The rosters of each of the four remaining teams all have at least one player who either grew up in Washington or played at an in-state college, and three of those teams have local players who have been logging significant postseason minutes as starters.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look at the local players involved.<\/p>\n
Western Conference Finals<\/p>\n
\u2022 MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES<\/p>\n
We have to start with the player with the strongest ties to the Seattle area, and one who is an important part of the T-wolves.<\/p>\n
Power forward Jaden McDaniels has started all 10 playoff games for sixth-seeded Minnesota, averaging 15.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.3 assists in 36 minutes per game. A Federal Way High School product who also starred in college for the UW Huskies, the 24-year-old McDaniels is third this postseason on the Timberwolves in points, rebounds, steals and minutes.<\/p>\n
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The 6-foot-9, 185-pound McDaniels had especially big games in the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 25 points in Game 1 and 30 points in Game 3. Both were wins for Minnesota over the team that selected McDaniels in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft out of UW.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s shooting 55.4% from the field, 34.5% on 3-pointers and 87% on free throws in the postseason.<\/p>\n
McDaniels has an older brother, Jalen McDaniels, who is also a Federal Way and UW product. A six-year NBA veteran, Jalen McDaniels played four games this season with the Washington Wizards.<\/p>\n
\u2022 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER<\/p>\n
We won\u2019t spend too much time on this team for obvious reasons.<\/p>\n
The Zombie Sonics\u2019 one player with Washington ties is 7-1 power forward Chet Holmgren, who spent his one college season with Gonzaga. He\u2019s started all 11 postseason games for OKC, averaging 15.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks in 30.2 minutes per game for the Western Conference\u2019s top seed.<\/p>\n
Eastern Conference Finals<\/p>\n
\u2022 INDIANA PACERS<\/p>\n
Another starter from Gonzaga, 6-4 point guard Andrew Nembhard, is having a strong playoffs starting for the surprising fourth-seeded Pacers, who knocked off No. 1 seed Cleveland in the Eastern semis.<\/p>\n
In 10 games, Nembhard is averaging 14.6 points, 6.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 32.8 minutes per game.<\/p>\n
Nembhard, who was named the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month for January, is shooting 50.5% from the field, 50% on 3s and 87.5% at the line in the postseason.<\/p>\n
The Eastern Conference @Kia<\/a> Defensive Player of the Month for January is Andrew Nembhard! #KiaDPOTM<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/uHd89sRKC0<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NBA (@NBA) February 4, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n A second-round pick in 2022 by Indiana, the 25-year-old Nembhard played the last two of his four college seasons with the Zags after transferring from Florida. A year after he went to the NBA, his brother Ryan Nembhard (now an NBA Draft hopeful<\/a>) transferred to Gonzaga from Creighton and served as Bulldogs point guard for two seasons.<\/p>\n \u2022 NEW YORK KNICKS<\/p>\n You won\u2019t see any local players on the court for the third-seeded Knicks in the Eastern finals, but they do have a few players on two-way contracts who hail from Washington.<\/p>\n Anton Watson, a rookie forward who went from starring at Spokane\u2019s Gonzaga Prep to a memorable five-year college career with the Zags, appeared in nine games for the Knicks in the regular season. He was drafted in the second round last year by the Boston Celtics and found his way to New York on a waiver claim in March.<\/p>\n Finally, Yakima native MarJon Beauchamp played six games for the Knicks and 35 total for three teams this season. The 24-year-old swingman spent time at three Seattle high schools \u2013 Nathan Hale, Garfield and Rainier Beach \u2013 before ultimately graduating at Eisenhower in Yakima. He also played a season in his hometown in the community college ranks with the Yakima Valley Yaks before being drafted in the first round by Milwaukee in 2022.<\/p>\n NBA commish drops another hint about potential expansion talks<\/a><\/p>\n
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