With the preseason approaching, we thought it would be a good time to check in and see where all of our favorite former Syracuse Orange basketball players ended up in the NBA. Chari Bayanker wrote up this piece to get us up to speed...
Carmelo Anthony - He’s had an up-and-down start since joining the New York Knicks. There’s legitimate concern about how he and Amare Stoudmire fit and play together. Still, he’s a perennial All-Star, MVP candidate, and most accomplished former SU player in the league today. He'll be back in the Dome October 22nd for an exhibition game.
Dion Waiters - Every Syracuse fan saw his talent blossom last season. He’s a perfect fit for the NBA style of play. With the Cleveland Cavaliers he gets to work alongside budding star Kyrie Irving and play for a team that is desperate for points. It’ll be excited to watch Waiters develop this year.
Fab Melo - He’s in a good situation with the Boston Celtics. He has to sit behind Kevin Garnett and Jason Collins but that’s not a bad thing. He’s still an extremely raw basketball player and should be brought along slowly. Most likely he’ll get minutes at first with the NBDL’s Maine Red Claws before he shows enough to get meaningful time in the NBA.
Kris Joseph - He’s sitting behind Paul Pierce and Jeff Green with the Celtics. That’s not a bad place to be. Celtics GM Danny Ainge felt comfortable drafting him in the second-round so he should get time this year. Pierce is 34 years old so it’s possible he misses time with injury and Joseph gets more minutes.
Jonny Flynn - He’s a free agent after being with the Portland Trailblazers for a portion of last season. If you recall he was traded with Hasheem Thabeet and a future second-round pick for Marcus Camby.
It should be noted he’s a client of agent Rich Paul, who recently broke away from group CAA and took LeBron James, Tristan Thompson, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist with him. He’ll eventually get signed when a GM decides he needs some low-risk depth at point guard.
Donte Greene - Greene played in 54 games for the Sacramento Kings last season with only seven starts. He was set to sign a short deal with the Brooklyn Nets before an ankle injury in a workout put that on hold. The Nets decided on Josh Childress instead. Greene’s future is unclear as this point. Hope he has a speedy recovery.
Andy Rautins - Rautins was signed to the training camp roster of the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s an uphill battle for him to make the final team. Almost all of their roster spots are accounted for. It’s more likely Rautins heads back to Europe instead of sticking on an NBA roster.
Wes Johnson - He was in a tough spot in Minnesota but was given a lifeline this summer after a trade sent him to the Phoenix Suns in a deal that sent Hakim Warrick from Phoenix to New Orleans. Johnson should find lots of playing time this year. As of now he’s battling with Jared Dudley for minutes at shooting guard and small forward. He should thrive in Phoenix’s up-tempo offense and score points this season.
Etan Thomas - He’s out of the league now (and throwing down on HuffPo) but I feel compelled to mention that according to Basketball Reference, Thomas made $44,671,228 in his career. I hope the Good Doctor has him on speed dial.