Former Tennessee basketball standout Kennedy Chandler hasn't had the best run in the NBA since his short time in Knoxville, but he's looking to change that with his newest Summer League opportunity.
The San Antonio Spurs drafted Chandler with the 38th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, but the draft rights belonged to the Memphis Grizzlies. He played one season with the Grizzles, averaging 2.2 points and 1.6 assists while shooting 42.2% from the field.
It wasn't the breakout Vols and Grizzlies fans were hoping for, so it quickly ended his opportunities in the NBA. He's been playing in the NBA G-League since the end of the 2023 season with the Long Island Nets and Toronto Raptors 905 G-League team.
Chandler played 33 games with the G-League Nets, averaging 14.4 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 48.1% from the field. This past season, he averaged 10.3 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 45.5% this past season with the G-League Raptors.
He made his Summer League debut with the Houston Rockets on Friday night and made the most of his opportunity, scoring 22 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
KC in his Rockets Summer League debut:
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) July 12, 2025
22 PTS / 5 REB / 3 AST / 22 MINpic.twitter.com/3bWLLvNOfd
Chandler will meet a couple of other former Vols in the Rockets' Sunday night matchup against the Detroit Pistons, who have Zakai Zeigler and Chaz Lanier on their Summer League roster.
Chandler will have up to three more opportunities to showcase his abilities to potentially interested NBA teams. After the Rockets' Sunday night game against the Detroit Pistons, they will also face the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night and the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night to wrap up Summer League play.