Ohio State Professional Athletes

Ohio State guard Malaki Branham won't be on an NBA floor when the 2026-27 season tips off. The Orlando Magic waived Branham this week alongside JD Davison and Kevin Knox II as the franchise finalized its opening-night roster following a preseason finale win over the Miami Heat.

Branham had joined Orlando during the offseason as a camp addition — one of several players auditioning for a roster spot without a guaranteed contract. Despite the opportunity, the former Buckeye couldn't crack a Magic rotation deep enough to send him packing before the regular season even began. It's a tough outcome for a player who has shown flashes of scoring ability at the NBA level, but roster-cut season is unforgiving, and Branham was competing against the clock as much as the competition.

The waiver comes as a notable moment for Ohio State's NBA contingent, which remains sizable heading into the new season. The Buckeyes have alumni scattered across the league — from veterans to younger players still carving out their roles.

The Rest of the Buckeye Roster

Mike Conley brings the steadiest presence, suiting up for the Boston Celtics as one of the more experienced point guards in the league. D'Angelo Russell joins the Dallas Mavericks as the highest-profile name in the Ohio State NBA alumni pool, continuing to chase a meaningful role on a team with championship ambitions.

E.J. Liddell is with the Brooklyn Nets, while Jae'Sean Tate remains in Houston with the Rockets. Keita Bates-Diop finds himself in Minnesota with the Timberwolves, and Brice Sensabaugh is in Utah with the Jazz — a landing spot that should offer him genuine run.

On the Toronto front, Ohio State has a two-man presence: Jamison Battle and D.J. Carton are both with the Raptors, giving Columbus a small foothold in Canada. Duane Washington Jr. rounds out the group with the Charlotte Hornets.

For Branham, the door isn't necessarily closed — waived players frequently find their way back via two-way deals or 10-day contracts once injuries hit rosters in November and December. But for now, his NBA opening night will be spent watching, not playing.

Two Buckeyes headlined Ohio State's NBA preseason week — one chasing a ring in Boston, the other managing an early setback in Salt Lake City.

Conley's Long-Awaited Celtic Chapter

Mike Conley didn't mince words: this was supposed to happen sooner. In a candid one-on-one with Yahoo Sports, the Ohio State product opened up about finally landing with the Boston Celtics after years of the pairing almost materializing. Conley, a PG who has spent nearly two decades building a reputation as one of the league's most respected teammates, arrives on a Celtics roster that looks dramatically different from the one that won Banner 18 two years ago. Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis are out; Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, and Conley are in.

The veteran spoke warmly about his developing bond with Payton Pritchard, who has evolved into one of Boston's key contributors. Conley framed the relationship as mutually rewarding — the kind of veteran-young guard dynamic that has defined much of his career. His arrival is less about star power and more about the intangibles: locker room presence, decision-making in crunch time, and the institutional knowledge that comes from two decades of doing it right.

Training camp is currently wrapping up at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, with the preseason opener in Cleveland on the horizon. Conley, by all accounts, is settling in exactly the way Boston hoped.

Sensabaugh Navigating Preseason Ailment

The news out of Utah is less tidy. Brice Sensabaugh, the Jazz's young Ohio State wing, surfaced with a minor injury during Utah's first two preseason games, prompting the organization to offer clarity on his status. Per Sports Illustrated, the Jazz characterized the issue as short-term, but the timing is less than ideal — the regular season is roughly two weeks out as of October 7.

Sensabaugh's situation is one of several injury headaches compounding in Salt Lake City. Lauri Markkanen is also recovering from a short-term ailment, and the Jazz absorbed another blow with an unfortunate center rotation update involving Jusuf Nurkic. For a team already navigating roster uncertainty, the pile-up makes Utah's path to a coherent opening night rotation more complicated by the day.

For Sensabaugh specifically, the preseason was an opportunity to build on a promising sophomore profile and solidify his role in the Jazz's evolving system. A setback now doesn't slam any doors, but it does compress his runway to get game-ready before the regular season tips off.

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Ohio State's NBA footprint remains wide — ten active alumni scattered from Boston to Dallas to Orlando — but this week belonged to Conley and Sensabaugh, representing opposite ends of the career arc: a veteran finally where he wants to be, and a young Buckeye working to stay on the court.