James Ennis III

James Ennis
James Ennis
Born	James Alfred Ennis III; July 1, 1990 (age 36); Ventura, California, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2013–present
Known for	Professional basketball career in NBA and international leagues

James Alfred Ennis III (born July 1, 1990) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States currently competing for the Formosa Dreamers in the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL). He spent two seasons playing collegiate basketball at Long Beach State, where he was honored as the Big West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 2013. Ennis was drafted in the second round of the 2013 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks but began his pro career internationally in Australia, contributing to the Perth Wildcats' capture of the 2014 NBL championship.

Ennis debuted in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2014 with the Miami Heat and went on to play for multiple franchises throughout eight NBA seasons, including stints with the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver Nuggets. Since 2022, his professional journey has extended globally, featuring engagements in leagues across Israel, Russia, Puerto Rico, China, and Bahrain.

Early life

Originating from Ventura, California, Ennis was raised alongside five siblings in the Westview Village housing complex. His family relocated several times during his youth, resulting in attendance at three separate high schools during his freshman year before he ultimately graduated from Ventura High School in 2009.

College career

Ennis began his collegiate basketball career at Oxnard College during the 2009–10 season, where he earned first-team All-WSC recognition by averaging 19.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest. For his sophomore year, he returned closer to home at Ventura College, garnering first-team honors from both the California Community College Athletic Association and WSC after posting averages of 20.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Across two seasons competing at the junior college level, Ennis amassed 1,053 points and achieved double-digit scoring in 48 out of 52 games.

Advancing to Division I basketball for his junior year, Ennis joined the starting lineup at small forward for the Long Beach State 49ers. In the 2011–12 season, he earned honorable mention All-Big West Conference accolades while averaging 10.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 steals each game.

Following the exit of conference player of the year Casper Ware, Ennis assumed a leading role for Long Beach State during the 2012–13 campaign. He averaged 16.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while guiding the team to a regular-season championship in the Big West Conference. His performance earned him the title of Big West Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year as well as an honorable mention All-American selection by the Associated Press.

On April 5, 2013, Ennis led all scorers with 13 points in the Reese's College All-Star Game, helping secure an 87–81 victory for the East squad over their Western counterparts.

NBA draft

During the 2013 NBA draft on June 27, Ennis was chosen by the Atlanta Hawks as the 50th overall pick. However, his draft rights were traded immediately to the Miami Heat, with whom he participated in the subsequent Summer League. The Heat intended for him to join their NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, for the 2013–14 season; however, salary cap limitations prevented them from signing him to an NBA minimum contract valued at approximately $490,180. Given that D-League salaries were limited to about $25,000, Ennis opted to pursue opportunities abroad to provide better financial support for his family.

Perth Wildcats (2013–2014)

On August 10, 2013, Ennis committed to the Perth Wildcats for the 2013–14 NBL season in Australia. In his debut game, he tallied 25 points, four rebounds, and two assists, leading the Wildcats to an 83–80 victory over the Adelaide 36ers. This performance set a new record for the most points scored by a Wildcat in their first NBL appearance. Ennis was honored as Player of the Month for October after posting a league-high average of 24.0 points per contest. On November 30, he reached a season peak with 33 points in an 85–75 triumph against the Cairns Taipans.

The Wildcats opened their campaign with an eight-game winning streak and concluded the regular season with the best record in the league at 21–7. During the semi-final series versus the Wollongong Hawks, Ennis contributed 25 points in Game 1 and added 20 points in Game 2, playing a key role in Perth’s series sweep and progression to the NBL Grand Final. In the finals opener against the Adelaide 36ers, he led all scorers with 30 points to secure a 92–85 win. Although his output dipped to 14 points in Game 2 before fouling out, Perth decisively won Game 3 by a score of 93–59 to clinch the championship.

Ennis concluded the season ranked third in the NBL MVP voting and was selected to the All-NBL First Team. Additionally, he received the Wildcats' Club MVP award. Over the course of 33 games, he averaged 21.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per outing while shooting at a field goal percentage of 46.8%.

Piratas de Quebradillas (2014)

Following the conclusion of the NBL season, Ennis signed with Puerto Rico’s Piratas de Quebradillas competing in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. Across 12 appearances, he averaged 16.5 points along with 8.3 rebounds per game. He returned stateside in June 2014 to participate in multiple NBA team workouts.

Miami Heat (2014–2015)

On July 15, 2014, Ennis inked a multi-year deal with the Miami Heat. He delivered strong performances during the 2014 NBA Summer League, averaging 15.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.3 steals over six contests.

Ennis made his NBA debut on October 29, 2014, contributing five points and two rebounds in Miami’s season-opening victory against the Washington Wizards, highlighted by an electrifying three-point play dunk that energized fans. On December 21, he achieved a season-best output of 16 points and eight rebounds facing off with the Boston Celtics.

He matched this scoring high of 16 points on March 29, 2015 versus the Detroit Pistons before surpassing it with a career-best of 17 points and five rebounds on April 5 against the Indiana Pacers. In the final game of the season on April 15, starting due to resting teammates, Ennis posted a near triple-double with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists during a win over the Philadelphia 76ers. The Heat ended their campaign at 37–45 and did not qualify for postseason play. As a rookie, Ennis appeared in 62 games and averaged five points along with 2.8 rebounds across approximately 17 minutes per contest.

Heading into the following season (2015–16) with a guaranteed salary of $845,059, Ennis faced difficulties during the 2015 NBA Summer League, shooting only 29.7 percent from the field while committing more than twice as many turnovers as assists. Knee tendinitis contributed to these challenges; however, he dedicated his offseason to recovery and refining his shooting and ball-handling skills under assistant coach Keith Smart. Despite sustaining a dislocated finger during a preseason matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, Ennis secured his place on Miami’s roster for opening night of that season.

Memphis Grizzlies (2015–2016)

Ennis participated sparingly in three of the Miami Heat's initial seven games during the 2015–16 season before being traded on November 10, 2015. He, along with Mario Chalmers, was sent to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Jarnell Stokes and Beno Udrih. This transaction was primarily designed to lower the Heat's luxury tax obligation by approximately $6 million.

Upon joining Memphis, Ennis found it difficult to earn steady minutes due to a crowded wing rotation that included Jeff Green, Matt Barnes, Tony Allen, JaMychal Green, and Vince Carter. As a result, he spent the majority of the season playing for the Iowa Energy, the Grizzlies’ NBA Development League team. In his debut for Iowa on December 5, he tallied a season-high 32 points during a 116–93 victory over the Canton Charge. After appearing in only 10 games for Memphis, he was waived on March 2, 2016.

Iowa Energy (2016)

Ennis returned to the Iowa Energy on March 6, 2016, making an immediate impact by scoring 30 points and securing seven rebounds in a narrow 109–104 defeat against the Delaware 87ers. He achieved his first double-double of that season on March 16 with 24 points and 10 rebounds in a win over the Erie BayHawks. Two days later, he delivered season-best statistics with 30 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and three steals versus the Maine Red Claws. Between March 12 and March 26, Ennis played a key role in guiding Iowa to six straight victories, significantly enhancing their playoff prospects. However, a loss to the Sioux Falls Skyforce on March 29 ended both their winning streak and postseason aspirations. Across 24 games with Iowa that year, he averaged 18.8 points, six rebounds, 2.6 assists, and one steal while playing an average of 33.4 minutes per contest.

New Orleans Pelicans (2016)

On March 30, 2016, Ennis signed a 10-day deal with the New Orleans Pelicans under an NBA hardship exemption that allowed the team to expand its roster to 18 due to numerous injuries. He made his debut that evening, contributing 13 points, five rebounds, and four assists in 24 minutes off the bench during a 100–92 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. On April 6, Ennis earned his first starting role and scored 13 points in a 104–97 defeat against the Boston Celtics.

He secured a contract for the remainder of the season on April 9. That same day—his seventh game and third start—he posted 18 points along with six rebounds and three steals in a 121–100 loss to the Phoenix Suns. On April 11, Ennis set a career-high by scoring 29 points on efficient shooting (9-of-14) during a close 121–116 loss to the Chicago Bulls. In the final game of the season on April 13, he added another strong performance with 28 points in a lopsided 144–109 defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Return to Memphis (2016–2018)

Ennis re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies on July 13, 2016, agreeing to a two-year deal worth $6 million. In the season opener on October 26, he started and delivered 15 points along with six rebounds over 28 minutes in a narrow 102–98 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Four days later, Ennis scored eight points and matched his career-best with 12 rebounds during a thrilling overtime win (112–103) over the Washington Wizards. On November 2, he posted season-high marks of 16 points and ten rebounds in an 89–83 win versus his former team, the New Orleans Pelicans. Ennis started in thirteen of Memphis’s first fourteen contests before missing his initial game due to a calf injury sustained on November 23 against the Philadelphia 76ers. He ultimately missed fourteen games but returned on December 18 facing the Utah Jazz. Over that season’s span of sixty-four games played, Ennis averaged 6.7 points per outing while shooting an efficient 37.2% from beyond the arc. He also contributed four rebounds and averaged just under one steal per game across roughly twenty-three and a half minutes per appearance. Although he reached double-digit scoring sixteen times during that campaign, he did not surpass twenty points in any contest.

On November 29, 2017, Ennis recorded his highest scoring output of that season with fifteen points during a 104–95 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

Detroit Pistons (2018)

On February 8, 2018, the Grizzlies sent Ennis to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Brice Johnson and a second-round draft pick in 2022. Ennis made his first appearance for the Pistons three days later, contributing 14 points in a narrow 118–115 defeat against the Atlanta Hawks. He recorded a season-best 21 points on March 2 during a 115–106 overtime loss to the Orlando Magic.

Houston Rockets (2018–2019)

Ennis inked a two-year contract worth $3.4 million with the Houston Rockets on July 13, 2018, which included a player option for the second year valued at $1.8 million. In October, he was sidelined for three games due to a strain in his right hamstring. On November 15, Ennis achieved a season-high of 19 points facing the Golden State Warriors. Although he started in 22 games early on, he shifted to a bench role on December 11 against the Portland Trail Blazers, but exited with another right hamstring strain that sidelined him for ten subsequent games.

Philadelphia 76ers (2019–2020)

On February 7, 2019, Ennis was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers while Houston acquired the option to swap second-round picks in 2021. He became an integral part of Philadelphia’s rotation throughout both the regular season and postseason. Notably, in Game 2 of the second-round matchup versus the Toronto Raptors, Ennis contributed 13 points in a 94–89 win. At the conclusion of that season, he opted not to exercise his player option for 2019–20.

Ennis returned to the 76ers on July 12, 2019, signing a two-year contract worth $4.1 million that included a player option for the second year. On November 29, 2019, he tallied 20 points—18 of which came in the second half—helping secure a 101–95 victory over the New York Knicks, showcasing efficient shooting from beyond the arc and from free throws across 22 minutes.

Orlando Magic (2020–2021)

Ennis was traded to the Orlando Magic on February 6, 2020, in exchange for a second-round pick in that year’s draft. His arrival coincided with an offensive upswing and an eight-win, four-loss stretch before the NBA suspended play due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He maintained a starting position during both the NBA restart and postseason.

On November 25, 2020, Ennis re-signed with Orlando. However, he missed the first seven games of the 2020–21 Orlando Magic season because of a right hamstring injury. On February 11, 2021, he posted a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds despite a loss to the Golden State Warriors. Later in the season, left calf soreness caused him to miss multiple contests; nevertheless, he returned on March 21 and scored a season-high 18 points off the bench. On April 14, Ennis surpassed that mark by scoring 22 points in a victory over the Chicago Bulls. Due to his calf injury, he participated in only two of Orlando’s final sixteen games.

Brooklyn Nets (2021)

Ennis signed a short-term deal with the Brooklyn Nets on December 18, 2021—a ten-day contract—and appeared in two games during that period.

Los Angeles Clippers (2021–2022)

On December 29, 2021, Ennis agreed to another ten-day contract, this time with the Los Angeles Clippers, appearing in two contests before its expiration.

Denver Nuggets (2022)

On January 10, 2022, Ennis secured a 10-day contract with the Denver Nuggets, participating in three contests during that period.

Hapoel Haifa (2022)

Ennis became a member of Hapoel Haifa competing in the Israeli Basketball Premier League on March 7, 2022.

BC Samara (2022–2023)

On August 22, 2022, Ennis inked a deal with BC Samara of the VTB United League. Throughout the 2022–23 campaign, he played in 30 games and posted averages of 14.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per outing.

Grises de Humacao (2023)

In May 2023, Ennis joined Grises de Humacao in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, where he averaged 17.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals over the course of 12 games.

Shijiazhuang Xianglan and Al-Ahli Manama (2023–2024)

During July 2023, Ennis signed with Shijiazhuang Xianglan of China’s National Basketball League, delivering averages of 30.88 points, 9.94 rebounds, and 4.88 assists across 17 matches. For the 2023–24 season, he transferred to Al-Ahli Manama competing in the Bahraini Premier League, where he propelled the squad to the Khalifa Bin Salman Cup final, highlighted by an impressive semi-final performance featuring 30 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and two steals.

Ennis returned to Xianglan for the following season in 2024, recording averages of 15.86 points, 5.86 rebounds, and 2.59 assists over 22 games.

Kagoshima Rebnise (2025)

On January 24, 2025, Ennis committed to Kagoshima Rebnise in Japan’s B.League for the remainder of the 2024–25 season.

Formosa Dreamers (2025–present)

Ennis signed with the Formosa Dreamers of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL) on July 30, 2025.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Miami | 62 || 3 || 17.0 || .409 || .326 || .840 || 2.8 || .8 || .4 || .3 || 5.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Miami | 3 || 0 || 2.3 || .000 || .000 || .000 || .0 || .3 || .0 || .0 || .0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Memphis | 10 || 0 || 4.0 || .308 || .250 || .600 || .7 || .2 || .4 || .2 || 1.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New Orleans | 9 || 5 || 31.3 || .500 || .480 || .792 || 3.9 || 2.0 || 1.3 || .3 || 15.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Memphis | 64 || 28 || 23.5 || .455 || .372 || .782 || 4.0 || 1.0 || .7 || .3 || 6.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Memphis | 45 || 14 || 23.4 || .486 || .357 || .877 || 3.5 || 1.1 || .7 || .3 || 6.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Detroit | 27 || 8 || 20.4 || .457 || .304|| .767||2.5||.8||.6||.2||7.5 |- | style="text-align:left;" | | style="text-align:left;" |Houston

|40||25||23.7||.493||.367||.724||2.9||.7||1.0||.4||7.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |
|style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia
|18||2||15.6||.410||.306||.696||3.6||.8||.2||.4||5.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |
|style="text-align:left;" |Philadelphia
|49||0||15.8||.442||.349||.787||3.1||.8||.5||.3||5.8
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |
|style="text-align:left;" |Orlando
|20||18||24.5||.451||.286||.838|||4.8|||1.1|||0.6|||0.4|||8.5
|- 
|- class="sortbottom"
|style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career
|395|||140|||20.3|||457|||360|||797|||33|||09|||06|||03|||67

Playoff Performance

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2017 | style="text-align:left;"| Memphis | 6 || 4 || 26.5 || .421 || .316 || .857 || 4.2 || 1.2 || .8 || .3 || 8.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2019 | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 11 || 0 || 21.1 || .484|| .281 || .632 || 3.8 || 1.1 || .4 || .3 || 7.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2020 | style="text-align:left;"| Orlando | 5 || 5 || 23.8 || .343 || .250 || .778 || 5.8 || 1.2 || 1.0 || .4 || 7.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Overall Playoff Career | 22 || 9 || 23.2 || .431 || .284 || .738 || 4.4 || 1.1 || .6 || .3 || 7.6

External links