 Spalding being defended by Virginia Tech | |
| No. 21 – Hapoel Be'er Sheva | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward |
| League | Israeli Basketball Premier League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1997-03-11)March 11, 1997 (age 28) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Trinity (Louisville, Kentucky) |
| College | Louisville (2015–2018) |
| NBA draft | 2018: 2nd round, 56th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Playing career | 2018–present |
| Career history | |
| 2018–2019 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2018–2019 | →Texas Legends |
| 2019 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2019–2020 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2020 | Charlotte Hornets |
| 2020 | →Greensboro Swarm |
| 2021 | Houston Rockets |
| 2021 | →Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2022–2024 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2024 | Osos de Manatí |
| 2024–present | Hapoel Be'er Sheva |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
Raymond Mark Spalding (born March 11, 1997) is an American professionalbasketball player forHapoel Be'er Sheva of theIsraeli Basketball Premier League. He playedcollege basketball forLouisville, and was drafted by thePhiladelphia 76ers in the second of the2018 NBA Draft.
Spalding is the son of Raymond Brooks and Gerri Spalding. Spalding, is a descendant of the Spalding basketball family.[1] He grew up playing lacrosse, soccer, kickball, table tennis, lacrosse, fencing and basketball.[2] He attendedTrinity High School inLouisville, Kentucky, where he was coached by Mike Szabo.[3] Spalding began to receive college looks after scoring 34 points in anAAU tournament the summer before his senior year of high school. He committed to theLouisville Cardinals because he wanted to become a household name in his hometown.[2]
Coming into Louisville, former head coachRick Pitino raved about Spalding, claiming he has the most potential of any player he has coached.[4] Spalding came off the bench his first two years at Louisville. He averaged 5.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore.[5] After the season, Spalding noticed the work teammateDonovan Mitchell put in to become an NBA player and resolved to do the same. He pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds to go with 21 points in a win versusGrand Canyon in December 2017.[2] Spalding had a career-high 23 points to go with 12 rebounds in an 82–78 double-overtime win overNotre Dame on January 16, 2018.[6] He moved into the starting lineup as a junior, averaging 12.3 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. Spalding led the team to a 22–14 season and the quarterfinals of the NIT.[7] He was an Honorable MentionAll-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. After the season, Spalding entered the2018 NBA draft and hired an agent, thus forgoing his final season at Louisville.[3]
On June 21, 2018, Spalding was drafted by thePhiladelphia 76ers with the 56th pick in the2018 NBA draft. He was subsequently traded to theDallas Mavericks alongside the last pick of the draft,Kostas Antetokounmpo for the rights to the 54th pick,Shake Milton.[8] He signed his rookie contract on July 20, 2018.[9] He made his NBA debut on October 17, 2018, playing one minute, in a 121–100 loss against thePhoenix Suns.[10] It was the only game he played with Dallas. The rest of his tenure was spent being assigned to the affiliateTexas Legends in theNBA G League.
On January 31, 2019, Spalding was dismissed by the Mavericks.[11]
On February 20, 2019, Spalding signed to a 10-day contract with thePhoenix Suns.[12] While he never played during the proper contract, he was given a two-year partially guaranteed contract on March 3.[13][non-primary source needed][14] Spalding eventually recorded his first rebound on March 9, playing in only 3 minutes in a 127–120 loss to thePortland Trail Blazers.[15] A week later, Spalding would have his best game of the season in the NBA at that point against theNew Orleans Pelicans, recording 8 points on 4-of-5 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 assists in 14 minutes of action in a 138–136 overtime win.[16] On April 5, Spalding had his first start in the league, putting up a double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds in a 133–126 overtime win over the Pelicans.[17]
On July 31, 2019, Spalding signed anExhibit 10 contract with theAtlanta Hawks.[18] On October 8, 2019, he was waived by the Hawks.[19] On October 10, 2019, Spalding signed with theHouston Rockets. He was waived by the Rockets on October 19, 2019. Following his release, he was added to the roster of the Rockets' G League affiliate, theRio Grande Valley Vipers.[20] Spalding was suspended one game without pay after leaving the bench during an altercation in a 132–109 loss to theMemphis Hustle on December 17.[21]
On January 15, 2020, the Charlotte Hornets announced that they had signed with Spalding to atwo-way contract.[22] He scored 15 points in his G League debut for theGreensboro Swarm in a win over theIowa Wolves.[23] Spalding never played a game for the Hornets.
Spalding was waived by the Hornets on November 29, 2020.[24]
On February 12, 2021, theHouston Rockets announced that they had signed with Spalding to atwo-way contract.[25] He was waived on February 16 after two games with the team.[26]
On November 3, 2022, Spalding was named to the opening night roster for theRio Grande Valley Vipers.[27]
On April 16, 2024, Spalding signed with theOsos de Manatí of theBaloncesto Superior Nacional.[28]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Dallas | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | – | – | – | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 0.0 |
| 2018–19 | Phoenix | 13 | 3 | 11.3 | .532 | .000 | .333 | 3.7 | .4 | .7 | .6 | 4.2 |
| 2020–21 | Houston | 2 | 0 | 9.5 | .500 | .000 | .000 | 2.0 | .0 | .0 | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| Career | 16 | 3 | 10.4 | .529 | .000 | .286 | 3.3 | .3 | .6 | .6 | 3.6 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Texas | 29 | 26 | 30.1 | .514 | .231 | .568 | 9.3 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 15.9 |
| Career | 29 | 26 | 30.1 | .514 | .231 | .568 | 9.3 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 15.9 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Louisville | 30 | 6 | 17.5 | .560 | .333 | .500 | 4.3 | .5 | .9 | .7 | 5.6 |
| 2016–17 | Louisville | 34 | 8 | 19.2 | .590 | .000 | .545 | 5.5 | .8 | .6 | .9 | 5.9 |
| 2017–18 | Louisville | 36 | 34 | 27.6 | .543 | .263 | .640 | 8.7 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 12.3 |
| Career | 100 | 48 | 21.7 | .557 | .240 | .579 | 6.3 | .9 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 8.1 | |