stanford is looking to impress head coach J.J. Redick as a versatile point-of-attack defender. As a starting forward for the Nets last year, he maintained a 10.2 points/2.4 rebounds/1.4 steals stat line, providing additional points alongside ball-heavy teammates Michael Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas. His situation has not changed too much, as now he joins a fresh Lakers squad led by high-scoring volume superstars Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Williams is one of the many Lakers’ offseason moves, meant to bolster their depth and place the team among the Western Conference powerhouses like the Spurs and Thunder.
William’s underrated attribute is his three-point shooting. He has a 34.4% accuracy from the line, which can help him solidify his spot in the starting lineup. With better improvements in his presence and rebounding abilities, Williams could be an important piece to push the Lakers back to championship stardom.
Cormac Ryan ’19 and Harrison Ingram ’23 both have very similar basketball stories. They both started their collegiate careers at Stanford and ended at ACC rival UNC in 2023-2024. In addition, after college, they were both two-way contract G League players who have now found their separate NBA homes. Ingram signed with the Utah Jazz this offseason on an Exhibit 10 deal and is fighting for a roster spot. Ryan was called up to the Milwaukee Bucks from the Wisconsin Herd last year with an impressive 14.3 ppg stint and a career-high 28 points against Williams’ Nets. Ryan’s three-point and perimeter scoring is hard to ignore, and although he has yet to play a full season, he could be a great guard and bench piece for the Giannis-less Bucks. Both Ryan and Ingram are looking to prove themselves on a roster and utilize their youth to their advantage.
Dwight Powell ’14 was the epitome of loyalty as he was set to enter his 13th season with the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks, however, decided to waive their longest-tenured player on Monday. Powell, now 35-years-old, will enter free agency in a market that is generally difficult for aging centers. Despite his dismissal on the eve of NBA Opening Night, the Mavericks’ president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri told ESPN that Powell “embodies everything you want in someone representing your organization.” Powell will officially become an unrestricted free agent once he clears waivers.
Brook Lopez ’08 has been regarded as one of the greatest Stanford NBA players. His nickname, “Mr. Splashman,” is grounded in his unorthodox high three-point shooting as a 3-and-D center. With the absence of Ivica Zubac, Lopez will be asked to be the defensive anchor for the downgraded Los Angeles Clippers. Nothing positive seems to be associated with the Clippers after the Kawhi Leonard salary investigation, losing their next five first-round picks and having their new offseason additions (Brandon Ingram and Max Strus) unavailable with chronic injuries. Like their neighboring Lakers, the Clippers completely revamped their roster, but are in rebuild mode for the next couple of years. Lopez will most likely have consistent starter-level minutes as he is the 14th-best blocker (with 2,174 blocks) in NBA history. Regardless of the result this season, Lopez is expected to be a solid piece for the Clippers and a valuable asset many teams across the league would value.