Michigan State Professional Athletes

Michigan State's NBA Alumni: Week of Oct. 11–17, 2026

Two Spartans dominated the NBA's preseason closing act — one by choice, one by circumstance.

Draymond Green: Technicals, Takes, and T-shirts

If the NBA preseason had a main character, it was Draymond Green. The Golden State Warriors forward managed to rack up a technical foul during a preseason tilt against the Portland Trail Blazers before the games even started meaning anything — classic Green, as outlets noted, remarking it was "of course" on-brand for the veteran. But the tech was almost secondary noise.

The bigger story was physique. A video of Green speaking to media — black T-shirt, sweater around the waist, fanny pack — set social media ablaze with speculation about his playing shape. Green's response was pure Draymond: he "don't give a damn" about critics, arguing that half the people calling him out "look ridiculous" themselves. ClutchPoints and The Sporting News both covered his defiant rebuttal, and it landed exactly as Green intended — louder than the original criticism.

Meanwhile, Green continued asserting himself as the preseason's most active podcaster. He went viral for sideline advice he gave to Sacramento Kings rookie Darius Acuff Jr. during a Warriors win, warning the young guard about ball-hogging and the teammates who will "plot against you" for it. Green unpacked the moment at length on his podcast — Acuff Jr., by contrast, had very little to add. Green also used his platform to call out NBA referees as "phonies" over new preseason points of emphasis on off-arm separation, predicting the stricter enforcement would vanish once real games began. He further weighed in on Deni Avdija's Nikola Jokic struggles and fired off a warning to John Collins referencing an Isaiah Stewart incident after a Dillon Brooks altercation.

For what it's worth, Green also sat out a preseason game against the Lakers, with the Warriors announcing a surprise starting lineup in his absence. The Warriors enter the regular season with Kristaps Porzingis unavailable, meaning Green and veteran Al Horford will likely anchor the center rotation. Steve Kerr has leaned into the pairing, and Green — whatever his preseason physique looks like — remains the emotional and defensive engine of Golden State's rebuilt roster.

Miles Bridges: Managing an Ankle Into Opening Night

In Phoenix, Miles Bridges is in a race against the calendar. The Suns forward sat out preseason action with an ankle injury, and head coach Jordan Ott made clear the team wasn't going to rush him back during exhibitions. Phoenix went 1-4 in the preseason without its full lineup clicking, and the Suns issued a cautiously optimistic injury update — hopeful Bridges would return soon, short on specifics.

The stakes are real. Former NBA head coach Tyrone Corbin publicly predicted Bridges could be the Suns' X-factor in 2026-27, calling him a key complement to Devin Booker as Phoenix eyes Western Conference relevance. If Bridges is healthy, the four-man core of Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Bridges has legitimate upside. If the ankle lingers, Phoenix's already thin margin for error gets thinner fast.

The Suns open the regular season with questions Bridges' availability hasn't yet answered.

Also Watching

Fellow Spartan Jaren Jackson Jr. flashed in the preseason, dropping 17 points in a Jazz win over the Suns. It was a quiet but solid data point for a Jazz team in transition — and a reminder that MSU's NBA footprint extends well beyond the marquee names.

The biggest story for Michigan State alumni in the NBA this week wasn't a highlight — it was a moment of collective breath-holding in Phoenix.

Miles Bridges Exits Early, Suns Cautiously Optimistic

Miles Bridges turned his ankle against the Chicago Bulls in the Phoenix Suns' second preseason game, forcing him to leave early and immediately raising alarm bells around a franchise that made him a centerpiece of their offseason plans. The timing stings: Bridges is the Suns' most significant offseason addition, and any prolonged absence before the regular season would be a serious blow to Phoenix's early chemistry-building.

The good news is that the Suns' subsequent injury update was encouraging. Head coach Mike Budenholzer addressed the media following the scare, offering a measured but reassuring assessment of Bridges' condition. Per reporting from both Sports Illustrated and Heavy Sports, the injury does not appear to be severe, though Bridges will be monitored closely as the preseason continues.

The ankle scare is a reminder of the tightrope the Suns are walking. Preseason or not, losing your most important new piece — even briefly — disrupts timing and evaluation windows that matter for a team building toward a competitive regular season. Bridges will need to be healthy and integrated before opening night for Phoenix to hit the ground running.

Draymond Green: Headlines, Habits, and a New-Look Role

On the other side of the country, fellow Spartan Draymond Green is generating his own preseason noise in the Bay. The veteran power forward arrived at Golden State Warriors training camp under scrutiny — fans and media reacted sharply to his physical appearance after the Warriors' preseason opener, a 104-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, with social media piling on over concerns he reported out of shape.

Beyond the optics, the more substantive Draymond story is structural. Head coach Steve Kerr has revealed a meaningful shift in how Green will be deployed this season. The longtime playmaking hub — known for trailing the play, orchestrating from the elbow, and functioning as the offense's conductor — will take on a more dynamic role, with Kerr asking him to shoot more when open and make room for rookie Yaxel Lendeborg to develop. Green himself has spoken soberly about the changing nature of his responsibilities as the Warriors lean into their next phase.

Green also made headlines off the court, weighing in on his podcast in defense of LeBron James amid criticism of the star's commute between Philadelphia and New York following his move to the 76ers — classic Draymond, never shy about the spotlight.

The Rest of the Spartan Ledger

The other Michigan State alumni around the league — Max Christie in Dallas, Bryn Forbes in Minnesota, Gary Harris in Detroit, Jaren Jackson Jr. in Utah, Jase Richardson in Orlando, and Xavier Tillman in Charlotte — were quiet in terms of major headlines during this stretch. All eyes remain on Bridges' ankle and whether he'll be full-go when the games start counting.