Marquette Professional Athletes

Oso Ighodaro Gets Paid in Phoenix

The most consequential week for Marquette's NBA alumni wasn't about highlights — it was about futures. And for Oso Ighodaro, the future is firmly in the desert.

The Phoenix Suns locked up the 24-year-old center on a three-year, $29 million extension running through the 2030-31 season, a deal his agent Erika Ruiz confirmed to ESPN's Shams Charania just before Monday's deadline. The Suns' front office wasted no time signaling their enthusiasm — the GM spoke publicly about Ighodaro's importance to the franchise's direction — and multiple analysts framed the extension as a win-win: value-priced security for the team, proof of concept for a prospect who wasn't even drafted by Phoenix.

It's worth remembering how Ighodaro got there: taken 40th overall by Portland in the 2024 draft, he arrived in Phoenix via draft-night trades and turned himself into a legitimate rotation piece. The Suns bet on upside and athleticism at the center position, and they've now made that bet official with cash attached.

The start of the season brought a wrinkle, though. Phoenix downgraded Ighodaro with an injury ahead of the Warriors game, keeping him out. He did suit up in Thursday's loss to Portland, posting 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists across 14 minutes in an ugly 83-124 blowout — not the debut anyone wanted, but the contract doesn't care about one bad night.

The Suns also had an ongoing competition between Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach for the starting center spot heading into opening night — head coach Jordan Ott framing it less as a battle and more as a positional conversation. That subplot will continue to develop as the season unfolds.

Tyler Kolek: Knicks' Most Interesting Bench Fixture

At Madison Square Garden, the Tyler Kolek situation is considerably murkier. The Marquette product didn't log a single minute in the Knicks' season opener — a loss they blew after holding a lead — and sat again in a 100-106 defeat to Philadelphia on October 20 and a 103-107 loss to Boston on October 23.

The benching isn't a mystery so much as a roster crunch: New York has one of the deepest guard rotations in the league, and Kolek, despite his intrigue as a playmaker, hasn't broken into the head coach's rotation.

More telling is what's happening behind the scenes. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Kolek was at the center of trade discussions before opening night — with a specific, surprising condition that could have pushed the Knicks to move him. The details of that condition stopped short of a deal, but the fact that conversations happened at all signals that New York may view Kolek as a tradeable asset rather than a core piece.

For Marquette fans, it's a frustrating position: a player widely regarded as one of the savvier point guards in his draft class, sitting in street clothes in the world's most famous arena. Whether Kolek earns his way into the rotation or gets moved to a team that will actually use him remains the defining question of his young NBA career.

The Butler Note

Jimmy Butler, the most decorated player in Marquette's NBA family tree, is still sidelined with an ACL injury for Golden State. Coach Steve Kerr has been measured about a return timeline, and Butler himself has reportedly kept his target date private. The Warriors opened with a 105-127 blowout loss to the Lakers — a rough backdrop for any comeback story that's still months in the making.

Jimmy Butler's ACL Rehab Carries Weight Beyond the Injury

Jimmy Butler isn't just rehabbing a knee. He's carrying guilt.

The Marquette product, sidelined since January after tearing his ACL, broke his silence this week in a series of candid interviews — and the emotional throughline was clear: Butler feels he let Golden State down. "Letting down" Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr, and Draymond Green isn't the kind of thing Butler says lightly, and the admission landed hard across the league. The Warriors built their 2025-26 identity around Butler's arrival, and when he went down, so did their championship window — at least for the year.

But self-pity isn't exactly Butler's brand. In the same breath he was confessing regret, he was also drawing a line in the sand. Butler declared flatly that he won't return as "a bum-a** player," a vow that doubles as motivation and message: don't expect a half-speed comeback. Prior to the injury, he had been putting up his best numbers in four seasons, and he's made clear the plan is to pick up exactly where that version of himself left off.

Butler also teased a return target date without actually revealing it — typical Butler theater — while noting that contract extension talks with Golden State are ongoing. The Warriors, for their part, have signaled they have no intention of trading him, according to reports ahead of the season opener. He's already talking trash from the rehab table, telling NBA on SiriusXM that Golden State will give LeBron James' 76ers "hell" when the matchup comes.

The Trade Speculation Isn't Going Away

Despite the Warriors' stated loyalty, Butler's name keeps surfacing in trade conversations — and the volume is only going up with the season tipping off and Butler in street clothes.

Golden State reportedly passed on deals for Anthony Davis and Jaylen Brown during the offseason, unwilling to include Butler and significant draft capital in any package. That refusal could be read as a commitment to Butler — or simply as the front office keeping its options open. Separately, a trade concept circulating this week would send Butler and Kristaps Porzingis for Franz Wagner, pitching the Magic forward as Golden State's next franchise pillar. The Warriors haven't engaged publicly on any of it, but with Steve Kerr already issuing warnings about roster depth ahead of the Lakers opener on October 21, the pressure to act before the deadline will only grow if Butler's return drags into the new year.

Kolek's Name Surfaces in Knicks Trade Chatter

One other Marquette alum worth tracking: Tyler Kolek is generating trade buzz in New York. The Knicks are reportedly exploring deals involving Kolek and Pacome Dadiet as they try to create cap flexibility to retain veteran guard Bruce Brown. Kolek, who made a quick impression after arriving in New York, now finds himself a potential chip in the front office's financial maneuvering before the season has even started.

Butler's rehab saga is the marquee story, but the Golden Eagle footprint across the NBA is wider than it looks heading into 2026-27.