Creighton Great Doug McDermott Retires After 12 NBA Seasons

Doug McDermott, the Creighton star who became one of the NBA's most dependable outside shooters, has retired after 12 seasons in the league. His agency, Priority Sports, announced the decision on Friday ^[1][2]. Yahoo Sports reported that McDermott is ending his playing career at 34 ^[4].

His agent, Mark Bartelstein, praised him in the announcement as one of the league's elite shooters and a teammate whom players and coaches loved and respected ^[1][2]. Bartelstein also called McDermott's run at Creighton one of the best careers in college basketball history ^[2].

A sharpshooter's 12-year journey

The Denver Nuggets drafted McDermott 11th overall in 2014 and traded him to Chicago that same night. The Bulls gave up the 16th and 19th picks, which became Jusuf Nurkic and Gary Harris ^[5]. He went on to play for the Bulls, Thunder, Knicks, Mavericks, Pacers, Spurs and Kings ^[1].

The longest stretch came in Indiana. Yahoo Sports noted that he spent a little more than three seasons with the Pacers over his career ^[4]. He finished in Sacramento, where the Kings brought him back on a one-year, $3.6 million contract for the 2025-26 season, his 12th in the league ^[6].

McDermott's numbers reflect a player who did his job without needing the spotlight. In 726 regular-season games he averaged 8.5 points and 2.1 rebounds, according to KETV ^[2]. He hit 1,032 three-pointers and made 41 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc ^[2]. Newsweek called the former college player of the year one of the league's top shooters ^[3].

A legend in Omaha, coached by his father

Before the NBA, McDermott was a phenomenon in Omaha. He played at Creighton from 2010 to 2014 for his father, head coach Greg McDermott ^[2]. As a senior he led the nation in scoring at 26.7 points per game, and he earned Associated Press All-American honors three times ^[2]. Newsweek noted that he was the national player of the year in 2014 ^[3]. Creighton later retired his No. 3 jersey, a ceremony KETV reported took place in December 2023 ^[2].

The family side of the story drew warm reactions on Friday. KETV reported that Greg McDermott congratulated his son on social media. The coach said he was extremely proud of what Doug had accomplished and that his son had carried himself with class at every step ^[2]. Creighton's athletic department also congratulated its former star and wished him well in what comes next ^[2].

A father who coaches his son through four college seasons is taking a risk. Every benching, every loss and every critical film session lands at the dinner table too. The McDermotts made it work. The son left Omaha as the national player of the year ^[3].

Related 'Humbled and Honored': NC State Makes Philip Rivers' Homecoming Official With a Five-Year Deal, and Son Gunner Is on the Way

What comes next, and Bianca Torres' take

McDermott has not yet said publicly what he plans to do after basketball. Friday's reports centered on his career and the reactions to his decision ^[1][2]. His jersey hangs at Creighton, and his place in Bluejays history is secure no matter what he chooses next ^[2].

Not every great career ends with a banner or a statue. Some end the way McDermott's does: 12 seasons, seven teams, more than a thousand made threes, and a reputation as a good teammate everywhere he went ^[1][2]. Players like him are the glue of the NBA. Coaches trust them, front offices keep calling them, and younger players learn what it means to show up ready every night.

I also love that this story starts and ends with family. A kid who played for his dad in Omaha became a national player of the year, made it to the NBA, and stayed there more than a decade. His father's first public words on Friday were not about stats but about how his son carried himself ^[2]. Character still matters in sports. Doug McDermott is proof that you can win people over with hard work and humility, and that a career built the right way is worth celebrating.

Congratulations, Dougie. Enjoy what comes next.