Kennedy Chandler
Kennedy Chandler | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 16, 2002 |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Known for | Playing for Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League; collegiate basketball at Tennessee Volunteers |
Kennedy Collier Chandler (born September 16, 2002) is a professional American basketball athlete currently playing for the Delaware Blue Coats in the NBA G League. He competed at the collegiate level with the Tennessee Volunteers. Recognized as a consensus five-star recruit and one of the premier point guard prospects in the 2021 recruiting class, Chandler earned selections to the McDonald's All-American, Jordan Brand Classic, and Nike Hoop Summit during his final year of high school.
During his tenure at Tennessee, Chandler received second-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) honors as well as a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team. In the 2022 NBA draft, he was chosen 38th overall by the San Antonio Spurs before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
High school career
Chandler started playing varsity basketball at Briarcrest Christian School in Eads, Tennessee while still in eighth grade. As a freshman, he contributed off the bench to help his team reach the Division II-AA semifinals. In his sophomore season, he averaged 19.5 points, four rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, leading Briarcrest to capture the DII-AA state championship and earning tournament MVP recognition. He was honored as DII-AA Tennessee Mr. Basketball and secured a Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Peach Jam title with Mokan Elite.
In his junior year, Chandler posted averages of 22.2 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.6 steals per contest, steering his squad to a state runner-up finish and claiming his second straight Tennessee Mr. Basketball accolade. For his senior season, he transferred to Sunrise Christian Academy located in Bel Aire, Kansas to enhance his preparation for collegiate play. There, he averaged 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.3 steals per game while helping lead the team to a 21–4 record and earning invitations to participate in the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic, and Nike Hoop Summit.
Recruiting
Early in his high school career, Chandler attracted scholarship offers from Florida, Arizona State, and Ole Miss. He rose to five-star recruit status before entering his junior year. On August 14, 2020, Chandler committed to play college basketball at Tennessee over competing offers from Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Memphis.
College career
In his first collegiate game, Chandler scored 20 points and dished out four assists during a 90–62 victory over UT Martin. On December 4, 2021, he tallied 28 points in a 69–54 win against Colorado. Over the season, he averaged 13.9 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.2 steals per game while earning Second Team All-SEC honors along with a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team. On April 5, 2022, Chandler declared for the 2022 NBA draft, foregoing any remaining college eligibility and was projected as a potential top twenty selection.
Memphis Grizzlies (2022–2023)
Selected with the 38th pick in the second round of the 2022 NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs, Chandler was promptly traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for a future second-round selection in 2024. On July 6, he inked a four-year rookie contract worth $7.1 million with Memphis that included $4.9 million guaranteed—the largest guaranteed amount ever awarded to an American-born second-round draftee. During the 2022 NBA Summer League, Chandler debuted impressively by recording eight points, four rebounds, four assists, four steals, and three blocks in a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. He made his official NBA debut on October 22 with two assists and two blocks recorded in a loss against the Dallas Mavericks. On April 8, 2023, Chandler was waived by the Grizzlies.
Long Island Nets (2023–2024)
On October 19, 2023, Chandler secured a contract with the Brooklyn Nets, but was released just two days afterward. Subsequently, he became a member of the Long Island Nets on October 28, where he continued to advance his career within the NBA G League.
Raptors 905 (2024–2025)
Chandler signed with the Toronto Raptors on September 25, 2024, only to be waived later that same day. He then joined Raptors 905 on October 28, 2024, continuing his professional journey.
National team career
Representing the United States, Chandler competed at the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup held in Latvia. He averaged 7.7 points and 3.4 assists per game, playing a key role in securing the gold medal for his team.
NBA
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Memphis | 36 || 0 || 7.8 || .422 || .133 || .462 || 1.1 || 1.6 || .3 || .1 || 2.2 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 36 || 0 || 7.8 || .422 || .133 || .462 || 1.1 || 1.6 || .3 || .1 || 2.2
College
|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22 | style="text-align:left;"| Tennessee | 34 || 34 || 30.8 || .464 || .383 || .606 || 3.2 || 4.7 || 2.2 || .2 || 13.9