The Tennessee Volunteers have many former players in the NBA, as they have been able to get multiple players to the next level thanks to Rick Barnes and his staff. One of the players who is now in the NBA is Kennedy Chandler, who has quickly become a star since he started playing for the Utah Jazz.
He was added to the Jazz roster on a 10-day contract to end the season, but he has worked his way into a position of deserving a full-time contract with the Jazz roster. The talented prospect was a star in the G-League during the 2025-2026 season, and was the assist leader for a while, but is now fourth on that list. Following his call-up, Chandler made headlines for his outstanding performance and his career high points, which were broken yet again on Tuesday night.
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Kennedy Chandler’s Performance
Mar 23, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Kennedy Chandler (0) relaxes before the game against the Toronto Raptors at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images
Chandler finished with a total of 31 PTS, 8 AST, 7 REB, and 2 STL, while only turning the ball over three times in the contest. These stats come within 43 minutes of play, as this was the most minutes he played since becoming an NBA player yet again. This game was a loss against the New Orleans Pelicans, but the loss wasn’t on the back of Chandler’s performance. In fact, his shooting percentage on the night was 66.7% from behind the arc (2-3) and a field goal percentage of 61.1% (11-18).
Chandler is working his way to becoming a full-time rostered player in the NBA, but even if things don’t work out in Utah for the young star, it is safe to say that some NBA team somewhere will be interested in him. Chandler is only 23 years old, which means he is still young enough to have some progression in his career, which has been showing in his most recent games. He is also someone who could be on a cheaper deal, and still come in and do well when he is asked, as he would still be making far more money than he is in the G-League.
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The Utah Jazz have one more game this season, as they won’t be in the playoffs. Chandler will be someone who sees the court early, if not start for the Jazz, which will be his last chance to leave an impression on the franchise. He will be taking on the team he played for his rookie year, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Jazz will hope to end the season the right way.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tennessee as Former Tennessee Basketball Star Had His Best Career Game on Tuesday.