The 2026-27 NBA season is officially underway, which means that college basketball is right around the corner.
The Oregon Ducks open their season at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon, against the Big Sky Conference's Montana Grizzlies on Nov. 2 at 7:00 p.m. PT on the Big Ten Network.
In the meantime, three alums from the Pacific Northwest institution are gearing up for the grind that is an NBA schedule from October all the way to possibly June.
The face of the Ducks in the NBA, Boston Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard, has already gotten his feet wet in his seventh season in the league.
Boston Celtics Point Guard Payton Pritchard
During Boston's preseason stretch on Oct. 12, the elite ball-handler signed a two-year, $44.2 million extension with a mutual option for the 2029-30 season. Pritchard has been an instrumental part of the backcourt depth for the Celtics since he was drafted in 2020 with the 26th overall pick.
Coming off the bench in his season opener on Oct. 20, Pritchard displayed his scoring capabilities with 17 points on a shooting split of 4-for-9 field goals, 2-for-5 3-pointers and 7-for-8 free throws in 28 minutes of game action.
Boston would go on to lose to the Detroit Pistons at the Little Caesars Arena in Michigan, 121-113.
Phoenix Suns Wing Dillon Brooks
The one that many consider to be the 'villain' of the NBA, wing Dillon Brooks, is still an impactful player who gets in the head of his defensive assignments and has become a more reliable all-around scorer since joining the Phoenix Suns.
Brooks is coming off a career year after averaging 20.2 points through 56 starts in his first run-around with the Suns. While still being a pest to the game's biggest stars on the defensive end, he was a consistent offensive threat, marking a career-high 43.5 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from beyond the arc, and 84.2 percent at the charity stripe through 54 starts.
Toronto Raptors Center Nate Bittle (Two-Way Player)
After going undrafted in 2026, seven-foot center Nate Bittle had to prove himself on an Exhibit 10 deal with the Toronto Raptors. During the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada, Bittle put together 9.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, and 2.3 assists in four games of action.
The Raptors converted the Central Point, Oregon, native to a two-way contract on Oct. 17 despite not participating in training camp or suiting up for any preseason games, as he was recovering from a foot fracture. The 23-year-old Bittle will begin his professional career with Toronto's G League affiliate, the Raptors 905.
Chris Boucher, N'Faly Dante Out of NBA?
Two other big men with Oregon ties, forward/center Chris Boucher and center N'Faly Dante, have found themselves looking for their next professional basketball destination outside of the NBA.
The Utah Jazz waived Boucher back on Feb. 5, right before the trade deadline, after Boston traded the 33-year-old veteran. He's currently an unrestricted free agent.
As for Dante, the Atlanta Hawks waived the 2024 Pac-12 Conference Tournament's Most Outstanding Player on the same day Boucher was. Just recently, Dante was cut by the New York Knicks on Sept. 30 after signing a non-guaranteed training camp deal and is now with their G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.
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