Former Illinois Big Man Coleman Hawkins Earns NBA Training Camp Opportunity

Former Illinois big man Coleman Hawkins signed a training camp deal with the Denver Nuggets on Friday, September 25. Hawkins played in just one game for the Nuggets during the 2026 Las Vegas NBA Summer League, but he apparently did enough to earn a spot on the team's training camp roster.

Hawkins joins Lonnie Walker IV, Dane Goodwin and Emanuel Miller as players on training camp deals with the Nuggets.

Hawkins played in the G League last season and is still looking to earn his shot in the NBA after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft. He averaged 7.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists last season for the Grand Rapids Gold.

The former Illini has proven that he can rebound and facilitate at a high level in the G League, but he will likely need to do even more if he wants to make an NBA roster this season. Hawkins showed how versatile he could be as a big man at Illinois, and he carried that versatility over to the Gold, averaging more than six rebounds and six assists per game.

At Illinois, Hawkins played in 126 career games and helped lead the Illini to the Elite Eight in 2024. Illinois also won its second Big Ten Tournament championship during his tenure and reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. Hawkins was part of the “Big Three” alongside Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask that helped give the Illini one of the best offenses in the country.

Hawkins started all 35 games during his senior season and averaged a career-high 12.1 points per game. He graduated from Illinois after four years before transferring to Kansas State for his fifth and final season of college basketball.

Hawkins helped start the Brad Underwood-era trend of recruiting big men who can play on the perimeter. Standing at 6-foot-10, Hawkins was often used at the top of the key, allowing Illinois to run offense through him while spreading the floor and creating mismatches. We have seen that same concept used heavily with Tomislav Ivisic over the past two seasons.

It is great to see another Illini graduate get a chance at the next level. Multiple former Illinois players played in the NBA Summer League and will represent their former school in the NBA or G League this season.

Keaton Wagler was drafted No. 5 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers, Kylan Boswell signed a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets, and Ben Humrichous will get his chance with the Brooklyn Nets after signing a training camp deal. Former Illini Dain Dainja will also join Humrichous with the Nets for training camp.