NBA Players from the Bahamas: Full List (2026)
9 NBA players have come from the Bahamas, by Wikipedia’s count (including 2 U.S.-born Bahamians). Our table below names 8: players born outside the United States with a tie to the Bahamas, plus current players listed with its nationality. As of October 2026, 3 are on an NBA roster: Buddy Hield (Chicago Bulls), Deandre Ayton (Washington Wizards) and V.J. Edgecombe (Philadelphia Sixers).
NBA players from the Bahamas at a glance
| NBA players, all time | 9 (Wikipedia count); 8 named in our table |
|---|---|
| On NBA rosters, October 2026 | 3: Buddy Hield, Deandre Ayton, V.J. Edgecombe |
| First to play in the NBA | Mychal Thompson (1978) |
| Longest NBA career | Mychal Thompson (12 seasons) |
| Centers | 3: Mychal Thompson, Deandre Ayton, Kai Jones |
| 7-foot prospects in our database | None right now |
| Last checked | 9 October 2026 |
Every NBA player from the Bahamas
Sorted by NBA debut, earliest first. Status is as of October 2026, before the 2026-27 regular season, so it includes players on training camp deals.
| Player | Position | NBA seasons | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mychal Thompson | Forward/center | 1978-1991 | Former player | |
| Ian Lockhart | Forward | 1990 | Former player | |
| Dexter Cambridge | Forward | 1992-93 | Former player | |
| Buddy Hield | Guard | 2016 to present | Chicago Bulls | |
| Deandre Ayton | Center | 2018 to present | Washington Wizards | |
| Kai Jones | Center | 2021-2025 | Former player | |
| V.J. Edgecombe | Forward | 2025 to present | Philadelphia Sixers | Also listed with the United States nationality |
Every NBA career from the Bahamas, year by year
First to last NBA season for each player. Orange means on an NBA roster in 2026-27.
First seasonLast season
Show the data behind this chart
Player
Position
NBA seasons
Status
Mychal Thompson
Forward/center
1978-1991
Former player
Ian Lockhart
Forward
1990
Former player
Dexter Cambridge
Forward
1992-93
Former player
Buddy Hield
Guard
2016 to present
Chicago Bulls
Deandre Ayton
Center
2018 to present
Washington Wizards
Kai Jones
Center
2021-2025
Former player
V.J. Edgecombe
Forward
2025 to present
Philadelphia Sixers
Players from the Bahamas in the NBA in 2026-27
- Buddy Hield: guard, 6’4″, age 33, Chicago Bulls. Entering NBA season 11; drafted in 2016, round 1, pick 6.
- Deandre Ayton: center, 7’0″, age 28, Washington Wizards. Entering NBA season 9; drafted in 2018, round 1, pick 1.
- V.J. Edgecombe: forward, 6’4″, age 21, Philadelphia Sixers. Entering NBA season 2; drafted in 2025, round 1, pick 3.
NBA centers from the Bahamas
3 of the 8 players in the table played center or forward/center: Mychal Thompson (1978-1991), Deandre Ayton (2018 to present) and Kai Jones (2024-25).
7-Foot Prospects from the Bahamas
No active player from the Bahamas listed at 7 feet or taller and born in 2001 or later is in our 7-Foot Prospect Database right now (last checked on 9 October 2026). The database tracks nearly 400 young 7-footers from 61 countries, and we add new names as they appear.
Player profiles from our archive
This section was first published in 2018. Teams and career details in it are as of that time; the tables above show where things stand in October 2026.
NBA Players from The Bahamas: Active and Inactive
Dexter Ryan Cambridge born in the Bahamas on January 29th 1970, this professional basketball player started playing in the USA at Lon Morris Junior College in Jacksonville (TX) and then at the University of Texas (Austin), where he played with the Texas Longhorns.
He was suspended by the NCAA for two months starting November 1991, because when he graduated from Lon Morris Junior College he received $7,000 from a fan, an action that breached his status as an amateur player. Cambridge alleged that the money was in reward for being named a junior college All-American.
He started a brief career in the NBA on January 3rd 1993 playing with the Dallas Mavericks, and then he began playing for several teams abroad.
Chavano Rainier “Buddy” Hield is a professional basketball player, born on December 17th 1993 in the Bahamas, and at his 24 years of age he plays for the Sacramento Kings. In 2014 he was part of the Bahamas national team that competed in the 2014 Centrobasket regional tournament for Central America and the Caribbean, where he was coached by Larry Eustachy. On that tournament he scored a remarkable average of 19.8 points per game and 6.0 rebounds, which was the highest amount for his team.
He started his college career playing for the Oklahoma Sooners, and there he became Player of the Year 2015-16 on the Big 12 Conference. That season he received four important awards: the John R. Wooden Award for Best College Basketball Player, the Naismith College Player of the Year, the Sporting News College Player of the Year 2016 and the Oscar Robertson Trophy 2016.
Shortly afterwards he was picked on the NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans, becoming the number six in the list. Then in February 2017 he was traded to the Sacramento Kings alongside Tyreke Evans and Langston Galloway in exchange for DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi.
Ian DeWitt Lockhart is a former professional basketball player from Bahamas, born on June 25th 1967. He was present in the 1990 NBA Draft and was signed on September of that year by the Phoenix Suns, where he scored 4 points on his brief 2 minutes time in the court on November 1990.
After leaving the Suns he became part of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league in Puerto Rico, where he would play for 15 seasons, particularly for the Piratas de Quebradillas for 11 straight seasons (1990 to 2002).
Mychal George Thompson is a retired Bahamian basketball player who fathered three professional sportsmen: Klay Thompson and Mychel Thompson who are basketball players, and Trayce Thompson who became a baseball player. During his career he played for the University of Minnesota in college years, and then professionally for the Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers, the last of which won with his aid two NBA championships in the Showtime era, a remarkable period of this team’s history in the 80s.
When the Bahamas's NBA players arrived
Players by the decade of their first NBA season.
Show the data behind this chart
Decade of NBA debut
Players
1970s
1
1980s
0
1990s
2
2000s
0
2010s
2
2020s
2
Frequently asked questions
How many NBA players are from the Bahamas?
Wikipedia counts 9 (including 2 U.S.-born Bahamians). Our table names 8 players with a tie to the Bahamas.
Which players from the Bahamas are in the NBA in 2026-27?
As of October 2026: Buddy Hield (Chicago Bulls), Deandre Ayton (Washington Wizards) and V.J. Edgecombe (Philadelphia Sixers).
Who was the first NBA player from the Bahamas?
Mychal Thompson, who debuted in 1978.
Which centers from the Bahamas have played in the NBA?
Mychal Thompson, Deandre Ayton and Kai Jones.
Are there 7-foot prospects from the Bahamas?
Not right now. Our 7-Foot Prospect Database has no active player from the Bahamas listed at 7 feet or taller and born in 2001 or later.
More guides: NBA players by country. Scouting reports: NBA center prospects.
Sources: Wikipedia, List of NBA players born outside the United States (revision of 3 October 2026); RealGM NBA player list (9 October 2026); Low Key NBA 7-Foot Prospect Database. U.S.-born players with family ties to the Bahamas may be missing from the table. Last checked 9 October 2026.
