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The Phoenix Suns are finalizing a deal to sign 6-foot-10 power forward Ray Spalding to a two-year contract:
The Phoenix Suns are signing forward Ray Spalding to a two-year deal, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Deal is for the rest of the season, with a partial guarantee for next season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 3, 2019
Spalding hails from the University of Louisville, where he averaged 8.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in three seasons with the Cardinals.
Spalding was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers last June with the 56th overall pick, but was shipped off to the Dallas Mavericks on the same day. The 21-year-old failed to make his mark in Dallas, and he was assigned to the team's G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, in October.
In January, the Mavs finally decided to pull the plug as they waived the rights to Spalding's contract. He returned to the G League, where he would average a very impressive 15.9 points (on 51.4 percent shooting), 9.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.6 steals, 2.5 blocks, and 2.5 turnovers in 29 appearances.
Spalding's outstanding play with the Legends was rewarded by a contract with the Suns a couple of weeks ago. He signed a 10-day deal with the team in late February, and Phoenix has now decided to give the youngster a more permanent deal.
Spalding has yet to figure in the Suns' rotation since joining the team, and he has only played a single minute of action in the NBA while he was with the Mavs. He is not expected to play a significant role for Phoenix for the remainder of the season, but Spalding is surely just happy to have earned this deal.
