Rockets Waive Ray Spalding Following Achilles Injury

(Photo of Ray Spalding: Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports)

HOUSTON - Former Louisville men's basketball standout Ray Spalding has been waived by the Houston Rockets, the organization announced Tuesday. The decision comes one day removed from suffering an injury to his right Achilles against the Washington Wizards on Monday night.

The 6-foot-9, 225-pound forward/center had recently signed a two-way contract with the organization on Feb. 12, but only played in two games prior to getting hurt. Spalding had two points and two rebounds against both the Wizards and the New York Knicks last Saturday, averaging 9.5 minutes per game.

“Prognosis is not good,” Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said Monday following the 131-119 loss to the Wizards.

The Louisville native and Trinity alum has spent most of his time at the professional level bouncing between the NBA and the G-League. He has played for the Dallas Mavericks & Phoenix Suns, as well as the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Texas Legends & Greensboro Swarm.

In 16 career NBA games, almost exclusively with the Suns during the 2018-19 season, he is averaging 3.6 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Over his 67 games in the G-League, those averages are bumped up to 14.9 points and 9.0 rebounds, on top of 2.1 assists.

Spalding declared for the 2018 NBA Draft after his junior year at Louisville, and was drafted with the No. 56 overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers, only to be traded to the Mavericks immediately afterwards. During his junior campaign, Spalding averaged 12.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, and shot 54.3% from the field.

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