Kay Felder

High school career

Felder attended Pershing High School in Detroit, Michigan where he was named Public School League MVP his senior season. His senior year, he finished fourth in Mr. Basketball of Michigan voting.

He was not heavily recruited by high-major colleges and was noticed by Oakland assistant coach Saddi Washington. Felder was also recruited by Akron, Southern Illinois and St. Bonaventure. Oakland offered Felder a scholarship when he was a sophomore and he committed prior to his senior season. To show their commitment to him, Oakland did not recruit a point guard the season before he arrived so Felder knew there would be no competition.

Freshman season

Felder won the Horizon League's Freshman of the Year Award.

Sophomore season

His sophomore season, Felder finished second in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) with 7.6 assists per game, two assists behind the leader, Jalan West of Northwestern State. He was also a finalist for the Lou Henson Award, given to the "Mid-Major Player of the Year".

Junior season

During this season, he was consistently being evaluated as a National Basketball Association draft prospect, with professional scouts having attended Oakland's games. On December against Power Seven Conference schools Washington, then-No. 1 Michigan State, and then-No. 5 Virginia, Felder averaged 35.0 points, 7.0 assists and made 47.9% of his field goals. Oakland led at halftime of each of those games, beating Washington, but losing to Michigan State and Virginia. Felder scored 37 points with nine assists against Michigan State in a 99–93 overtime loss at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Felder was named a top-five finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the top male point guard in Division I. He was also named the mid-season recipient of the Lute Olson Award, given annually to the most outstanding non-freshman men's college basketball player in NCAA Division I. He was placed on the mid-season watch list for the Naismith College Player of the Year.

Felder won the NCAA Player of the Week award on February 9, 2016. He also won six Horizon League Player of the Week awards during the season. This tied the Horizon League record.

Despite using only three of his four years of college eligibility, Felder broke the Horizon League career assists mark of 699, which was originally set by Ralph Lee of Xavier in 1986. Felder also set the Oakland school record for consecutive free throws made, making 46 in a row with his last miss on January 29. Felder was named the Horizon League Conference's Player of the Year and the All-Horizon League's First Team.

On April 5, 2016, Felder declared for the 2016 NBA draft, forgoing his final year of college eligibility.

Bold italics indicates led NCAA Division I

Professional career

During the 2016 NBA Draft Combine, the 5-foot-9-inch (1.75 m) Felder tied Pat Connaughton for the second-highest maximum vertical leap recorded in draft combine history at 44 inches (110 cm). Despite his high marks in the draft combine, Felder was still projected to be a late second round draft pick, with the risk that he would perhaps not get drafted altogether. Felder was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 54th overall pick. He was later traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on draft night, and in July 2016, he joined the Cavaliers for the 2016 NBA Summer League. On August 6, 2016, he signed a three-year, $2.4 million contract with the Cavaliers. He made his debut for the Cavaliers in their third game of the season on October 29, scoring two points in five minutes off the bench in a 105–99 win over the Orlando Magic. On December 14, with Kyrie Irving resting, Felder scored a season-high 14 in 23 minutes in a 93–85 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. During his rookie season, he has had multiple assignments with the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League.

Personal life

Felder's father, Kahlil Felder Sr, played basketball at Eastern Michigan from 1990 to 1992. Felder is also the younger cousin of former NBA player Steve Smith.