When people think of Illinois players from last season playing in the NBA, immediately everyone's mind thinks of Keaton Wagler, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. While Wagler's time with the L.A. Clippers has been a bit of a learning curve in his first NBA Summer League, he isn't the only former Illinois player hitting the court this summer.
While he didn't get picked up in the draft, Kylan Bowell didn't spend too long as an undrafted free agent before being picked up by the Charlotte Hornets, signing a two-way contract with the team. Splitting time between the Hornets and NBA G-League team, the Greensboro Swarm, Boswell made his debut in the NBA Summer League Saturday night.
It may seem like Boswell did much when looking at his stat line, especially in the points column, but looking at it from the point of limited minutes, he really did impress against the New Orleans Pelicans. Boswell finished with eight points, seven assists, and four rebounds, but what should be highlighted was his shooting perfection, going 2-for-2 from three-point range and finishing at the rim with a layup.
Kylan Boswell vs the Pelicans:
— Tristan Thomas (@TristanThomasTV) July 11, 2026
- 8 points (3-3, 2-2 from three)
- 7 assists
- 4 rebounds#Illini
🎥: ESPN pic.twitter.com/KsRhprLccd
Kylan Boswell will make teams regret passing on him in the NBA Draft
Boswell didn't have a high projection heading into the NBA Draft, at best having the potential to go late in the second round. However, he was a priority free agent, which proved true when the Hornets quickly snatched him up after the draft.
Now on a two-way contract, he is showing what he can bring to the table in the NBA Summer League, and it could have some teams wishing they had acted faster on the former Illinois guard. Two seasons in Champaign did wonders for Boswell, who averaged 12.3 points per game both years. The best part of his game was his consistency all around, averaging just over three assists and four rebounds both seasons as well.
In four years of college basketball, Boswell played in 136 games, which some of these young guys barely match up to. Even as a freshman at Arizona, Boswell saw lots of time on the court, averaging 15.2 minutes, and became a starter in his second year with the Wildcats. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood knew what he was getting with Boswell when he brought him in from the transfer portal, and he was integral in getting the Illini back to the Final Four this past season.
Boswell brings a lot of experience to the Hornets, having spent four years in college, but that was also a ding on his draft stock. Players coming into the NBA on the older side may not be looked at as closely as a lot of these younger freshmen coming into the league. Boswell may not be able to bring as many years in the league, but he brings more experience, which he showed on Saturday night.
Add us as a preferred source on Google