Checking in with the former Ohio State players currently in the NBA

Action around the NBA is starting to heat up. Not only is the league’s trade deadline on Thursday afternoon, next weekend will be the annual All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Currently there are eight former Ohio State players on NBA rosters, and one of them has already been moved ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.

With the season having already passed the halfway point when it comes to games played, now feels like a good time to give an update on how the former Ohio State players currently in the NBA have been doing this season, and what might be expected for them the rest of the way.

Mike Conley

After starting more than 60 games in each of the last two seasons for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Mike Conley has seen his role diminish this season, averaging a career-low 18.5 minutes per game and 4.4 points per game.

In the 44 games he has played this season, Conley only reached double figures in three games, scoring 10 points on all of those occasions. The last time the guard hit that mark was on November 19th against the Washington Wizards.

On Tuesday, Conley was shipped to Chicago in a three-team trade that also involved the Detroit Pistons. By moving the veteran guard, Minnesota reduced their luxury tax bill from $24 million to $3.8 million, which will help them in their pursuit of Giannis Anteteokounmpo. The Bulls also acquired Jaden Ivey from the Pistons in the trade, as well as Anfernee Simons in a separate trade.

Unfortunately for Conley it’s unlikely he is going to see much playing time in Chicago. The Bulls are loaded with younger guards, which will likely have Conley riding the bench the rest of the season. Conley’s best hope for seeing any playing time is if he can agree to a buyout with the Bulls and find a team who could use his services.

Brice Sensabaugh

The most exciting former Buckeye in the NBA this year has been Brice Sensabaugh. Unfortunately Sensabaugh plays for the Utah Jazz, who are one of the worst teams in the league.

Sensabaugh is averaging 12 points per game this season, which is the highest mark of his three-year NBA career so far.

The forward is coming off a January where he averaged 18 points per game, and scored at least 20 points in seven games. His best effort came against Chicago when he scored 43 points. The increased scoring didn’t help Utah on the court, as the Jazz were just 2-11 in games Sensabaugh played in last month.

The rest of the season became a little muddier for Sensabaugh when the Jazz agreed to a trade with Memphis, acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr., Jock Landale, and Vince Williams Jr. from the Grizzlies. The addition of those three players could see Sensabaugh’s minutes cut for the remainder of the season.

Jae’Sean Tate

While Sensabaugh won’t be sniffing the playoffs this year, Jae’Sean Tate will be in the postseason this year with the Houston Rockets. With Kevin Durant sitting out on Wednesday night, Tate actually had one of his best games of the season, tying a season-high with eight points in a 118-114 win over the Indiana Pacers.

The 2.7 points per game and 8.2 minutes per game are both low marks in the six-year NBA career of Tate, but he has still appeared in 30 games this season for a team that is headed to the playoffs. Even though Tate is far down Houston’s depth chart, if his number is called there is no question that he will give maximum effort on the court.

D’Angelo Russell

Another former Ohio State player who could be moved before the trade deadline is D’Angelo Russell. The Dallas guard has only appeared in one game in 2026, scoring 8 points in 19 minutes against Chicago on January 10th.

One would think that would injuries to Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis the Mavericks would want a veteran like Russell on the floor. Instead, Dallas has opted to let rookie Cooper Flagg run the show and is leaning on veterans like Naji Marshall and Max Christie.

In 26 games this season, Russell is averaging 10.2 points per game, which is a career-low. Russell’s best effort of the season came on the first day of November when he scored 31 points against Detroit in a game played in Mexico City.

If Russell isn’t moved at the trade deadline, it is possible he could agree to a contract buyout with the Mavericks and find a team who could use his services down the stretch run of the season.

Jamison Battle

Following one season at Ohio State, Jamison Battle has spent the first two years of his NBA career with the Toronto Raptors.

Battle’s role is currently a bench guy who usually sees the majority of his playing time in blowouts. Through 36 games this season, Battle is averaging 8.5 minutes per game, which is half the amount of what he received last year.

Battle’s best game of the season came on Halloween when he was a perfect 7-7 from the field, scoring 20 points in a NBA Cup group stage win over Cleveland. Since then Battle has reached double figures in scoring in just two games, with both of those contests coming in December.

Even though he isn’t playing much, at least Battle is on a team heading to the playoffs, as the Raptors currently have a 30-21 record, which is fourth-best in the Eastern Conference.

Malaki Branham

Another former Buckeye who is seeing less than 10 minutes of playing time per game is Malaki Branham.

The former first round pick is averaging 4.6 points per in 9.8 minutes per contest for the Washington Wizards. In his first season with Washington after three years with the San Antonio Spurs, Branham has appeared in just 28 games.

Despite playing on a team that is just 13-35 this season and riding the bench, Branham is coming off his best game with the team after scoring 17 points in 22 minutes on Friday against the Lakers.

It will be interesting to see if his performance last time out leads to the former Ohio State forward seeing more opportunities the rest of the year with a Washington team that doesn’t have anything to play for.

E.J. Liddell

Much like Sensabaugh and Branham, E.J. Liddell is on a team that has essentially already been eliminated from playoff contention.

So far in 2026, Liddell has appeared in just three games for a total of 17 minutes. At least Liddell is still playing hard in the little playing time he is receiving. On Sunday, Liddell scored a season-high 5 points in the 130-77 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Liddell’s situation might be the toughest to deal with, since he isn’t seeing much playing time on a team that is really bad. At least Utah and Washington have some interesting young players on their roster. The same can’t really be said about Brooklyn.

Hopefully the Nets give Liddell some more playing time so he can generate a little bit of interest for wherever the next stop in his NBA journey might be.