Four NBA Buffs to take the court in 2025 playoffs

Former Colorado guard Derrick White hopes to help the Boston Celtics defend their NBA title. (Photo by David Butler II / Imagn Images)

Another regular season of the NBA has come and gone, and it is time for the playoffs to see which team will hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The 2025 NBA playoffs will feature four former Colorado Buffaloes.

Starting with the Miami Heat, guard Alec Burks will lead his team from the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference play-in. The veteran journeyman played two seasons with the Buffs in 2010 and 2011, where he was awarded the 2010 Big 12 Freshman of the Year.

With the Heat, Burks has struggled to stay on the court this season due to various injuries. Healthy for the playoffs, Burks is set to start at shooting guard. In his 49 games this season, Burks averaged 7.3 points.

On the other side of the play-in, guard Spencer Dinwiddie and the Dallas Mavericks will fight for their spot in the Western Conference. In his three seasons with Colorado, Dinwiddie made the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, first-team All-Pac-12 and led the Buffs to three consecutive March Madness appearances.

Now in his 10th year in the NBA, Dinwiddie will lead his team at point guard following the departure of Luka Dončić. Dinwiddie has averaged 11.0 points per game and 4.4 assists per game in 2024-25. The Mavericks are the No. 10 seed in the West.

Back in Florida, rookie Tristan da Silva will come off the bench for the Southeast Division champion Orlando Magic. The German-born Buff played four seasons for Colorado. He made first-team All-Pac-12 and second-team All-Pac-12 in his junior and senior years, respectively.

Drafted No. 18 overall by the Magic, da Silva has had a successful rookie season, scoring 7.2 points in 22.0 minutes per game. Da Silva will continue to play a pivotal role as a forward off the bench. The Magic have earned the No. 7 seed and will face off against another former Buff in the first round.

Star guard Derrick White and the Boston Celtics will be seeking consecutive NBA championships. The Colorado native played at the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs before playing one season in Boulder. In his lone season as a Buff, White made first-team All-Pac-12 and the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. This season, he joined the Buffs in Boulder to watch his jersey make the wall of honor.

White broke the Celtics’ record for most 3-pointers made in a single season on April 1. White has averaged a career-high 16.4 points this season and leads the Celtics with 1.1 blocks per game. Alongside Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown, White and the Celtics are poised for another deep run out of the No. 2 seed, starting with the Magic.