The Knoxville area’s own Ja’Kobi Gillespie is headed to the NBA.
Gillespie, a Greeneville, Tennessee native, went to the San Antonio Spurs with the 42nd overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft on June 24.
Gillespie is the second of the Vols trio to be selected in the NBA Draft. Nate Ament went on the first night to the Milwaukee Bucks at pick No. 13, and center Felix Okpara is still on the board.
The 6-foot guard returned home to the Vols for his final season of college basketball, and he made the most of it. Gillespie led the team with 18.4 points, 5.4 assists and 2.1 steals. He shot 33.8% from the 3-point line on 8.2 attempts per game and went 41% from the field.
Gillespie joins Elston Turner (Austin-East), Doug Roth (Karns) and Paul Hogue (Austin High) as the only Knoxville area players to get drafted into the NBA. He led Greeneville to its first pair of TSSAA state championships in 2021 and 2022.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie scouting report in 2026 NBA Draft
Gillespie excelled as the lead ballhandler for Tennessee and formed a formidable scoring duo along with Ament. Once Ament got going in the middle of SEC play, Gillespie took a step back as the lead scorer and focused more on facilitating the offense.
At the end of the season, though, when Ament struggled with injury, Gillespie became the main threat once again. He blended tough finishes around the rim with one of the prettiest jumpers in college basketball.
The senior guard had a penchant for taking deep 3s, which he showcased in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Miami (Ohio). He drained six 3s on his way to 29 points, though Tennessee coach Rick Barnes regularly asked Gillespie to improve his midrange game.
Gillespie started college at Belmont for two seasons, then transferred to Maryland as a junior to pair with 2024 lottery pick Derik Queen. When he came to Tennessee, he admitted he had never worked with alley-oop targets like Okpara and Michigan’s J.P. Estrella, but he quickly became one of the best lob throwers in the country.
Gillespie’s size prevents him from being an elite, switchable defender at the next level, but interrupted passing lanes with active hands. He finished third in the SEC in steals per game behind Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner (2.4) and Duke Miles (2.6).
Ja’Kobi Gillespie stats with Tennessee basketball
Gillespie achieved career highs across the board while playing 34.8 minutes per game in all 37 contests for the Vols. His 3-point shooting dipped from his 40% mark at Maryland, but Gillespie had to increase his volume on a Tennessee team that desperately needed him to score.
Gillespie finished the season with All-SEC First Team honors after leading the Vols to their fourth consecutive Sweet 16 and third straight Elite Eight appearance.
He crossed the 30-point threshold with a 34-point eruption against Texas. Gillespie had 16 games with 20 or more points and averaged 21.8 points in the NCAA Tournament.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: San Antonio Spurs select Tennessee basketball’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie in 2026 NBA Draft
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