Former KU Jayhawks guard Devonté Graham attends an event in Europe with another NBA player

Former Kansas guard Devonté Graham of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and Collin Sexton of the Utah Jazz will travel abroad to train 60 of Europe's best male and female players under the age of 18 at Basketball Without Borders' 21st Development Camp in Malaga, Spain, from May 31 to June 3.

The announcement was made earlier this week by the NBA, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB).

Former KU center Udoka Azubuike of the Phoenix Suns worked out at camp in Cairo, Egypt in September 2022.

After the previous camps in Barcelona (2010) and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (2015), the “Basketball without Borders” camp is being held in Spain for the third time.

Graham, Sexton and other coaches to be announced at a later date will teach basketball skills and lead 5-on-5 games at the Embassy Training Center Higuerón in Malaga.

“For more than 20 years, BWB Europe has supported the development of so many talented players who went on to play in the NBA, WNBA and for their national teams,” said Neal Meyer, NBA vice president of basketball operations for Europe and the Middle East.

“We look forward to hosting the BWB in Malaga for the first time and welcoming the next generation of players from across Europe for an unforgettable experience where they can learn from current and former NBA and WNBA players and coaches,” added Meyer.

FIBA Europe President and former NBA player Jorge Garbajosa said: “Given the huge popularity of basketball across the region, highlighted by the success of numerous European teams at last year's FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup and the outstanding performances of many European players in the NBA, we are confident that all participants will gain valuable lessons from this experience, both on and off the court. With the strong support of the Spanish Basketball Federation, we are sure that this event will be a success.”

In total, 41 former Basketball Without Borders participants were among the 125 international players who took to the opening court in the 2023/24 NBA season. These players with BWB experience include Danilo Gallinari (Milwaukee Bucks), Deni Avdija (Washington Wizards), Dario Saric (Golden State Warriors) and Jonas Valanciunas (New Orleans Pelicans).

Since 2001, 119 former campers have made the jump to the NBA or WNBA. The NBA and FIBA ​​have hosted 74 BWB camps in 49 cities in 33 countries on six continents.

Graham's season review

Graham, a six-year NBA veteran who was at KU from 2014-15 to 2017-18, played in just 23 games for the Spurs during the 2023-24 season, the lowest number of his career.

The 6'1″, 29-year-old point guard from Raleigh, North Carolina, averaged 5.0 points and 2.1 assists per game. His personal highlight of the season was when he made a game-winning shot against the Denver Nuggets on April 12.

Over the course of his career, which included playing for the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans, Graham averaged 11.1 points and 2.1 assists in 336 games.

Graham – who earned $12.1 million last season and has career earnings of $38,630,624 – is nearing the final year of a four-year contract.

He is scheduled to make $12,650,000 in 2024-25, but only $2,850,000 is guaranteed. The contract will be fully guaranteed if he is not waived by July 1.

“It's going to be hard to make a case for keeping him,” wrote Jeje Gomez of poundingtherock.com. “During the period in late March and early April when he got playing time, he shot 33% from the field and 28% from beyond the three-point line. He would probably shoot better from outside if he had a regular role that allowed him to develop some rhythm, but he's not going to improve his shot selection this late in his career.”

“A return to San Antonio is not completely out of the question, as the Spurs may have a quiet offseason that they are rumored to be preparing for, so releasing Graham to create salary space would not be a priority. The guard is on a mid-level contract and will be in the final year of his deal, so he could serve as salary ballast for an in-season transfer. But it seems much more likely that the decision to move on is due to Graham not fitting the schedule and the Spurs potentially needing roster spots,” Gomez added.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich praised Graham for his performance as a team leader despite not playing regularly.

“We had to compliment him a couple of times because we understand he must be extremely frustrated not being able to play,” Popovich said of Graham, according to si.com. “But he practices hard. He keeps getting substituted by his teammates. He's very respected.”

Graham was named Big 12 Player of the Year and a first-team All-American during his final season at KU (2017-18). He was a finalist for the Naismith Trophy and the Wooden Award.

Graham was also named to the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team. He was the only player in NCAA Division I to average 17.0 or more points, 7.0 or more assists, 1.6 or more steals and fewer than 3.0 turnovers per game. He was third in the Big 12 in points (17.3), second in assists (7.2, sixth nationally), seventh in free throw percentage (82.7), sixth in steals (1.6), ninth in 3-point shooting percentage (40.6), second in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6) and first in minutes played (37.5, ninth nationally).

He started all 39 games, ending his Kansas career with 82 consecutive starts. The Jayhawks finished 31-8 and reached the Final Four, where they lost to Villanova in the national semifinals.