Rayjon Tucker (born September 24, 1997) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player who last played for

Melbourne United Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at John Cain Arena. The team made their debut in the NBL in 1984 as ...

of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Florida Gulf Coast Eagles The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (also FGCU) refer to the fifteen intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Florida Gulf Coast University, located in Fort Myers, Florida in intercollegiate athletics, including men and women's basketball, cross ...

and the

Little Rock Trojans The Little Rock Trojans are the athletic teams representing the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The Trojans are a non-football member of the Ohio Valley Conference and a wrestling affiliate member of the Pac-12 Conference. The University ...

Early life and high school

Tucker grew up in

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

and attended

Northside Christian Academy Northside Christian Academy is a private Christian school serving grades pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. It is located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International, the Southern Assoc ...

. As a senior, he averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks per game and helped lead Knights to the state championship game. Tucker committed to play college basketball at Florida Gulf Coast over offers from

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...

, VCU, Clemson, and

Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...

College career

Tucker began his collegiate career with the

. As a freshman, he averaged 6.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in 35 games played, starting one. Tucker averaged 7.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game as a sophomore. He announced his intention to transfer from the school at the end of the season. Tucker transferred to the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. After sitting out a season due to NCAA transfer rules, he averaged 20.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and was named second team All-

Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference (SBC) is a collegiate athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Originally a non-football conference, the Sun Belt began sponsoring football in 2001. Its football teams participa ...

. Following the season, Tucker left the program with the intention of joining a higher-level program as a graduate transfer while also declaring for the

2019 NBA Draft The 2019 NBA draft was held on June 20, 2019. It took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, i ...

. He committed to transfer to

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

over offers from

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

and Iowa State. However, Tucker ultimately decided not to pull out of the Draft and to pursue professional basketball instead.

Professional career

Wisconsin Herd (2019)

After going undrafted in the

2019 NBA draft The 2019 NBA draft was held on June 20, 2019. It took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, i ...

, Tucker played for the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

NBA Summer League team. After averaging 10.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in five summer league games, the Bucks signed Tucker to an Exhibit 10 contract on August 16, 2019. Tucker was waived by the Bucks on October 19, 2019, and was subsequently assigned to their

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...

affiliate, the

Wisconsin Herd The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena. History On June 29, 2016, it was annou ...

. He was considered an excellent teammate who once grabbed water for the players in a game he did not play in. Tucker averaged 23.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 0.9 steals per game in 33.8 minutes played in 16 games with the Herd before signing an NBA contract with the Jazz. Tucker was named the G League Player of the Month for December and Midseason All-NBA G League for the Eastern Conference.

Utah Jazz (2019–2020)

On December 24, 2019, Tucker signed with the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

for the rest of the

2019–20 NBA season The 2019–20 NBA season was the 74th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 22, 2019, and originally was supposed to end on April 15, 2020. However, the season was suspended on March 11 as a resul ...

. He made his NBA debut six days later, against the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at Li ...

, scoring two points and grabbing a rebound in a 104–81 win. He began to see rotational minutes in January 2020 due to his focus on defense. He was twice assigned to the

Salt Lake City Stars The Salt Lake City Stars are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and are affiliated with the Utah Jazz. As of the 2022-23 season, the Stars play in the Maverik Center in West Valley City, U ...

of the NBA G League, once in February and once in March. On November 27, 2020, Tucker was traded to the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

along with a 2027 second-round pick in exchange for cash considerations. He was waived by the Cavaliers the next day. Tucker spent training camp and preseason with the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

in December 2020.

Philadelphia 76ers (2021)

On January 22, 2021, Tucker signed a two-way contract with the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

. He split the 2020–21 season with the 76ers and their

affiliate, the

Delaware Blue Coats The Delaware Blue Coats are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Wilmington, Delaware, and are affiliated with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Blue Coats play their home games at Chase Fieldhouse. The team was founde ...

. He was waived by the 76ers on August 18, 2021.

Return to Wisconsin / Denver Nuggets (2021–2022)

Tucker joined the

for the

2021–22 NBA G League season The 2021–22 NBA G League season is the 21st season of the NBA G League, the official minor league basketball organization owned by the National Basketball Association (NBA). The prior season, the league played a shortened season with 18 teams ...

. On December 21, 2021, he signed a 10-day contract with the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

. After not playing for the Timberwolves during his stint, he signed a 10-day contract with the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

on December 31. He played in three games for the Nuggets. He returned to the Herd on January 11, 2022. On February 3, he scored 31 points and had six rebounds in a loss to the

Lakeland Magic The Lakeland Magic are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Lakeland, Florida, and are affiliated with the Orlando Magic. The Magic began play in the 2017–18 season and play their home games at the RP Fundin ...

. In 27 games for the Heard, he averaged 21.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

Milwaukee Bucks (2022)

On April 8, 2022, Tucker signed with the

. He played two games for the Bucks to close out the

2021–22 NBA season The 2021–22 NBA season was the 76th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBA returned to a full 82-game regular season in its normal mid-October to mid-April schedule for the first time since the 2018–19 NBA season, af ...

and then played for the team in the

2022 NBA Summer League The 2022 NBA Summer League, also branded as the NBA 2K23 Summer League 2022, was an off-season competition held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) primarily at the Thomas and Mack Center and Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada on the campus ...

Melbourne United (2022–2023)

On August 2, 2022, Tucker signed with

in Australia for the

2022–23 NBL season The 2022–23 NBL season was the 45th season of the National Basketball League since its establishment in 1979. A total of ten teams contested in the 2022–23 season. Australian broadcast rights to the season are held by ESPN in the second sea ...

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

, 20 , , 0 , , 8.1 , , .465 , , .176 , , .826 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , .1 , , .1 , , 3.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, 14 , , 0 , , 4.9 , , .500 , , .286 , , .737 , , .8 , , .4 , , .1 , , .0 , , 2.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, 3 , , 0 , , 9.7 , , .500 , , .500 , , .750 , , 1.3 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , .0 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, 2 , , 0 , , 21.0 , , .714 , , 1.000 , , .667 , , 2.0 , , 3.0 , , 1.5 , , .0 , , 7.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 39 , , 0 , , 7.7 , , .500 , , .310 , , .776 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , .2 , , .0 , , 3.0

Playoffs

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2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

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, 2 , , 0 , , 5.5 , , .400 , , .333 , , — , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

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, 1 , , 0 , , 2.0 , , — , , — , , .500 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 1.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

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, 8 , , 0 , , 2.4 , , .333 , , .000 , , — , , .4 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 11 , , 0 , , 2.9 , , .375 , , .250 , , .500 , , .3 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , .7

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;", Florida Gulf Coast , 35 , , 1 , , 18.5 , , .545 , , .359 , , .714 , , 3.0 , , .8 , , .6 , , .2 , , 6.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;", Florida Gulf Coast , 33 , , 6 , , 18.8 , , .509 , , .453 , , .753 , , 3.9 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , .3 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2018–19 , style="text-align:left;",

Little Rock ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...

, 30, , 30 , , 36.6 , , .491 , , .411 , , .777 , , 6.7 , , 1.8 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , 20.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 98 , , 37 , , 24.2 , , .505 , , .414 , , .756 , , 4.1 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , .3 , , 11.0

References

External links

Florida Gulf Coast Eagles bioLittle Rock Trojans bioNBA G League profileRealGM profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tucker, Rayjon 1997 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Australia American men's basketball players Basketball players from Charlotte, North Carolina Delaware Blue Coats players Denver Nuggets players Florida Gulf Coast Eagles men's basketball players Little Rock Trojans men's basketball players Melbourne United players Milwaukee Bucks players Philadelphia 76ers players Salt Lake City Stars players Shooting guards Undrafted National Basketball Association players Utah Jazz players Wisconsin Herd players United States men's national basketball team players