Although Stanford men’s basketball (16-11, 5-9 ACC) has fallen short of the success they hoped for this season, another pair of Stanford athletes is balling out this year: Maxime Raynaud ’25 and Spencer Jones ’24 are both making a name for themselves in the NBA this season.
“I got a raise!” Jones wrote in a recent LinkedIn post. ”No more two-way contract. No more asterisk next to my name. Officially a full-time NBA player!”
Jones, who last week signed a standard contract with the Denver Nuggets, is becoming a key rotational player for Denver after going undrafted in 2024. In his sophomore season, Jones is averaging 5.9 points and 3.2 rebounds this season on 50% shooting. As the NBA playoffs approach, Jones’ rise can be traced to a career-high 28-point performance earlier this season against the Dallas Mavericks, which kick-started his ascent.
Jones played for five seasons at Stanford, ranking second all-time in games played at the Farm and top-10 in both points (1,610) and field goals (564). Jones has been a perfect match for a Nuggets team that values spacing and defense around their star Nikola Jokic. Jones is shooting over 40% from three-point range and has scored in double figures 11 times this season.
Raynaud, meanwhile, has made an immediate mark in his rookie season with the Sacramento Kings. Raynaud was selected No. 42 overall in last year’s NBA Draft, and the former Stanford big man has been one of the most productive rookies in the league.
Across just over 50 games, Raynaud is averaging 10.1 points and seven rebounds while shooting 55% from the floor. He has flashed the interior scoring and rebounding prowess touch that made him a star during his Stanford career. In four seasons at the Farm, Raynaud finished his collegiate career ranked seventh on Stanford all-time scoring list, third all-time in rebounds and fourth in field goals.
His recent stretch of games with the Kings has been particularly impressive. In a loss to the Orlando Magic last Thursday, Raynaud posted 17 points and 14 rebounds. He followed that performance with another double-double in Sacramento’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, which snapped the Kings’ franchise-record 16-game losing streak. Raynaud has recorded a double-double in four of his last five games.
For Stanford fans, Jones and Raynaud are providing an exciting season in the NBA during an underwhelming men’s basketball season on the Farm.
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