University of Tennessee Athletics
Jordan McRae Signs With Phoenix Suns
January 29, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Former Tennessee basketball player Jordan McRae (2010-14) signed a 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns Friday. It is his first career NBA signing.
McRae on Thursday traveled from Delaware—where he had been starring for the Delaware 87ers of the NBA D-League—to New York City, where he joined the Suns in advance of their Friday night game against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports Arizona).
McRae’s jersey number with Phoenix will be No. 52—the same number he wore during his final three seasons at Tennessee.
A two-time All-SEC first-teamer, McRae finished his four-year Tennessee career with 1,521 points, which ranks 16th in school history. He was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 58th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers in a draft-day trade.
His professional basketball journey began in 2014 with the Sixers’ summer-league team in Las Vegas, Nevada. His play there earned him All-NBA Summer League Team second-team honors.
McRae then spent a season in Australia’s NBL, starring for Melbourne United. He finished the 2014-15 season the NBL’s second-leading scorer, averaging 19.9 points per game.
At the conclusion of that season in Melbourne, he returned to the states and finished out the 2014-15 NBA D-League season with the 87ers, which is the Sixers’ D-League affiliate team.
This past summer, he once again played with Philadelphia’s summer-league teams—both in Las Vegas and Utah.
This season, McRae has starred for the 87ers once again, ranking among the D-League’s top-five scorers all year. On Tuesday, he erupted for an NBA D-League record 61 points. Two days later, he was on his way to The Big Apple to don an NBA uniform for the first time in “the world’s most famous arena.”
He becomes the 14th D-League player to be called up to the NBA this season
McRae joins four other Tennessee alums who are active on NBA rosters: Tobias Harris (Orlando Magic), Josh Richardson (Miami Heat), Jarnell Stokes (Miami Heat) and C.J. Watson (Orlando Magic).
