Archie Goodwin Basketball Career Highlights and Where He Is Now
I remember the first time I saw Archie Goodwin play—it was during his one season at Kentucky, and even then you could see the raw athleticism that would define his professional journey. Standing at 6'5" with explosive leaping ability, Goodwin entered the 2013 NBA Draft after averaging 14.1 points per game for the Wildcats, though his shooting percentages left something to be desired at just 40% from the field. The Phoenix Suns selected him 29th overall, and I always felt that pick represented both the promise and peril of drafting based primarily on athletic potential.
Goodwin's NBA career spanned five seasons across four different teams, with his most productive years coming in Phoenix where he averaged around 8 points per game off the bench. What struck me most watching him during those years was the dichotomy between his spectacular athletic plays—those breathtaking drives to the basket where he seemed to defy physics—and his struggle to develop a consistent outside shot. I've always believed that if he had entered the league just a few years later, when the three-point revolution was in full swing, teams might have shown more patience with his development. His career three-point percentage of just 23% ultimately limited his effectiveness in an increasingly perimeter-oriented league.
After his NBA tenure concluded in 2017-18 with brief stints in Brooklyn and New Orleans, Goodwin embarked on what I find to be the most fascinating chapter of his basketball journey—the global professional circuit. He played in China, participated in the NBA G League, and most recently, according to reports I've been following, there's been speculation about potential opportunities in international leagues including the Philippine basketball scene. This brings me to the current landscape where teams like Choco Mucho are competing in preseason tournaments against squads like Nxled, demonstrating the kind of competitive environments where players like Goodwin might find opportunities to extend their careers.
The transition from NBA prospect to global basketball journeyman is one I've seen many athletes navigate, and Goodwin's path reflects both the challenges and opportunities available to professional players today. At 28 years old, he's now in what should be the prime of his career, and I can't help but wonder if his explosive scoring ability might find a perfect home in international leagues that value athletic guards who can create their own shot. Having watched countless players reinvent themselves overseas, I'm convinced that the global game offers second acts that the NBA rarely provides.
What continues to impress me about players like Goodwin is their resilience in staying connected to basketball despite the winding paths their careers take. While specific details about his current team aren't widely publicized, the basketball community occasionally buzzes with sightings of him working out in preparation for another opportunity. The preseason tournaments happening in various leagues, similar to the Choco Mucho versus Nxled matchup, represent exactly the kinds of platforms where experienced players can showcase they still have value to contribute.
Reflecting on Goodwin's journey reminds me why I find basketball careers so compelling—they're rarely linear, often unpredictable, but always revealing about both the player and the evolving nature of the sport itself. His story embodies the reality for many professional athletes where initial expectations meet the practical challenges of roster construction and skill development. As leagues worldwide continue to develop, including growing competitions like the one featuring Choco Mucho, I remain optimistic that skilled players like Goodwin will find places to contribute meaningfully to the game they've dedicated their lives to mastering. The very fact that we're still discussing his potential landing spots years after his NBA departure speaks to the lasting impression his unique athletic gifts made on those of us who watched him develop.
