Wake Forest Professional Athletes

Two Wake Forest alumni are generating buzz in the opening week of NBA preseason play — one by turning over a new leaf, the other by grabbing someone by the throat.

Jake LaRavia's Summer of Reflection Is Paying Off

After a rough final stretch with the Los Angeles Lakers last season that sparked genuine uncertainty about his future with the team, 24-year-old wing Jake LaRavia spent his offseason doing something most young players resist: looking inward.

LaRavia has described the stretch as a period of serious self-examination — a "summer of reflection," in his own words — and the early preseason returns suggest it's working. The former Wake Forest standout is flashing the kind of play that earned him his roster spot in the first place, and the Lakers are taking notice. According to Heavy Sports, LaRavia is among the frontrunners to claim a starting forward spot heading into 2026-27, with the projected first-unit lineup slotting him alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Quentin Grimes, and Walker Kessler.

One complicating factor: Heavy Sports also notes that the power forward spot remains up for grabs, with new addition Sandro Mamukelashvili competing for the same role, meaning LaRavia still has something to prove. But at this stage of preseason, he's making a compelling case.

John Collins Arrives in Detroit — Loudly

If LaRavia's story is about quiet, internal growth, John Collins wrote a very different kind of opening chapter with the Detroit Pistons.

Less than five minutes into Detroit's preseason opener against the Phoenix Suns on October 5, Collins grabbed Suns forward Dillon Brooks by the throat after the two got physical in the paint. The altercation was vintage Brooks — he's built a career on getting under opponents' skin — but Collins refused to be a footnote. He grabbed back, literally, and the moment immediately went viral.

Detroit's fanbase, still riding the energy of the franchise's recent revival, ate it up. As Yahoo Sports put it, Collins managed to "endear himself to the Pistons faithful" within the first quarter of his first preseason game in a Detroit uniform. Bleacher Report confirmed Collins addressed the media after the game and reacted to the scuffle directly, showing no signs of backing down from the moment.

Collins, who played his college ball in Winston-Salem before being drafted in 2017, has bounced between franchises in recent years. Pistons fans will be hoping this early flash of toughness signals a settled, motivated veteran ready to contribute to a young core with championship aspirations.

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It's only preseason, but both LaRavia and Collins are already in the conversation — one for his upside, the other for his edge. For Wake Forest alumni watching the league, it's a good week to be a Demon Deacon.

Wake Forest's footprint in the NBA is hard to miss this preseason. Three Demon Deacon alumni are generating headlines from Los Angeles to Detroit — for very different reasons.

LaRavia Turns Trade Drama Into Motivation in LA

Jake LaRavia could have sulked. Instead, he's issuing warnings.

The Lakers attempted to trade the third-year forward this summer as part of their roster overhaul, but LaRavia survived the purge and enters camp as a potential starter. Rather than shy away from the noise, he addressed it directly — and then pivoted to the court. At a recent press conference, LaRavia delivered a blunt assessment of what opposing offenses are in for: "We got some problems this year," he said, referring to Los Angeles's revamped defense. "We got a lot of problems."

That kind of confidence from a player who nearly wasn't on the roster is notable. LaRavia is one of the few wings who made it through the offseason intact, which lends his read on the group some credibility. Whether he cracks the starting five remains to be seen, but he's clearly not playing to stick around — he's playing to start.

Beal Re-Signs With Clippers, Inherits CP3's Number

Bradley Beal is back in Los Angeles — and wearing a number that carries some weight.

The Clippers re-signed Beal this offseason and handed him jersey No. 3, previously worn by fellow Wake Forest alum Chris Paul before Paul's retirement. Beal, who previously wore No. 3 earlier in his career, was deliberate in addressing the symbolism. "No disrespect," he said, making clear he discussed the move with Paul and has his blessing.

The Clippers are navigating a turbulent chapter — trading away Kawhi Leonard, absorbing the fallout of an NBA investigation into alleged salary cap circumvention that cost them five first-round picks, and rebuilding their identity. Beal's return gives the franchise a veteran offensive anchor, even as the organizational picture remains complicated. The number swap, layered with the CP3 connection, gave the moment an unexpected Wake Forest subplot.

Collins Brings Veteran Presence to a Rising Detroit Squad

John Collins is embracing a clean slate.

The 29-year-old power forward signed a three-year deal with the Detroit Pistons this offseason, making Detroit his fourth NBA franchise entering his tenth professional season. Collins is joining a Pistons team with genuine momentum and high expectations, and by all accounts he's leaning into the opportunity rather than treating it as just another stop.

Collins has long flashed the kind of athleticism and scoring versatility that makes him a front-office target, but consistency and fit have been elusive in recent years. Detroit is betting the fresh-start narrative is more than a talking point. If Collins can be what he was at his peak — a lob threat, a floor spacer, and a reliable frontcourt presence — the Pistons may have found a valuable piece at a reasonable cost.

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Three alumni, three franchises, three distinct storylines — but a common thread runs through all of them: Demon Deacon pride is alive and well heading into 2026-27.

Wake Forest Alumni Report | NBA | Sept. 20–26, 2026

James Johnson: Indiana's Favorite Reclamation Project

The Pacers and James Johnson have been here before — and apparently, both sides are fine with that.

Indiana is bringing the Wake Forest veteran back on an Exhibit-9 deal, according to reports, giving the 38-year-old forward yet another crack at sticking on the roster that seems to value him most. The signing is low-risk by design: Exhibit-9 contracts allow teams to stash a player in the G League with a pathway to a two-way or standard NBA deal if he earns it. For Johnson, it's a runway. For Indiana, it's a no-brainer.

The reason the Pacers keep circling back isn't hard to identify. Tyrese Haliburton has spoken openly about Johnson's impact in the locker room — the veteran once told the All-Star point guard, "I got your back," and according to Heavy Sports, Haliburton took that to heart. Sports Illustrated reported that Indiana's front office views Johnson as someone whose value extends well beyond the stat sheet, citing his presence as a stabilizing force in a locker room that has championship ambitions. At this stage of his career, Johnson's role is less about what he does in 15 minutes and more about what he does in the 23 hours surrounding the game.

That kind of veteran glue is genuinely hard to find, and Indiana knows it. The Pacers have made no secret of the culture they're building around Haliburton, and Johnson fits the blueprint as an enforcer and mentor who reinforces it.

Whether he survives training camp and lands on the final roster remains to be seen — that's the Exhibit-9 reality — but the fact that Indiana keeps inviting him back suggests the relationship has earned its own gravity.

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John Collins in Detroit, Looking to Reboot

Across the league, fellow Demon Deacon John Collins is entering the 2026-27 season as one of several new faces on the Detroit Pistons. Collins joined a retooled roster that includes Isiah Joe, Taurean Prince, and Gary Harris — acquisitions framed as an effort to space the floor and solve Detroit's half-court scoring woes.

Whether that group actually moves the needle is a legitimate question. A Bleacher Report analysis floated a Tyler Herro trade idea as a potential fix for Detroit's remaining offensive deficiencies, suggesting the current collection of additions — Collins included — may not be a complete answer. Collins, still just 29, remains a high-upside piece if he can rediscover the Atlanta-era form that made him an All-Star conversation. But he enters Detroit without a clear alpha role, which cuts both ways: it's either the freedom to find himself again, or a recipe for continued underperformance.

Sports Illustrated identified Collins as one of three Pistons with realistic paths to a breakout season, framing him as a player whose combination of athleticism and face-up ability could thrive alongside Detroit's new shooters. The Pistons won't be a title contender overnight, but Collins — like the franchise itself — is in rebuild-or-resurge territory.

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Two Wake Forest alumni, two very different NBA storylines. Johnson is chasing one more year of purpose in a city that's chosen him repeatedly. Collins is chasing relevance on a team trying to remember what winning looks like. Both have something to prove when training camps open.