Austin Spurs complete team trade, acquire Nathan Mensah rights

The Austin Spurs have completed a significant trade to acquire the rights to returning center Nathan Mensah. The deal, part of a multi-team deal, sees the Motor City Cruise receive the rights to returning forward RaiQuan Gray and a 2025 second-round draft pick from the Oklahoma City Blue.

Mensah, who spent last season on a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets, appeared in 25 games.

Gray, a versatile forward, was originally selected with the 59th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets. In his short NBA career, Gray has shown flashes of potential, averaging 9.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 55.2 percent from the field and an impressive 41.7 percent from beyond the arc. Gray’s most recent NBA stint came with the San Antonio Spurs, where he appeared in three games, averaging 7.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.

Gray has been a consistent player in the NBA G League. Last season with the Austin Spurs, he put up solid numbers, averaging 15.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 27.9 minutes per game. Over the course of his G League career, Gray has averaged 12.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 114 games.

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Mensah, 6-foot-10, brings a strong defensive presence to the team that the Spurs organization values ​​highly. His addition comes at a key time as the Spurs look to build a competitive roster around their young core.

As the G League season approaches, both players will have the opportunity to showcase their talents and potentially receive an NBA call-up.