No Spartans were selected in this year’s NBA Draft, but it looks like at least two of them will get a decent chance to prove their value in the 2019 Summer League. After it was announced that Matt McQuaid will get a shot with the Pistons, it was revealed shortly thereafter that Nick Ward will be playing with the Atlanta Hawks in their Summer League unit.
With their packed frontcourt depth, I don’t think this will be more than a G-League tryout for Ward and the Hawks. They currently have nine guys on the roster who play power forward and center. Nevertheless, this is very exciting for Nick Ward, as it’s now clear that NBA teams see some potential in the former Michigan State big man.
It will always be the best decision for Nick Ward to have declared for the draft this year because it was his decision. But I also think this is encouraging for a player who probably wouldn’t have had many minutes coming his way next year at Michigan State if he did stay due to the emergence of Xavier Tillman.
