The NBA tipped off this week, and several former Austin Spurs alums started the season with their NBA teams.
While the San Antonio Spurs have several players, most notably Danny Green, who made their way to the league from the G-League, they open the season with players like Bryn Forbes and Davis Bertans who spent time in Austin last season.
But here are a few Austin alums in new NBA cities.
Jonathon Simmons
Simmons’ journey to the NBA is a well-told story. After landing in Austin after participating, and paying for, an open workout, he became a mainstay in Austin and ultimately landed himself in San Antonio, where he played a major role in the Spurs’ playoff run in 2017.
Simmons is now with the Orlando Magic on a three-year contract. He showed some flashes of what made him a fan favorite in San Antonio in a preseason game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Cory Joseph
Former Spur Cory Joseph, who spent time with Austin while he was a young player in San Antonio, begins this season with his third NBA club, the Indiana Pacers.
Joseph averaged career highs with the Raptors last season, and he’ll be battling for minutes with Darren Collison for the new-look Pacers.
JaMychal Green
Green will always be the one that got away for people that followed him in Austin. He had major upside and he looked like he would be a natural fit for the Spurs, but he was scooped up by the Memphis Grizzlies.
There was some question about where he would land after the mass exodus from Memphis this offseason, but he recently re-upped on a three-year extension.
Most NBA betting sites have the Grizzlies’ chances taking a major hit this season, but bringing Green back along with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol should provide some much-needed stability the team can build on for the future.