John Konchar
American basketball player (born 1996)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Konchar (/ˈkɒntʃɑːr/ KON-char;[1] born March 22, 1996), nicknamed "Jitty",[2] is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons.
Konchar (left) with Purdue Fort Wayne in 2019 | |
| Free agent | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 22, 1996 West Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | West Chicago (West Chicago, Illinois) |
| College | Purdue Fort Wayne (2015–2019) |
| NBA draft | 2019: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2019–present |
| Career history | |
| 2019–2026 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2019–2020 | →Memphis Hustle |
| 2026 | Utah Jazz |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
High school career
Konchar played basketball for West Chicago High School in West Chicago, Illinois. In his junior season, he averaged 19.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and two steals, leading his team in most statistical categories. They finished with a 5–22 record.[3] On February 27, 2014, as a senior, Konchar posted 45 points, 15 rebounds, eight assists, five steals, and five blocks in an 89–82 win over St. Charles North High School. With the performance, he became his school's all-time leading scorer, surpassing his head coach and 1983 graduate Bill Recchia.[4] Konchar averaged 28.9 points, 14.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 3.2 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game in his senior season, earning All-Area MVP honors.[5]
Despite his high school success, he was lightly recruited, with his only NCAA Division I scholarship offer coming from Chicago State.[5] A Notre Dame assistant coach convinced Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), then a joint campus of the Indiana University (IU) and Purdue University systems, to offer him a basketball scholarship.[6] On April 25, 2015, he committed to IPFW.[7]
College career
During Konchar's college career, his basketball team represented two different universities and used three different athletic identities. In his freshman season, the school's athletic program was known as the IPFW Mastodons. Between his freshman and sophomore seasons, IPFW changed its athletic branding to Fort Wayne Mastodons.[8] After his sophomore season, the IU and Purdue systems agreed to dissolve IPFW effective June 30, 2018. IPFW's degree programs in health sciences would transfer to the new Indiana University Fort Wayne, while all other IPFW degree programs, plus the IPFW athletic department, would become part of the new Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW).[9] Shortly before the split became official, the athletic department announced that it would henceforth be known as the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons.[10]
On March 10, 2019, Konchar recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 96–70 victory over South Dakota in the 2019 Summit League tournament. It was the first triple-double in tournament history.[11] As a senior for Purdue Fort Wayne, Konchar averaged 19.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and two steals per game, earning first-team All-Summit League honors for his fourth consecutive season. He compiled 2,065 career points and left as the program's all-time leading scorer.[12] At the end of the season, Tom Henry, mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, proclaimed March 28 as "John Konchar Day."[13]
Professional career
Memphis Grizzlies (2019–2026)
After going undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft, Konchar signed a two-way contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.[14] Konchar made his NBA debut on November 9, 2019, against the Dallas Mavericks.[15] He suffered a calf strain on November 15 and was sidelined for several weeks.[16] Konchar made 19 appearances for Memphis during his rookie campaign, logging averages of 2.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.[17]
On November 22, 2020, the Grizzlies announced that they had re-signed Konchar to a multi-year contract.[18] On May 11, 2021, Konchar logged a season-high 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from three along with six rebounds and three assists in 26 minutes of play in a 133–104 win over the Dallas Mavericks.[19][20] Konchar made 43 appearances off of the bench for Memphis during the 2020–21 NBA season, averaging 4.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.[21]
During the Grizzlies' regular season finale on April 10, 2022, Konchar recorded his first career triple-double with 17 points, ten assists, and 13 rebounds in a 110–139 loss to the Boston Celtics.[22] He made a career-high 72 appearances (including seven starts) for the Grizzlies during the 2021–22 NBA season, averaging 4.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists.[23]
On July 7, 2022, Konchar signed a three-year, $19 million contract extension with the Grizzlies.[24][25] On November 18, he scored a career-high 19 points, alongside ten rebounds and two assists, in a 121–110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.[26] Konchar made 72 appearances (and a career-high 23 starts) for Memphis during the 2022–23 NBA season, recording averages of 5.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists.[27]
Konchar made 55 appearances (including 23 starts) for Memphis in the 2023–24 NBA season, averaging 4.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.[28] He played in 46 games (starting four) for the Grizzlies during the 2024–25 NBA season, logging averages of 2.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists.[29]
On December 15, 2025, it was announced that Konchar would miss at least three weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb.[30] He made 30 total appearances (including one start) for Memphis in the 2025–26 NBA season, averaging 3.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists.[31]
Utah Jazz (2026)
On February 3, 2026, Konchar, Jaren Jackson Jr., Jock Landale, and Vince Williams Jr. were traded to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Kyle Anderson, Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang, and three first-round draft picks.[32] On April 7, Konchar put up a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 156–137 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.[33] On April 10, Konchar recorded another triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists off the bench in a 147–101 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. His teammate, Bez Mbeng, also recorded a triple-double with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists off the bench, making Mbeng and Konchar the first pair of teammates to each record a triple-double off the bench in a game in NBA history.[34][35]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Memphis | 19 | 0 | 9.5 | .649 | .500 | .500 | 2.5 | 1.2 | .4 | .2 | 2.8 |
| 2020–21 | Memphis | 43 | 0 | 13.4 | .500 | .375 | .833 | 3.0 | 1.1 | .7 | .2 | 4.3 |
| 2021–22 | Memphis | 72 | 7 | 17.9 | .515 | .413 | .551 | 4.6 | 1.5 | .6 | .3 | 4.8 |
| 2022–23 | Memphis | 72 | 23 | 20.7 | .431 | .339 | .778 | 4.3 | 1.4 | 1.1 | .4 | 5.1 |
| 2023–24 | Memphis | 55 | 23 | 21.3 | .423 | .317 | .840 | 4.7 | 2.0 | .9 | .9 | 4.3 |
| 2024–25 | Memphis | 46 | 4 | 12.1 | .451 | .371 | .875 | 3.3 | .9 | .7 | .3 | 2.4 |
| 2025–26 | Memphis | 30 | 1 | 14.5 | .521 | .333 | .615 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 1.0 | .4 | 3.2 |
| Utah | 26 | 7 | 26.2 | .445 | .250 | .774 | 5.7 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 5.9 | |
| Career | 363 | 65 | 17.6 | .469 | .349 | .727 | 4.0 | 1.5 | .9 | .5 | 4.3 | |
Playoffs
NBA G League
Source[36]
Regular season
College
| * | Led Summit League |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | IPFW | 34* | 33 | 35.6 | .584 | .439 | .723 | 9.2* | 2.7 | 2.1 | .3 | 13.0 |
| 2016–17 | Fort Wayne | 33 | 33 | 34.9 | .637* | .517 | .689 | 8.7 | 3.8 | 1.7 | .5 | 14.9 |
| 2017–18 | Fort Wayne | 33 | 31 | 35.8* | .482 | .384 | .648 | 8.1 | 4.7* | 2.5* | .7 | 14.8 |
| 2018–19 | Purdue Fort Wayne | 33 | 33 | 34.3 | .546* | .381 | .713 | 8.5 | 5.4* | 2.0* | .9 | 19.5 |
| Career[37] | 133 | 130 | 35.2 | .556 | .416 | .697 | 8.6 | 4.2 | 2.0 | .6 | 15.5 | |
Personal life
Konchar is of Czech, Hungarian, and Serbian descent.[citation needed]