NBA players from Illinois
22 NBA players on file played college basketball at Illinois. 5 are on NBA rosters now, among them Ayo Dosunmu, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Kasparas Jakucionis. Eddie A. Johnson has played the most NBA seasons of them, 17. 13 were first-round picks, most recently Keaton Wagler in 2026. Rosters are on file in full from 1993-94; before that only some of the stars are.
NBA players born in Illinois →
On NBA rosters now (5)
| Player | Pos | Years | Seasons | Draft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayo DosunmuMIN | G | 2021–2026 | 5 | 2021, Rd 2, Pk 38 |
| Terrence Shannon Jr.MIN | G | 2024–2026 | 2 | 2024, Rd 1, Pk 27 |
| Kasparas JakucionisMIL | G | 2025–2026 | 1 | 2025, Rd 1, Pk 20 |
| Will RileyWSH | G | 2025–2026 | 1 | 2025, Rd 1, Pk 21 |
| Keaton WaglerLAC | G | No games yet | — | 2026, Rd 1, Pk 5 |
Former NBA players (17)
| Player | Pos | Years | Seasons | Draft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddie A. Johnson | G | 1981–1999 | 17 | — |
| Derek Harper | G | 1983–1999 | 16 | 1983, Rd 1, Pk 11 |
| Kendall Gill | SF | 1990–2005 | 15 | 1990, Rd 1, Pk 5 |
| Nick Anderson | F | 1989–2002 | 13 | 1989, Rd 1, Pk 11 |
| Deron Williams | PG | 2005–2017 | 12 | 2005, Rd 1, Pk 3 |
| Ken Norman | F | 1987–1997 | 10 | 1987, Rd 1, Pk 19 |
| Meyers Leonard | C | 2012–2023 | 10 | 2012, Rd 1, Pk 11 |
| Brian Cook | PF | 2003–2012 | 9 | 2003, Rd 1, Pk 24 |
| Luther Head | PG | 2005–2011 | 6 | 2005, Rd 1, Pk 24 |
| Marcus Liberty | F | 1990–1994 | 4 | 1990, Rd 2, Pk 42 |
| Frank Williams | PG | 2002–2005 | 3 | 2002, Rd 1, Pk 25 |
| Steve Bardo | G | 1991–1996 | 3 | 1990, Rd 2, Pk 41 |
| Dee Brown | PG | 2006–2009 | 2 | 2006, Rd 2, Pk 46 |
| James Augustine | PF | 2006–2008 | 2 | 2006, Rd 2, Pk 41 |
| Kiwane Garris | G | 1997–2000 | 2 | — |
| Robert Archibald | PF | 2002–2004 | 2 | 2002, Rd 2, Pk 32 |
| Roger Powell | SF | 2006–2007 | 1 | — |
College as ESPN lists it for each player; the draft line is ESPN’s too. Most seasons first.