Three former Runnin’ Rebels are on NBA opening-night rosters, including two who shared UNLV’s backcourt three seasons ago.
Derrick Jones Jr. opens the 2026-27 season with the Los Angeles Clippers, EJ Harkless is with the Detroit Pistons and Keshon Gilbert is with the Atlanta Hawks. Harkless and Gilbert hold two-way contracts.
Harkless joined Detroit this summer after Utah declined his option. He averaged 22.3 points and 6.3 assists in 11 G League regular-season appearances for Salt Lake City last season and now joins the Pistons and their affiliate, the Motor City Cruise.
UNLV fans last saw Harkless and Gilbert together during the 2022-23 season, when they led the Rebels in scoring and assists. Harkless averaged 19.1 points and started all 32 games in his final college season. Gilbert averaged 11.4 points as a sophomore before transferring to Iowa State.
Gilbert spent two seasons with the Cyclones and reached the NBA last February on a 10-day contract with Washington. He appeared in three games for the Wizards before Atlanta signed him to a two-way deal in March. Before joining the Hawks, he averaged 15.1 points and 5.9 assists in 37 G League games with the Capital City Go-Go.
Jones returns to the Clippers a decade after leaving UNLV. He averaged 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks during his freshman season in 2015-16, then went undrafted and signed with Phoenix. His career has since included the 2020 NBA Slam Dunk Contest title and a Finals appearance with Miami that same year.
Detroit hosts Boston on Tuesday as the NBA begins its regular season.
See something that needs correcting? Report a correction.