Terrance Ferguson

Terrance Ferguson
Born	(1998-05-17) May 17, 1998 Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Years active	2016–present

Terrance Eugene Ferguson Jr. (born May 17, 1998) is an American professional basketball athlete who most recently played for Bashkimi Prizren. He graduated from Advanced Preparatory International in Dallas, Texas, where he was ranked among the top 20 prospects in the Class of 2016. Ferguson initially committed to both Alabama and Arizona programs but chose to bypass college basketball, instead competing internationally during the 2016–17 season.

Ferguson is a three-time gold medal winner with Team USA and participated in the McDonald's All-American Game, where he also received MVP recognition at the Nike Hoop Summit. He was the 21st overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ferguson spent three seasons with Oklahoma City before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in December 2020.

High school career

Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ferguson relocated to Dallas, Texas and attended Prime Prep Academy, where he played under coach Ray Forsett. As a freshman during the 2012–13 season, he averaged 10 points per game and contributed to the team’s impressive 38–2 record, capturing the 2013 NACA Division I Tournament championship and reaching the semifinals of the National High School Invitational. His performance earned him both NACA All-Tournament Team selection and MVP honors.

In January 2015, Prime Prep Academy shut down due to financial difficulties. Subsequently, Advanced Preparatory International was established in September as its successor. Coach Forsett, along with four players including Ferguson, transferred to Advanced Prep for the 2015–16 season.

Heading into his senior year, Ferguson was ranked No. 11 nationally in ESPN’s Class of 2016. During his final high school season at Advanced Prep, he averaged 17.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, which led to his selection for the McDonald's All-American Game. Starting for the East team, he scored 10 points in a narrow 114–107 defeat.

On April 9, 2016, Ferguson delivered a standout performance at the Moda Center, scoring 21 points exclusively on seven three-pointers to guide the USA Junior National Select Team to a commanding 101–67 victory over the World Select Team. His seven three-pointers set a new Nike Hoop Summit record and earned him MVP honors. Prior to this event, he had maintained an undefeated record of 19–0 with Team USA, extending it to 20–0 following this win. Later that month, on April 30, Ferguson claimed victory in the dunk contest at the Ballislife All-American Game with a remarkable free throw line dunk.

Recruitment

In January 2015, Rick Pitino, head coach of the University of Louisville, initiated an intense recruitment effort for Ferguson. Additional programs expressing interest included Kansas, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Arizona, North Carolina, Wichita State, Iowa State, UCLA, Wake Forest, Arkansas, and Maryland.

Ferguson initially committed to the University of Alabama in August 2015 for the 2016–17 season but did not finalize a letter of intent. Following the conclusion of the early signing period in November without a signed agreement, renewed interest from other schools prompted him to withdraw his commitment to Alabama on March 1, 2016. Subsequently, during the spring signing period on April 13, he pledged to join Arizona, yet again refrained from signing a letter of intent, instead agreeing to non-binding financial aid documentation.

By early June, Ferguson decided to forgo collegiate play entirely and pursue professional opportunities abroad for the 2016–17 season. Australia emerged as the most probable destination, with reports indicating that the Adelaide 36ers were nearing contract finalization. Before the month ended, he communicated his decision to Arizona coach Sean Miller, confirming his intention to bypass college and turn professional.

Adelaide 36ers (2016–2017)

On July 1, 2016, Ferguson officially signed with the Adelaide 36ers for the 2016–17 NBL season. He made his debut on October 7, contributing 10 points in 17½ minutes off the bench during a 122–88 defeat against the Illawarra Hawks. A week later, he posted 13 points in a 98–87 loss versus Melbourne United. On October 24, Ferguson received a one-game suspension after accepting an early guilty plea for an altercation that occurred during an October 21 game against the Cairns Taipans. On January 19, 2017, he equaled his season-best scoring output with 13 points in a commanding 101–68 victory over the Brisbane Bullets.

The 36ers concluded the regular season atop the standings with a 17–11 record but were ousted in the semi-finals by the fourth-seeded Illawarra Hawks, losing the best-of-three series two games to one. Ferguson appeared in 30 out of 31 contests, averaging 4.6 points and 1.2 rebounds across 15.2 minutes per game. After completing the season, he returned stateside to prepare for the 2017 NBA draft.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2017–2020)

Ferguson was selected by his hometown franchise, the Oklahoma City Thunder, with the 21st overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft held on June 22, 2017. He signed a four-year rookie-scale contract valued at $10.3 million with the Thunder on July 29, 2017. On November 14 of that year, he was briefly assigned to their NBA G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, before being recalled just one day later. Ferguson recorded a career-high of 24 points during his first NBA start on January 3, 2018, contributing to a decisive 133–96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Thunder exercised their $2.5 million team option on October 29, 2018, securing Ferguson for the 2019–20 campaign. Later, on October 18, 2019, they picked up his $3.9 million team option for the subsequent 2020–21 season.

Philadelphia 76ers (2020–2021)

On December 8, 2020, Ferguson was included in a trade to the Philadelphia 76ers alongside Danny Green and Vincent Poirier, with the exchange involving Al Horford, the draft rights to Théo Maledon and Vasilije Micić, plus a protected first-round pick for 2025.

Ferguson was traded again on March 25, 2021, this time to the New York Knicks as part of a three-team transaction that also involved the Oklahoma City Thunder. Four days following the trade, he was waived by the Knicks.

Lavrio (2021–2022)

Ferguson signed with his inaugural European team, Lavrio, competing in both the Greek Basket League and the Basketball Champions League, on December 14, 2021. Prior to this signing, he had engaged in initial discussions with other Greek clubs such as AEK Athens and Ionikos Nikaias. His tenure with Lavrio was brief; by January 10, 2022, he departed to return to the United States and secured an NBA G League contract. During his stint in the Greek Basket League, across three games, Ferguson averaged 2 points and 1 rebound per game, shooting 25% overall and 20% from beyond the arc.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2022)

On January 11, 2022, Ferguson joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers through waiver acquisition. He was released on January 24 but re-signed with the team on February 3.

GTK Gliwice (2022–2023)

Ferguson inked a deal with GTK Gliwice of the Polish Basketball League (PLK) on August 27, 2022.

Cape Town Tigers (2023–2024)

In September 2023, Ferguson was announced as a new addition to South Africa’s Cape Town Tigers. He made his debut on November 21, 2023, contributing 11 points in a 76–61 victory over Dynamo during the Road to BAL qualifiers.

Bashkimi (2024)

February 2024 saw Ferguson sign with Kosovan outfit Bashkimi, competing in the Kosovo Superleague. His tenure concluded after a single league appearance in March 2024.

National team career

Ferguson represented the USA Basketball Men's U16 National Team at the 2013 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship held in Maldonado, Uruguay, where they achieved a perfect 5–0 record to claim gold. He posted averages of 5.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game during the tournament. The following year, he played a role in Team USA’s undefeated gold medal run at the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Dubai, averaging 9.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists over seven contests.

In July of 2015, Ferguson earned his third straight gold medal as part of Team USA’s flawless 7–0 performance at the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Championship in Heraklion, Greece. Throughout that championship, he averaged 6.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and one assist per game.

Personal life

Ferguson is the son of Rachelle Holdman and has two siblings: a brother named Brandon and a sister named Brittnay.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma City | 61 || 12 || 12.5 || .414 || .333 || .900 || .8 || .3 || .4 || .2 || 3.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma City | 74 || 74 || 26.1 || .429 || .366 || .725 || 1.9 || 1.0 || .5 || .2 || 6.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma City | 56 || 38 || 22.4 || .355 || .292 || .750 || 1.3 || .9 || .5 || .3 || 3.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"|Philadelphia | 13 || 0 || 3.8 || .143 || .000 || – || .1 || .2 || .1 || .0 || .2 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 204 || 124 || 19.6 || .404 || .334 || .753 || 1.3 || .7 || .5 || .2 || 4.5

Playoff Performance

|- | style="text-align:left;"|2018 | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma City | 3 || 0 || 2.0 || 1.000 || 1.000 || || .3 || .3 || .0 || .0 || 1.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2019 | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma City | 5 || 5 || 25.6 || .360 || .389 || || 2.4 || 1.2 || 0.4 || .0 || 5.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|2020 | style="text-align:left;"|Oklahoma City | 4 || 1 || 10.5 || .182 || .200 || || 1.0 || .3 || .3 || .0 || 1.5 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Overall | 12 || 6 || 14.7 || .324 || .345|| || 1.4|| .7|| .3|| .0|| 2.8

National Basketball League (NBL)

|- | style="text-align:left;"|2016–17 | style="text-align:left;"|Adelaide | 30 || 17 || 15.2 || .381 || .313 || .600 || 1.1 || .6 || .2 || .3 || 4.6 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career Totals | 30 || 17 || 15.2 || .381 || .313 || .600 || 1.1 || .6 || .2 || .3 || 4.6

External links

• Official website of Terrance Ferguson
• Terrance Ferguson profile at usab.com
• Player profile on fiba.com
• "Australia Emerges as the New Front in College Recruiting" – nytimes.com