He's off to Detroit! Thankfully, it didn't take long for Tennessee basketball standout Chaz Lanier to hear his name called on the second night of the NBA Draft. Early on in the second round, Lanier found out that he's off to suit up for the Pistons at the next level.
That's right, with the No. 37 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons selected Lanier to come in and keep playing at a high level. Lanier only spent one season in Knoxville, but he was a brilliant shooter who helped the Vols reach the Elite Eight.
This is also special for him and Tennessee, as Lanier will be joining forces with another former Vols superstar in Tobias Harris. Just like Lanier, Harris only spent one season in Knoxville before making the move to the NBA. Moving forward, Tennessee fans will surely be keeping an eye on the Pistons:
Chaz Lanier is headed to Detroit.
— Emilie Rae Cochrane (@EmCochranetv) June 27, 2025
He was selected No. 37 overall, and becomes the ninth #Vol to be drafted in the Rick Barnes era.
Lanier will join #VFL Tobias Harris on the #Pistons. pic.twitter.com/NdHi4m13aE
Chaz Lanier will be joining former Tennessee star Tobias Harris with the Detroit Pistons
Back during the 2010-11 season, Harris was so much fun to watch with Tennessee, but he declared for the draft and was taken in the first round at No. 19 overall by Charlotte, but he was then ultimately traded to the Bucks.
Since then, he has suited up for the Magic, Pistons, Clippers, 76ers and then once again Detroit. With him knowing what it takes to go from Knoxville to the league, it will be nice for the veteran forward to take Lanier under his wing a bit.
Again, Lanier didn't spend much time with the Tennessee Vols and Rick Barnes, but he became a fan favorite this past season. He was a sharpshooter and he easily had one of the quickest releases in all of college basketball. It was a big reason why so many scouts were impressed with his game.
Last campaign for the Vols, Lanier took home All-SEC honors after averaging 18 points per game and shooting nearly 40 percent from beyond the 3-point line. It's a shame he won't be in a Vols jersey next campaign, but he'll be ready to make an early impact with Detroit in Year 1. Vols Nation sure is wishing the best for him.