Arizona State guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. will get a chance to prove himself in the NBA Summer League, as he picked up a deal with Toronto Raptors to join them in Vegas, according to Draft Express’ Jon Chepkevich.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!#ArizonaState guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. will be playing for the #Raptors in the NBA Summer League https://t.co/pRhcWeTgxn
— Brendan Mau (@brendan_mau) June 23, 2023
The second-team All-Pac-12 performer will fight for a roster spot for Toronto or another team given how he fares in the Summer League, which tips off on Friday, July 7.
The news was confirmed by his agency on Instagram.
Will any Sun Devils hear their names called in the NBA Draft?
More on Cambridge from article above:
The player best known for the “Miracle at McKale” showed a lot of promise in his one season with ASU. Now, it all paid off with this Summer League deal with the Raptors.
Thank you, #️⃣4️⃣ 🔱
Desmond Cambridge Jr. is a #SunDevilForLife 😈 pic.twitter.com/OgxnMTbcUf
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) February 18, 2023
The 24-year-old Cambridge took over Marcus Bagley’s starting job after he left the program two games into the season. In his last season of college eligibility, Cambridge led the Sun Devils in scoring (13.6 points per game) and steals (1.7 per game) in 34 games played. He also averaged 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.5 blocks and 1.4 turnovers. His shooting splits were 39/32/83.
Catch us watching this on replay 🔁
The #️⃣1️⃣ play on @SportsCenter last night belonged to @dezcambridgejr ⭐️
Listen to the viral @SunDevilPBP call from Tim Healey and Kyle Dodd 🔊 pic.twitter.com/DEPGs5Me3Y
— Sun Devil MBB (@SunDevilHoops) February 26, 2023
Before Arizona State, Cambridge, listed at 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, played two seasons at Nevada after starting his career at Brown. Through five collegiate seasons played, Cambridge appeared in 147 games, starting 144 of them. He averaged 15.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals, one block and 1.7 turnovers on 40/34/79 splits for his college career.
Though his shot selection was questionable, he proved to be a microwave on offense and capable of making any type of shot no matter the difficulty. He also impressed on the defensive end for ASU, as is evidenced by his steals average.
Cambridge was not invited to the combine, but played in one of the top pre-draft tournaments, the Portsmouth Invitational, where he worked to show off that he could not only score, but be a playmaker.
A little no look action from @SunDevilHoops Desmond Cambridge Jr to @DaytonMBB Toumani Camara #PIT23 pic.twitter.com/4OY5Sw6Dg1
— P.I.T. (@PIT_Basketball) April 13, 2023
The reported teams that Cambridge worked out for were the Suns and Hornets. His biggest question marks headed into the NBA Draft were his inconsistency and age.
#ArizonaState guard Desmond Cambridge Jr. doing a pre-draft workout with the #Suns 👀 (via @dezcambridgejr/ IG story) pic.twitter.com/D0Pvnt3Mgj
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) June 6, 2023
Ahead of the draft, Cambridge declared on his Twitter last month, “I still haven’t played my best basketball…”
i still haven’t played my best basketball…
— Desmond Cambridge Jr. (@dezcambridgejr) May 8, 2023
all i need is a chance🎰 the work not even work no more 🤷🏽♂️ it’s just what i do, no🧢
— Desmond Cambridge Jr. (@dezcambridgejr) June 1, 2023
Many Sun Devil fans will be tuned in to see how Cambridge performs in the Summer League, as he had arguably the greatest shot in ASU basketball history and helped lead them to the NCAA Tournament.
ASU forward Marcus Bagley reportedly signing Exhibit 10 deal with the 76ers
See more of the Burn City Sports draft coverage here. Cambridge is discussed at the 18:28 mark.
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, exclusive content, and access to our seasonal magazines! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Brendan Mau is a college sports insider and general assignment reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on Twitter via @Brendan_Mau
