5 Terps on NBA Rosters as Season Tips Off
Former Maryland Standouts Take the Court for 4 Teams
From left, Terps Kevin Huerter, Jalen Smith, Aaron Wiggins, Alex Len and Bruno Fernando took the court as the NBA season opened this week.
Wiggins photo by AP Photo/Eric Gay; Smith photo by AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast; Huerter, Len and Fernando photos by Getty Images; background photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics; collage by Stephanie S. Cordle
While the Maryland men’s basketball schedule doesn’t tip off until Nov. 4, UMD fans can cheer on five Terps this week with the start of a new NBA season.
The former Maryland stars span four teams across the league, which opened its 2024-25 schedule on Tuesday. Meet them as they shoot for success this season:
Bruno Fernando | Toronto Raptors
Fernando, now in his sixth season in the league, averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 45 games with the Atlanta Hawks last year before joining the Raptors in the offseason. During his two seasons at UMD (2017-19), he was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman, Defensive and First teams, and he earned honorable mention All-American recognition.
Kevin Huerter | Sacramento Kings
After four seasons with the Hawks, Huerter enters his third as a King. Last season, he averaged 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists a game, shooting 44.3% from the field and 36.1% from the three-point line in 64 games, including 59 starts. From 2016-18 at Maryland, he earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and Academic accolades.
Alex Len | Sacramento Kings
Len, suiting up alongside Huerter on the Kings, completed his 11th NBA season last year, averaging 2.5 points and 2.7 rebounds in 48 games, with a career-high 61.7 field-goal percentage. The Ukraine native starred defensively during his two seasons as a Terp (2011-13), garnering All-ACC honors.
Jalen Smith | Chicago Bulls
Smith signed with the Bulls as a free agent this summer after playing for the Indiana Pacers last season, his fourth in the NBA. He posted 9.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting a career-high 42.4% from the three-point line and 59.2% from the field in 61 games. Affectionately known by Terp fans as “Stix,” he was named a third team All-American and an All-Big Ten First Team and Defensive Team member while at Maryland (2018-20).
Aaron Wiggins | Oklahoma City Thunder
Wiggins in July signed a five-year, $47 million contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder after playing a career-high 78 games for the team in his third NBA season; he averaged 6.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game. He also played in all 10 of Oklahoma City’s playoff games, notching 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. As a Terp (2018-21), he earned All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition and was named the conference’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2020.
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