The NBA landscape remains dotted with former Florida basketball players.
Even with Nick Calathes opting to leave the Memphis Grizzlies and return overseas, 10 former Gators will begin the season on NBA rosters. And those players will make a combined $79.7 million in 2015-16.
Here’s a breakdown of the Gators in the NBA and their salaries (source, basketball reference):
David Lee, Boston Celtics, F-C — $15.495 million
Chandler Parsons, Dallas Mavericks, G-F, $15.3 million
Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls, C, $13.4 million
Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks, C, $12 million
Corey Brewer, Houston Rockets, F, $8.2 million
Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards, G, $5.7 million
Marreese Speights, Golden State Warriors, C, $3.8 million
Udonis Haslem, Miami Heat, F, $2.8 million
Matt Bonner, San Antonio Spurs, F, $1.5 million
Mike Miller, Denver Nuggets, F, $1.5 million
Other notes:
– Former Gator standout point guard Scottie Wilbekin appeared close to replacing Calathes at the 11th Gator on an NBA roster, but was a
late cut by the Philadelphia 76ers. Wilbekin, a Gainesville native and former SEC player of the year, could return overseas or could wait it out and see if he gets picks up by the Sixers when Joel Embiid’s injury exception kicks in the next few weeks. Or he could return overseas. Former Gator center Chris Walker (Houston Rockets) and former UF guard Michael Frazier II (Los Angeles Lakers) also were cut from NBA training camp rosters.
– Florida lost two more members of its basketball family last week. Reggie Hannah, a star 6-foot-10 forward who played three seasons at Florida (1978-81) before transferring to South Alabama, died in his native Titusville at 56. Jeff Ramsey, a guard on UF’s 1965 team that went 21-4, died last week in Ashburn, Va. Earlier this month, former Gator standout center Neal Walk succumbed to a blood disease at 67.
