NAZ Suns Acquire Brandon Ashley, First Round Pick in Trade
September 23, 2019 - NBA G League (G League)
Northern Arizona Suns News Release
PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. - The Northern Arizona Suns announced today they have completed their first trade of the 2019-20 season, acquiring the returning player rights to Brandon Ashley and a first round pick in the 2019 NBA G League Draft in exchange for the returning player rights to Hollis Thompson.
The Suns completed the trade with the Stockton Kings. Thompson's rights go to Stockton, while Ashley's rights go to Northern Arizona, as well as Agua Caliente's first round pick in the 2019 NBA G League Draft, the 15th overall selection, a pick Stockton had obtained in a trade earlier this month.
Ashley, 25, just wrapped up playing for the NBA G League Elite Team, who finished second in the 2019 NBA G League International Challenge in Montevideo, Uruguay. He last played in the NBA G League in 2017-18, where he averaged 16.2 points and 6.3 rebounds in 45 regular season games (42 starts) for the Texas Legends. He's played two years overall in the NBA G League, the other in 2015-16 with Texas, posting career averages of 15.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in 78 regular season contests (75 starts). Overall in the league, he has 22 career regular season 20+ point games, 15 double-doubles, and one All-Star honor (2015-16).
Ashley went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft before signing with the Dallas Mavericks. He logged 11 NBA preseason games with the Mavericks between 2015-16 and 2017-18. He's played in the NBA Summer League with the Sacramento Kings (2019), Mavericks (2018, 2017), and Atlanta Hawks (2017, 2016).
An Oakland, California, native, Ashley played collegiately for the University of Arizona for three seasons from 2012-15. He was a part of three NCAA Tournament runs, helping the Wildcats advance as far as the Elite Eight in 2015, a year Ashley earned an All-Pac-12 honorable mention and the Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player award. That season, he averaged 12.2 points on 51.4 percent shooting and 5.2 rebounds in 38 games (all starts). For his collegiate career, Ashley averaged 10.3 points on 51.9 percent shooting and 5.4 rebounds in 95 games (81 starts).
After adding the 15th overall selection in the upcoming draft, the Suns now have six total picks, including four in the first two rounds (Nos. 1, 15, 29, 33, 57, 85).
Thompson averaged 16.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 30 games (all starts) for the NAZ Suns in 2018-19, his lone year on the team.
Season tickets start as low as $9 per game for the Northern Arizona Suns. Benefits include exclusive team events, discounts on team gear, playoff priority and free Phoenix Suns tickets. For more information about the 24-game package, visit nazsuns.com/memberships or call 928-772-SUNS.
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NBA G League Stories from September 23, 2019
- NAZ Suns Acquire Brandon Ashley, First Round Pick in Trade - Northern Arizona Suns
- Stockton Kings Acquire Player Rights to Hollis Thompson - Stockton Kings
- Watson Leads G League Elite in Scoring in Four-Game Tourney - Westchester Knicks
- Ashley Stovall to Lead NAZ Suns Business Operations - Northern Arizona Suns
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- Long Island Nets Acquire Returning Player Rights to Deng Adel and Jakarr Sampson in Three-Team Trade - Long Island Nets
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