LAS VEGAS, Nev. - For the second-straight summer,
Xavier Cooks will be suiting up in the NBA Summer League. The former Eagle will don a Phoenix Suns uniform this year in Las Vegas and look to make an impression on scouts and front office executives from across the NBA.
Cooks starred for Winthrop from 2014 to 2018 and had an incredible career highlighted by being named Big South Player of the Year after his senior season. He is Winthrop's all-time leader in blocked shots (166) and was just the third player in Big South Conference history to finish his career with over 1,000 points, 750 rebounds and 150 blocks.
After graduating from Winthrop in the spring of 2018, Cooks spent the 2018 NBA Summer League with the Golden State Warriors before signing for s.Oliver Würzburg in Germany. The Aussie combo forward was one of the most exciting rookies to watch in Europe, averaging 11.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in German league play. He helped lead his team to the 2019 FIBA Europe Cup Final before falling to Dinamo Sassari (Italy).
Cooks' professional success has also caught the eye of Basketball Australia, the governing body of Australian hoops. On May 30, Cooks was added to the Boomers 18-man training camp roster for the 2019 FIBA World Cup later this summer. He will be competing for a spot to represent his country alongside players such as Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers), Joe Ingles (Utah Jazz) and Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs).
The Phoenix Suns will open Summer League play against the Denver Nuggets on Fri., July 5 at 8:30 p.m. PT at the Thomas & Mack Center with the game televised on ESPN. Fans can tune into the NBA Summer League on ESPN and NBATV.
The Suns' preliminary Summer League schedule is listed below:
Date Opponent Location Time (Phoenix) TV
Friday, July 5 Denver Thomas & Mack Center 8:30 p.m. ESPN
Sunday, July 7 New York Thomas & Mack Center 6:30 p.m. ESPN
Tuesday, July 9 Memphis Thomas & Mack Center 4:30 p.m. NBA TV
Wednesday, July 10 San Antonio Cox Pavilion 6:00 p.m. NBA TV
