Now that we are in the thick of the playoffs, we took one last look at how each former Michigan Wolverine performed in the NBA this season:
With the NBA regular season in the rearview mirror, we are in the thick of playoff action. Several former Michigan Wolverines are still chasing the championship, but a majority have had their season end either by missing the playoffs or by injury.
Let’s take one last look at how the 2024-25 season played out for each former Wolverine in the NBA.
G Kobe Bufkin, Atlanta Hawks
Bufkin was hit by the injury bug yet again this season. After a promising November and early December in which he was playing 10-20 minutes per game, he dislocated his shoulder and got surgery. He was shut down for the season before the calendar even turned to 2025.
Through two seasons in the NBA, Bufkin has yet to play in more than 17 games in a season. He will need to get healthy and stay healthy if he has any hope of staying on Atlanta’s roster.
F Moussa Diabate, Charlotte Hornets
Of all the former Wolverines in the NBA, Diabate had by far the biggest breakout this season. Having appeared in 22 games as a rookie and 11 games as a sophomore with the Clippers, he exploded to the tune of 71 appearances and eight starts this season with the Hornets. In those 71 games, he averaged 5.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. Diabate could be a candidate to start for Charlotte next season.
G Tim Hardaway, Jr., Detroit Pistons
Hardaway was brought to Detroit to be a calming veteran presence for an extremely young team. His scoring dipped a bit to 11 points per game, but he shot the ball well from deep (36.8 percent) and started 77 games. He helped the Pistons get the No. 6 seed in the East, where they are currently in a first-round battle with the New York Knicks.
F Caleb Houstan, Orlando Magic
In his third year with the Magic, Houstan’s role and play were relatively stagnant. He continued to be a rotational player that isn’t asked to do much other than shoot from beyond the arc. Houstan scored just 4.1 points per game, but shot better than 40 percent from three. He will likely be fighting for a roster spot in Orlando yet again next season.
F Jett Howard, Orlando Magic
Slightly further down the Orlando bench, Howard played a similar role as Houstan. Scoring 4.5 points per game in 11.7 minutes per game, Howard was asked to be a spark off the bench and provide some scoring here and there. After a rookie year in which Howard barely played, it was encouraging to see him get double-digit minutes per game.
G Caris LeVert, Cleveland Cavaliers/Atlanta Hawks
The only former Wolverine to be traded this season, LeVert spent 38 games with Cleveland before being shipped to Atlanta. He struggled in Cleveland, but he experienced a resurgence in Atlanta. He increased his scoring from 10.2 to 14.9 points per game and his rebounding from 2.8 to 3.7 after the trade.
LeVert and the Hawks were ousted from the playoffs in the play-in tournament.
G Jordan Poole, Washington Wizards
Poole continued to be arguably the best player on an abysmal Wizards team. He scored a career-high 20.5 points per game, and also brought his assist numbers up to 4.5 per game. Known for his inefficiency, it’s worth noting he also shot his highest percentage from three in his career this season at 37.8 percent.
Washington is expected to be quite bad yet again next year, but Poole should have some more help as they are in line to get a top pick in the NBA Draft .
F Duncan Robinson, Miami Heat
Fortunately, Robinson was able to stay mostly healthy this season. Appearing in 74 games, he tallied 11 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He shot nearly seven three-pointers per game, but hit them at a 39.3 percent clip. In total, he was the fourth-leading scorer for Miami.
The Heat survived the play-in tournament and are currently battling with the No. 1 seed in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
F Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
The younger Wagner ascended into stardom this season. At 24.2 points per game along with 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals, he deserved every accolade he received. He is currently the 15th-leading scorer in the association. While it is only his fourth season in the NBA, he has continued to get better every single year.
Wagner and Paolo Banchero are a formidable one-two punch in Orlando. The Magic survived the play-in tournament and are currently facing the Boston Celtics in the opening round of the playoffs.
C Moritz Wagner, Orlando Magic
While Franz had a breakthrough season, Moritz had one to forget. He was off to a spectacular start, averaging career-highs in points (12.9) and rebounds (4.9) before tearing his ACL in December. He had surgery and missed the remainder of the season.