Vols Gillespie and Okpara Taken in Second Round of the NBA Draft
(utsports.com) Senior guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team went No. 42 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, chosen in the second round Wednesday night by the San Antonio Spurs at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The 12th selection of the second round, on the second day of the draft, Gillespie was the ninth player picked from an SEC school.
Gillespie is the 59th player drafted out of Tennessee. He is the fourth choice by the San Antonio Spurs, following Kennedy Chandler (No. 38 in 2022), Jordan McRae (No. 58 in 2014) and Reggie Johnson (No. 15 in 1980).
A native of nearby Greeneville, Tenn., Gillespie is the fifth in-state player selected from Tennessee in the last eight years, following Jordan Bone (No. 57 in 2019), Keon Johnson (No. 21 in 2021), Kennedy Chandler (No. 38 in 2022) and Chaz Lanier (No. 37 in 2025).
Gillespie is the second Volunteer tabbed in the 2026 NBA Draft. Nate Ament went No. 13 overall Tuesday night to the Miami Heat, with his rights traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Head coach Rick Barnes, meanwhile, has now had 37 players drafted into the NBA. That includes 12 Volunteers, all in the last eight years (2019-26). This is the ninth time multiple Barnes pupils went in the same NBA Draft.
Following two campaigns at Belmont and one at Maryland, Gillespie spent his final year at Tennessee and turned in a historic year. He became the fifth Division I player, including the first from the SEC, to compile 200 assists, 100 made 3-pointers and 75 steals in a single season.
Gillespie averaged 18.4 points, 5.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game, leading the team in each of those categories, while adding 2.8 rebounds per outing.
Meanwhile, senior forward Felix Okpara of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team was picked No. 46 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. He was selected in the second round Wednesday night by the Orlando Magic at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., with his draft rights set to be traded to the Washington Wizards.
The No. 16 pick of the second round, on the second day of the draft, Okpara was the 10th player chosen from an SEC school.
Okpara is the 60th player selected out of Tennessee and is the first of that group chosen by the Orlando Magic. The Washington Wizards, meanwhile, took Doug Roth at No. 41 in 1989.
After beginning his career with two years at Ohio State, Okpara spent two seasons at Tennessee, appearing in 73 of 75 games and making 72 starts. He averaged 7.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game as a Volunteer, while posting a 59.3 field-goal percentage.
