The 2024-25 NBA season is down to the Conference Finals. The first game of the NBA Finals is scheduled for June 5, and either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Minnesota Timberwolves of the West will take on the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks of the East for a place in basketball’s history books.
For the fans, players, and staff of the other 24 NBA franchises not involved in the excitement of the playoffs, now is a time to relax, enjoy the playoffs as a neutral, and reflect on how the past season panned out. A trio of former Minnesota Golden Gophers are among those players watching from the sidelines. We are, of course, talking about Amir Coffey, Cam Christie, and Jamison Battle. How did they fare during the 2024-25 campaign?
Amir Coffey – Los Angeles Clippers
Amir Coffey is one of three former Gophers currently active in the NBA. He was the 49th Gopher to play in the NBA despite going undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Los Angeles Clippers, a team the top NBA online betting sites often predict will reach the playoffs, signed Coffey in time to play during the 2019-20 season.
Although Coffey played 62 times during his first two seasons, he only made a brace of starts. He played 69 games, starting 30, during the 2021-22 season, and his performances warranted a three-year, $11 million contract. The Clippers mainly deployed Coffey from the substitute’s bench during his next three seasons, including the 2024-25 campaign.
This season, Coffey played a career-high 72 games (13 starts) and averaged a career-high 24.3 minutes per game. He finished the regular season with 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. Coffey also featured in six of the Clippers’ playoff games, averaging 2.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.
Once the NBA Finals conclude, this former Gopher will become an unrestricted free agent. It remains to be seen if the Clippers will offer him a new deal or if he will have to leave for pastures new.
Cam Christie – Los Angeles Clippers
Cam Christie only played one season for the Gophers before declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft. After being named to the Big Ten Conference All-Freshman team, pundits and experts predicted Christie would not be short of suitors; those predictions ultimately came true.
The Los Angeles Clippers signed him to a four-year, $7,895,796 contract, with almost half that amount guaranteed, after selecting him 46th overall in the second round of the draft. Christie was assigned to the San Diego Clippers several times throughout his rookie season, although he did enjoy some game time for them.
Christie played 13 games during the 2024-25 season, starting none. He averaged 4.5 minutes, 1.4 points, 0.9 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. His limited game time makes those statistics relatively pointless. Although Christie played less than an hour in the NBA this season, the youngster has time on his hands as he is still only 19. Undoubtedly, he will be hopeful of following in his older brother’s footsteps, Max, who has so far racked up 186 appearances (46 starts) for the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.
Jamison Battle – Toronto Raptors
Jamison Battle started his college career at George Washington and ended at Ohio State, with a two-year stint with the Gophers sandwiched between. As a junior with the Gophers, Battle averaged 17.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Battle followed that up with a 12.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game average before transferring to Ohio State for his final collegiate season.
Like Coffey, Battle went undrafted, doing so in the 2024 NBA Draft. The Toronto Raptors signed Battle on July 16 before converting his deal to a two-way contract after impressing during the Raptors’ training camp.
Battle shone brightly during the Raptors’ 119-93 road victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. He hit six of eight three-pointers and nine of 11 field goals, finishing the game with a career-high 24 points. By the time the curtain came down on the Raptors’ regular season, Battle had played 59 games (starting 10), averaging 17.7 minutes, 7.1 points, and 2.7 rebounds per game.
The Raptors converted Battle’s two-way contract into a standard three-year deal a day before the trade deadline. That deal is worth $5,251,648 over three years.
Will This Trio Become NBA Superstars?
The Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball has a long and storied history of producing talent that goes on to excel in the NBA. Fifty-one former Gophers have played for NBA teams over the years, with nine making over 700 professional appearances before calling time on their careers.
Legendary figures like Kevin McHale, Mychal Thompson, and Lou Hudson are still talked about on the Gophers’ campus today, inspiring current and future generations of basketball talent.
Amir Coffey, a Gopher between 2016 and 2019, has already racked up 323 regular-season and 20 playoff appearances for the Los Angeles Clippers. While it seems unlikely he will reach the dizzying heights of McHale and Co., Coffey continues to make a living from the sport he loves, all while proudly flying the Gophers’ flag.
Cam Christie and Jamison Battle have the world at their feet, particularly Christie, who is still only 19 and a raw talent. The Los Angeles Clippers saw something in Christie, hence their selection of him in the 2024 NBA Draft. Similarly, the Toronto Raptors converted Battle’s two-way deal into a standard three-year contract during the 2024-25 season.
Though the NBA season is over for this trio of former Gophers, all three can look forward to playing on basketball’s biggest stage and in its most prestigious competition when the new 2025-26 campaign kicks off on October 21.Ski-U-Mah!