Eight Former Wisconsin High School Standouts to Suit Up in the NBA

The NBA opens up the 2026-27 season tonight, October 20. There will be eight former Wisconsin standouts suiting up at the highest level of basketball for eight different NBA teams this season. A few others will likely land on G-League teams, but this is the full list of those that are on opening night rosters.

620 games played, 3,036 points, 3,509 rebounds, 990 assists, 332 blocks, 313 steals

Looney is the longest tenured former high school standout from the state playing in the NBA. Entering his twelfth season, he has proven to be a solid role player in the NBA. The former Mr. Basketball was the 30th pick out of UCLA for the Golden State Warriors in 2015, where he became a three-time NBA Champion. Last year he was with the New Orleans Pelicans and this offseason he signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

393 games played, 7,664 points, 1,960 rebounds, 1,596 assists, 1,068 made 3s

Herro will be back in the home state playing for the home-team Milwaukee Bucks this year after he was traded in the Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster. He spent his first seven seasons with the Miami Heat after being the 13th overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Kentucky. In 2023, Herro signed a four-year, $120 million dollar contract. He’s a one-time All-Star, reigning 3-Point Contest Champion, and NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2022.

451 games played, 7,466 points, 1,187 rebounds, 1,671 assists, 378 steals, 1,111 made 3s

Poole didn’t graduate from King, but he did play his first three seasons before transferring to prep school. Following his college career at Michigan, he was drafted 28th overall in the 2019 by the Golden State Warriors and went on to become a one-time champion with that dynasty, alongside Looney. In 2023, Poole signed a four-year, $128 million contract before being traded to the Washington Wizards and subsequently being shipped to the New Orleans Pelicans last year.

333 games played, 5,842 points, 1,218 rebounds, 2,947 assists, 490 steals, 856 made 3s

Haliburton may play the troll in the state and that has turned him off to former supporters, but that doesn’t take away from the success he’s had since graduating from Oshkosh North. The 12th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of Iowa State, Haliburton has become one of the best point guards in the league. He missed all of last year due to an injury suffered in the 2024-25 playoffs, but is back. In 2024, he signed a five-year, $244 million dollar contract and is a former two-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA Third Team selection.

334 games played, 2,613 points, 1,033 rebounds, 341 assists, 720 made 3s

Hauser went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft after spending his college years split between Marquette and Virginia. Since, he has worked his way into a meaningful role with one of the best teams in the league, the Boston Celtics. In 2025 he turned that success into a four-year, $45 million contract, a year after becoming an NBA champion.

256 games played, 3,644 points, 1,895 rebounds, 1,036 assists, 150 blocks, 253 steals, 268 made 3s

Johnson has become one of the up and coming stars in the NBA following his fifth year in the league. After one year at Duke, he was taken 20th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, where he has spent his entire NBA career. Last season he nearly averaged a double-double; 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. He was named to the All-NBA Third Team and is a one-time All-Star. Before the start of last season, he signed a five-year, $150 million deal extension with the Hawks, serving as the future of the organization.

220 games played, 2,562 points, 1,171 rebounds, 797 assists, 218 steals, 358 made 3s

Podziemski spent one year at Illinois, transferred to Santa Clara where he had a breakout sophomore year, and then was drafted 19th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. He’s become an integral piece for that dynasty and he was rewarded with a five-year, $100 million extension a few weeks ago. During his rookie campaign, Podziemski was named to the first team NBA All-Rookie team.

81 games played, 1,498 points, 432 rebounds, 274 assists, 273 made 3s

Knueppel spent one year at Duke where he came out to a national audience and was then drafted fourth overall in the 2025 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets; the highest any former Wisconsin high school graduate has been drafted ever. As a rookie he averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game earning NBA All-Rookie first team honors and coming up runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting. Knueppel set the record for made threes in an NBA season with 273, which is also a top-25 overall performance in NBA history.