Tennessee basketball forward Felix Okpara had his dreams become a reality on Wednesday night. The two-year Vols starter was selected with the No. 46 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic and was promptly traded to the Washington Wizards.
Now, Okpara has selected his number of choice in the NBA. He will wear No. 32, according to Etienne Catalan. This was last worn by former Virginia star Jay Huff in 2023 with the Wizards.
This is the same number that Okpara wore in both years at Tennessee and Ohio State, his stop prior to transferring to the Vols. He wore 24 and four during his high school days.
UPDATE: Felix Okpara (@Felixokpara24) will wear No. 34 for the #Wizards. Number last worn by Jay Huff in 2023. #NBA pic.twitter.com/jO48Jdi6Kv
Advertisement— Etienne Catalan (@EtienneCatalan) June 25, 2026
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Last season, Okpara cemented himself as one of the best rim protectors in the SEC as a senior. On a squad that went to the Elite Eight, he averaged 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. This came in 35 appearances and 34 starts for an average of 26.9 minutes per outing. He shot 59.7% from the field and 4-for-11 from three, with the bulk of his offensive production coming as a lob threat.
The year prior, Okpara was also on an Elite Eight team. As a junior, he averaged 7.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game on 58.9% shooting from the field.
Okpara is one of three Tennessee players to hear their name called in the draft. Nate Ament went in the first round, while Ja’Kobi Gillespie went just ahead of Okpara in the second.
“Well, it’s awesome. It really is,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “And so proud of those guys. You go back to a year ago and look at the analytical side of what we do, those three guys put in more work than anybody in terms of the distance they ran, the reps they put in. And it’s always great when you see guys getting rewarded for their hard work. And obviously all of them meant so much to our program and had so much to do with our success. And we’re just proud of them. And again, I think they’re just getting started in what their journey through professional basketball. It was a fun couple days.”
Ament is joining the Bucks as the No. 13 overall pick. Gillespie is joining the Spurs, fresh off a NBA Finals run, as the No. 42 pick.
