Ray Spalding
Ray Spalding | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 11, 1997 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Known for | Playing in the NBA and NBA G League |
Raymond Mark Spalding (born March 11, 1997) is a professional American basketball athlete currently playing for the Noblesville Boom in the NBA G League. He competed at the collegiate level with the Louisville Cardinals and was selected in the second round of the 2018 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
High school career
Raised by Raymond Brooks and Gerri Spalding, Spalding participated in various sports during his youth, such as lacrosse, soccer, fencing, and basketball. He attended Trinity High School in Louisville, Kentucky, where Mike Szabo served as his coach. His standout performance, including a 34-point game at an AAU tournament prior to his senior year, garnered interest from college programs. Committing to Louisville, he aimed to become a leading local athlete.
College career
While at Louisville, former head coach Rick Pitino regarded Spalding as potentially the best player he had coached. During his first two seasons coming off the bench, he averaged 5.9 points and 5.7 rebounds in his sophomore year. Motivated by teammate Donovan Mitchell’s dedication, Spalding made notable strides, achieving a career-best 21 points and 16 rebounds against Grand Canyon in December 2017, followed by 23 points and 12 rebounds in a double-overtime victory over Notre Dame in January 2018. As a junior starter, he posted averages of 12.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game, helping Louisville reach a 22–14 record and advance to the NIT quarterfinals. He received Honorable Mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference recognition before declaring for the 2018 NBA draft and foregoing his senior year.
Dallas Mavericks (2018–2019)
Spalding was picked 56th overall in the 2018 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers but was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks along with Kostas Antetokounmpo in exchange for Shake Milton’s rights. He signed his rookie contract on July 20, 2018, and made his NBA debut on October 17, appearing for one minute during a defeat against the Phoenix Suns. This appearance marked his sole NBA game for Dallas as he spent most of that season with their G League team, the Texas Legends. On January 31, 2019, the Mavericks waived him.
Phoenix Suns (2019)
On February 20, 2019, Spalding agreed to a 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns. Although he did not log any playing time during this stint, he secured a two-year partially guaranteed deal on March 3. His first rebound came on March 9 after logging three minutes in a 127–120 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. A week later, he contributed eight points on four-of-five shooting alongside four rebounds, two blocks, and two assists across fourteen minutes in a 138–136 overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans. On April 5, Spalding earned his first NBA start and delivered a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds during a 133–126 overtime victory against the Pelicans.
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2019–2020)
On July 31, 2019, Spalding inked an Exhibit 10 contract with the Atlanta Hawks but was released on October 8. Shortly after, on October 10, he signed with the Houston Rockets but was waived nine days later on October 19. Following this, he joined Houston’s G League affiliate team, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. During a December 17 game against the Memphis Hustle, Spalding was suspended for one game without pay after leaving the bench during an altercation.
Greensboro Swarm (2020)
On January 15, 2020, Ray Spalding was signed by the Charlotte Hornets under a two-way contract. In his debut with the Greensboro Swarm, he contributed 15 points in a victory against the Iowa Wolves. However, Spalding did not participate in any games for the Hornets and was released on November 29, 2020.
Houston Rockets (2021)
The Houston Rockets acquired Spalding on February 12, 2021, through a two-way contract. He appeared in two games before being waived on February 16 due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Return to Rio Grande Valley (2022–2024)
Spalding rejoined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers by making their opening night roster on November 3, 2022.
Osos de Manatí (2024–2025)
On April 16, 2024, Spalding secured a contract with the Osos de Manatí competing in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league.
Regular season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Dallas | 1 || 0 || 1.0 || – || – || – || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 0.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Phoenix | 13 || 3 || 11.3 || .532 || .000 || .333 || 3.7 || .4 || .7 || .6 || 4.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 2 || 0 || 9.5 || .500 || .000 || .000 || 2.0 || .0 || .0 || 1.0 || 2.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 16 || 3 || 10.4 || .529 || .000 || .286 || 3.3 || .3 || .6 || .6 || 3.6
Regular season
|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19 | style="text-align:left;"| Texas | 29 || 26 || 30.1 || .514 || .231 || .568 || 9.3 || 1.8 || 1.7 || 2.2 || 15.9 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 29 || 26 || 30.1 || .514 || .231 || .568 || 9.3 || 1.8 || 1.7 || 2.2 || 15.9
College
|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2015–16 | style="text-align:left;"| Louisville | 30 || 6 || 17.5 || .560 || .333 || .500 || 4.3 || .5 || .9 || .7 || 5.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2016–17 | style="text-align:left;"| Louisville | 34 || 8 || 19.2 || .590|| .000|| .545||5.5|| .8|| .6|| .9||5.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18 | style="text-align:left;"| Louisville | 36|| 34|| 27.6|| .543|| .263|| .640|| 8.7|| 1.3|| 1.5|| 1.7|| 12.3 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career |100||48||21.7|| .557|| .240|| .579||6.3|| .9||1.0||1.1||8.1