Former Tennessee Vols standout is getting a second shot at the NBA
The VFL has been a league leader at the G League level.
Former Tennessee Vols guard Kennedy Chandler is getting what many athletes dream about but often don’t get: a second chance. Chandler, who started his NBA career off with the Memphis Grizzlies, has made a name for himself in the NBA G League in 2025-26.
Now, he’s getting what every G League player dreams about: a call up to the NBA. Per ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, the Utah Jazz are signing Chandler to a 10-day contract.
Former Tennessee guard Kennedy Chandler signs a 10-day NBA contract with the Utah Jazz
Chandler spent one season in college for Tennessee during the 2021-22 season. However, it was a very memorable one.
Chandler and Zakai Zeigler led a Tennessee backcourt that helped deliver one of the biggest prizes in recent Tennessee history — a 2022 SEC Tournament championship, the program’s first since 1979. Chandler averaged 13.9 points per game and 4.7 assists per game for the season, earning second-team All-SEC and conference All-Freshman honors.
He was drafted in the second round with the 38th overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs and was traded to Memphis shortly after. Charania noted that Chandler’s four-year, $7.1 million contract contained $4.9 million in guarantees, which was the most guaranteed money ever for an American second-round pick.
Chandler appeared in 36 games in a reserve role in 2022-23 for Memphis, averaging 2.2 points per game. He was waived late that season and has spent the last four seasons in the G League. This season has been a breakout for him, with career highs in points per game (20.4) and assists per game (9.6), the latter of which is currently leading the league.
We’ll see how long Chandler manages to stick around with Utah, but regardless, it’s an opportunity for him. That’s all anyone can ask for.
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