BBNBA Playoffs: 11 former Wildcats gearing up for Round 2 action

The first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs is officially in the books. My Cleveland Cavaliers capped off the opening round by taking down the Toronto Raptors in Game 7 on Sunday night. We now have eight teams left in the bracket, with the Conference Semifinals set to begin on Monday night.

There will be plenty of former Kentucky Wildcats in action, too — 11 in total, actually. Three of the four series on deck include multiple UK alums, including a handful of star power from the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Karl-Anthony Towns, Tyrese Maxey, De’Aaron Fox, and Julius Randle. There will be no shortage of entertainment with these four second-round series.

Let’s briefly touch on the 11 former ‘Cats set to take the stage as the NBA Playoffs roll right along.

NBA Playoff matchups for Round 2

(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers

Olivier Sarr (CLE): Sarr is the lone Kentucky representative in this matchup, but don’t expect to see him take the floor. He was inactive for most of the first-round series and has not played since the regular season.

(2) New York Knicks vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers

Karl-Anthony Towns (NYK): Towns posted a pair of triple-doubles in the Knicks’ six-game series win over the Hawks. He averaged 18.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, six assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks in 31.8 minutes per game in round one on impressive shooting splits of 56.9/44.4/92.7. But he has a history of beefing with Philly’s Joel Embiid. Those two matching up against each other in the paint will be a storyline to follow.
Tyrese Maxey (PHI): Maxey is blossoming into a go-to star this series after saving the 76ers in round one against the Celtics. Going head-to-head with Knicks’ star guard Jalen Brunson will be must-watch TV offensively. Maxey averaged 26.9 points, 6.6 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and one steal in 40.9 minutes per outing last round on splits of 46.4/41.8/96.2. He hit multiple big shots down the stretch of Game 7 in round one.
Justin Edwards (PHI): Edwards appeared in six of the 76ers’ seven games in round one, averaging 2.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per contest off the bench, but while shooting just 31.6 percent from the field and 2-8 from deep. He was Philly’s eighth man in the rotation and will likely fill a similar role in round two.

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4) Los Angeles Lakers

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC): The frontrunner to repeat as league MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander had no problem cruising in a round one sweeping of the Suns. His 33.8 points per game are the highest among all playoff scorers so far this postseason. He’s off to a terrific start as he guns for a second straight Finals MVP honor. Do the Lakers have anyone who can slow him down?
Cason Wallace (OKC): Similar to last year’s playoffs, Cason Wallace’s offensive role has taken a slight hit in the postseason. But in round one, he did enough defensively (2.5 steals/blocks per game) to keep himself on the floor (22.5 minutes per game). Depending on the health status of Lakers’ star Luka Doncic, Wallace could have an even more important role on defense than usual this series as he defends multiple positions/players.
Jarred Vanderbilt (MIN): Vanderbilt’s role in the first round against the Rockets was minimal. He came off the bench in all five games, averaging 3.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 13.2 minutes per contest on 42.1 percent shooting.
Adou Thiero (LAL): We saw Thiero take the floor in two of the Lakers’ first-round meetings, but near the end of games that were already decided. He still managed five points in 10 playoff minutes, making the most of that limited playing time in the form of highlight dunks. He was also ejected late in Game 4.

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

De’Aaron Fox (SAS): Fox might not be the best player on the Spurs, but he’s the one San Antonio will go to when they need a big bucket down the stretch. Fox performed well in his first-ever playoff series win, posting per-game averages of 20.2 points, 6.8 assists, four rebounds, and one steal in 35.4 minutes on shooting splits of 50.0/37.0/65.0. Fox has a history of putting up good numbers against the Timberwolves.
Keldon Johnson (SAS): This season’s winner of the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, Johnson struggled to get going in round one. His numbers against the Trail Blazers dipped significantly compared to the regular season, down to just 6.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per outing on a poor 35.5 percent shooting. The Spurs will need a bounce-back series from him.
Julius Randle (MIN): Randle didn’t have a great series in round one against the Nuggets, but he was still impactful. He averaged 19.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 33.7 minutes per contest on splits of 43.0/30.0/74.4. If Anthony Edwards takes more time to return from injury or is slow to get back into his groove, Minnesota will rely in part on Randle to keep the offense afloat.