Former Aggie returns to the Beehive State in trade to Salt Lake City Stars
Aug 25, 2026, 10:04 AM | Updated: 10:41 am
Former Utah State forward Taylor Funk was recently acquired by the G-League Salt Lake City Stars. (Garret Graf, USU Athletics)
(Garret Graf, USU Athletics)
SALT LAKE CITY – Former Utah State Aggie forward Taylor Funk is heading back to the Beehive State.
The Salt Lake City Stars announced Monday they acquired the NBA G League rights to Funk from the San Diego Clippers in exchange for the rights to guard Max Abmas and forward Daniel Batcho.
Welcome to the Stars, Taylor 🏔️
We have acquired the NBA G League rights to forward Taylor Funk from the San Diego Clippers.#ItStartsHere pic.twitter.com/8HZ6F2I9l5
— Salt Lake City Stars (@slcstars) August 24, 2026
Listed at 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, Funk brings a combination of perimeter shooting and rim-attacking athleticism to a Stars roster in need of wing scoring.
For a player who built a fan base during his standout graduate season in Logan, the trade also represents a homecoming of sorts — a chance to play in the same state where he first turned heads at the professional level’s doorstep.
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Who is Taylor Funk?
Salt Lake City will be Funk’s fourth G League stop since going undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft.
He began his professional career with the Maine Celtics before being traded to the Capital City Go-Go, where he played from 2023 to 2025.
Funk spent last season with San Diego, averaging 11.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 41 games (25 starts).
Before concluding his college career with the Aggies, Funk spent five seasons at Saint Joseph’s, where he appeared in 120 games (100 starts) and averaged 12 points while shooting 42% from the floor and 35.3% from 3-point range.
Taylor Funk scores 1⃣3⃣ straight points as @USUBasketball takes an early lead.
Jaelen House with two early fouls for the Lobos#AggiesAllTheWaypic.twitter.com/rREVEqVe3x
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 10, 2023
The Lancaster, Pennsylvania, native transferred to Utah State as a graduate senior and quickly earned a spot in Ryan Odom’s starting lineup.
Funk averaged 13.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field and 37% from deep (81-of-219).
His 81 3-pointers are the 11th most in a single season in program history, and his 219 attempts rank seventh.
Funk earned a place on the Mountain West All-Tournament Team after pouring in a season-high 32 points on 6-of-10 shooting from 3-point range in a tournament-opening victory over New Mexico.
He capped his Aggie career with 16 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three blocks in a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Missouri.
Now, three years into his professional journey, Funk gets the chance to chase an NBA call-up in the same market where he became one of the Mountain West’s most dangerous shooters.
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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and the Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball here. Find Brian on X, Instagram, and BlueSky at @bpreece24.
