Matthew Mayer (born September 23, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Texas Legends of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears and the Illinois Fighting Illini.
| No. 60 – Texas Legends | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard / small forward |
| League | NBA G League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 23, 1999 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Westlake (Austin, Texas) |
| College | |
| NBA draft | 2023: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–2024 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| 2024–present | Texas Legends |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
High school career edit
Mayer attended Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, where he played alongside future NCAA Division I players Brock Cunningham, Keonte Kennedy and Will Baker.[1] He committed to playing college basketball for Baylor over offers from Texas and Texas A&M, among others. Mayer was a consensus four-star recruit, according to major recruiting services.[2][3]
College career edit
Mayer had a limited role during his first two years at Baylor. In his junior season, he improved his efficiency and was a key contributor off the bench for the national champion Bears.[4] Mayer grew a mullet upon the advice of his teammate Jackson Moffatt, who had the same hairstyle.[5] Mayer averaged 8.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Following the season, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft, but ultimately returned for his senior season.[6] In his senior season, Mayer started all 33 games and averaged 9.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. He again declared for the NBA draft after the season, but later withdrew and announced he was transferring to Illinois. In his lone season at Illinois, Mayer was named to the Third Team All-Big Ten by both coaches and media. [7]
Professional career edit
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2023–2024) edit
After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft, Mayer joined the Houston Rockets for the 2023 NBA Summer League.[8] He signed a contract with the Rockets on August 2, 2023,[9] but was waived on October 17.[10] On October 30, Mayer joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.[11]
Texas Legends (2024–present) edit
On March 1, 2024, Mayer was traded to the Texas Legends in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick.[12]
Career statistics edit
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College edit
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Baylor | 33 | 0 | 11.8 | .331 | .308 | .660 | 2.0 | .8 | .5 | .2 | 4.6 |
| 2019–20 | Baylor | 30 | 0 | 11.6 | .422 | .378 | .690 | 1.9 | .8 | .5 | .1 | 4.8 |
| 2020–21 | Baylor | 30 | 0 | 15.7 | .489 | .395 | .592 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 1.2 | .3 | 8.1 |
| 2021–22 | Baylor | 33 | 33 | 22.8 | .409 | .324 | .700 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | .8 | 9.8 |
| 2022–23 | Illinois | 33 | 33 | 26.5 | .407 | .330 | .741 | 5.3 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 12.5 |
| Career | 159 | 66 | 17.8 | .413 | .339 | .689 | 3.6 | .9 | .8 | .5 | 8.0 | |
References edit
- ^ Cook, Lyndon (October 5, 2016). "Matthew Mayer, 2018's top player talks recruitment after Fall Classic". Rivals. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ Jones, Thomas (June 14, 2017). "Westlake basketball player Matthew Mayer commits to Baylor". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ Goodman, Jeff (February 23, 2021). "Matthew Mayer's Path to Waco / How Baylor Was Built". Stadium. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ Chamblee, Will (February 24, 2021). "Is it Matthew Mayer time yet? Growth, maturity propel the junior during Baylor's stellar season". The Baylor Lariat. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ Recek, Travis (April 2, 2021). "Matthew Mayer Makes His Mark at Baylor, Final Four". Spectrum News Austin. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ Cantu, Rick (April 14, 2021). "Baylor's Matthew Mayer declares for NBA draft, maintains college eligibility". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved November 26, 2021.
- ^ Brown, Darby (May 27, 2022). "Baylor's Matthew Mayer transfers to Illinois". KWTX.com. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ Kalbrosky, Bryan (June 23, 2023). "Tracking where the top undrafted free agents who did not hear their names called in the 2023 NBA Draft have signed". USAToday.com. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
- ^ "Rockets Sign Five Players". NBA.com. August 2, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
- ^ "Rockets Complete Trade With Oklahoma City". NBA.com. October 17, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ^ "VIPERS FINALIZE TRAINING CAMP ROSTER". NBA.com. October 30, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ^ "LEGENDS ACQUIRE MATTHEW MAYER". NBA.com. March 1, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.