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The Phoenix Suns will decline their team option on rising sophomore power forward Ray Spalding, according to Gina Mizell of The Athletic.
Spalding was acquired by the Suns after he was waived by the Dallas Mavericks. The two parties agreed to a 10-day contract and then a multi-year deal; however, Phoenix now opted not to bring Spalding back for the 2019-20 season.
The Louisville product was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round in 2018 before Dallas acquired him in the same night.
Spalding appeared in 13 games for the Suns this past season, averaging 4.2 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest in 11.3 minutes per game, shooting 53.2 percent from the field. His position is power forward, at 6-foot-10, but he also played sparingly at center for Phoenix.
Spalding declared for the 2018 NBA Draft after a three-year tenure in the ACC playing for Louisville University. With the Cardinals, Spalding appeared in 48 total games. In his junior season, he posted 12.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.7 blocks per game.
The Suns made a questionable decision during the recent draft, trading down by acquiring Dario Saric from the Minnesota Timberwolves and picking 23-year-old forward Cam Johnson at no. 11.Johnson, a sharpshooting Tar Heel, was the oldest player in the 2019 NBA Draft. Notably, his UNC teammate Coby White, selected seventh overall by the Chicago Bulls, made a viral-worthy reaction when finding out his friend was picked so high.
