With the 2025 NBA Summer League coming to an end, players around the league have found new teams to call home. Daily Bruin Sports takes a look at where former Bruin basketball players have landed after the NBA free agency frenzy has ended.
Russell Westbrook
Former team: Denver Nuggets
Next stop: To be decided
Of all the former Bruins in the NBA, Russell Westbrook may the strangest name to see without a professional contract. The 2016-2017 Most Valuable Player spent this past season with the Denver Nuggets, averaging 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. He played an integral role in the Nuggets’ backcourt, helping take the eventual NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, to the seventh game of the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. The 36-year-old is entering his 18th season in the NBA and, despite his age, could still be the keystone for a title-contending team. While his shooting may be slightly inefficient – only shooting 45% from the field or better once in the last five seasons – he provides a wealth of experience and leadership, contributing to all facets of the game. Although Westbrook is currently unsigned, I expect him to join a contender that has the scoring pieces to supplement his downhill game.
Lonzo Ball
Former team: Chicago Bulls
Next stop: Cleveland Cavaliers
Lonzo Ball looked like the future of the NBA coming out of UCLA. And he was treated as such, taken second overall in the 2017 Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in a haul for Anthony Davis, Ball proved exactly why he was a premier selection, averaging a career-high 14.6 points per game in his second season in New Orleans. However, after signing a four-year, $85 million deal with the Chicago Bulls, Ball got the injury bug. He missed two consecutive seasons because of persistent left knee injuries and only played in 35 games last year, averaging a career-low 7.6 points per game. After battling injuries for three straight seasons, he was traded to the Cavs on July 6, where he looks set to be the backup point guard for the last year’s Eastern Conference No. 1 seed.
Jrue Holiday
Former team: Boston Celtics
Next stop: Portland Trailblazers
Jrue Holiday has constructed a potential Hall of Fame career with his steady scoring, playmaking ability and production as one of the best defenders of all time. His skill set was crucial to two NBA championship teams in the Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks. After leading the Celtics’ backcourt for the last two seasons, averaging 12.5 and 11.1 points per game, respectively, he was traded to the Portland Trailblazers in the Celtics’ attempt to remain below the league’s second apron. While the 35-year-old is in the latter years of his career, he remains one of the league’s best primary defenders. While the Blazers aren’t poised to make a push for next season’s NBA championship, Holiday will look to play a vital role, bringing veteran experience and leadership to a young roster.
Norman Powell
Former team: Los Angeles Clippers
Next stop: Miami Heat
Norman Powell is like a fine wine. He has aged well and has only improved with time. After falling to average double-digit points per game in his four seasons in the league, he has averaged 16 or more points per contest in all but one year after the Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA championship. Powell has spent the last four years as an elite scorer for the Clippers, averaging a career-best 21.8 points per contest this past season. This summer, Powell was part of a three-team trade that sent him to the Heat, where he will join guard Tyler Herro and center Bam Adebayo as part of Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s new big three. While the Heat were swept in the first round of the 2025 playoffs, adding Powell gives them another legitimate high-level scorer in a weak Eastern Conference.
Kevin Love
Former team: Miami Heat
Next stop: Utah Jazz
Arguably one of the most iconic Bruin basketball players of all time, Kevin Love has never failed to replicate his collegiate success in the pros. Entering his 18th season in the NBA, Love brings a resume overflowing with wisdom and experience. The former fifth overall pick and 2016 NBA champion averaged double-digit points for 14 straight seasons and was integral to the Cavaliers’ 3-1 comeback over the 73-9 Golden State Warriors. Love has spent the last three seasons in Miami, where he most recently averaged a career-low 5.3 points and 10.9 minutes per game. Love was sent to the Jazz in the same three-team trade as Powell, where he will supplement the bench of a young Utah core. While Love has limited time left in the NBA, he can still provide a team valuable minutes.
Kevon Looney
Former team: Golden State Warriors
Next stop: New Orleans Pelicans
Glue guy. Throughout Kevon Looney’s 10-year career, he has never been the flashiest or most impactful, but he has been the definition of a team player. Whether it’s the dirty work around the boards, particularly the offensive glass, or the defensive pressure on opposing front courts, Looney has been invaluable to the Warriors’ rotation. Looney was integral to the Warriors’ 2021-2022 NBA championship run, where he averaged six points and 7.3 rebounds per game. After a decade in the Bay, Looney signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, where he joins a young and revitalized squad. Looney will be a critical player in the Pelicans’ rotation and could play an increased role in the front court, especially after 2025 NBA lottery pick Derik Queen is projected to miss 12 weeks following surgery on a torn left wrist ligament. Regardless, Looney will serve as a crucial bench option for an up-and-coming NBA team.
Kyle Anderson
Former team: Miami Heat
Next stop: Utah Jazz
The third piece of the three-team trade with Powell and Love included Kyle Anderson going to the Utah Jazz. The former first-round pick is going into his 12th season in the NBA and averaged 5.9 points per game this past season. Anderson had his best season in 2020-2021 with the Memphis Grizzlies, when he averaged 12.4 points and 5.7 boards per game. Despite joining his third team in two seasons, Anderson is still a crucial bench rotation piece. Anderson could see a larger role in a young and underdeveloped Jazz squad. The forward has shot 34% from beyond the arc and 47.8% from the field in his career, providing the Jazz with a trusted shooter with over a decade of NBA experience.
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