Opening Night for the 2023-24 NBA season kicks off tonight with three Wichita State men's basketball alumni on rosters.
Fred VanVleet (Houston Rockets), Landry Shamet (Washington Wizards) and
Craig Porter Jr. (Cleveland Cavaliers) all find themselves on new squads this season.
VanVleet enters his eighth season in the league and first with the Rockets. The Rockford, Ill., native signed a three-year, $130 million max deal this summer - the first undrafted NBA player in history to sign a $100 million deal. A 2022 All-Star, VanVleet is coming off a season where he averaged 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.8 assists per game. He spent seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors where he helped win an NBA title in 2019.
Shamet begins his sixth season with his fifth different NBA organization. The shooting guard begins the season on the injured list, suffering a broken toe during training camp. Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2018, Shamet has been a sharpshooter with some of the NBA's top players during his career. He's had stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns before landing in the nation's capital this summer via trade. Shamet's career averages include 8.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists on 37.7 percent shooting from three-point range.
Another Wichita State undrafted rookie will look to make waves in the pros. Porter Jr. begins his rookie campaign on a two-way contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He burst onto the scene this summer, helping the Cavs win the NBA Summer League title. The Terre Haute, Ind., native is coming off a senior campaign for the Shockers where he led the team in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks and ranked second in scoring. Porter was a Third Team All-Conference selection in 2022-23 and became just the second Shocker to record a triple-double in the last 50 years.
The Rockets, Wizards and Cavaliers play their first games of the season Wednesday night.
NBA Shockers
Fred VanVleet -- Houston Rockets
Landry Shamet -- Washington Wizards
Craig Porter Jr. -- Cleveland Cavaliers
