Rodney McGruder

Rodney McGruder's Biography

Rodney Christian McGruder, an American professional basketball player, was born on the 29th of July, 1991. Currently, he plays for Reyer Venezia, a team in the Italian Lega Basket Serie A, the top professional basketball league in Italy. His journey to the peak of the profession has had several obstacles, advances, and relocations.

McGruder’s early life in Landover, Maryland, was characterized by a shared love of basketball with his AAU teammate, Michael Beasley. Beasley’s trail to Kansas State paved the way for McGruder, who, standing 6’4″, signed up to play Shooting Guard for the Kansas State Wildcats, under the coaching of Frank Martin. Across three seasons, he played a pivotal part in the team’s strategic plans.

The 2010–11 season was a breakout year for McGruder. As a sophomore, he and Jacob Pullen combined their talents in the backcourt to take the Wildcats to a remarkable third-place finish in the Big 12 Conference. McGruder demonstrated his prowess by averaging 11.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game – the highest in the team. His skill and reliability were on full display during his junior year as he averaged 15.8 points per game and earned a spot on the All-Big 12 second team.

With increasing resolve, McGruder entered his senior year as a preseason All-Big 12 pick in the 2012–13 season. His basketball acuity led him to be named among the top 30 finalists for the prestigious Naismith College Player of the Year award in February 2013. In the same season, McGruder masterfully led the Wildcats to secure the Big XII first-place crown.

However, in spite of his demonstrable abilities and achievements in college, McGruder was not drafted in the 2013 NBA draft. Unfazed, he joined the Orlando Magic for the Orlando Summer League, after which he signed with the Charlotte Bobcats for the Las Vegas Summer League. His resilience was rewarded with a contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder in September 2013, although this was a short stint as he was eventually waived in October the same year.

In pursuit of continued play, McGruder signed up with Atomerőmű SE of Hungary for the 2013–14 season. His performances reflected his consistency, averaging 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists across 29 league games.

In the summer of 2014, McGruder got the chance to join the Golden State Warriors for the NBA Summer League, following which he signed with the Boston Celtics in September. Despite his efforts, he was waived by the Celtics in October and went on to join the Maine Red Claws as an affiliate player. After 26 games, he was unfortunately waived by the Maine Red Claws.

Bouncing back, McGruder joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce in late March 2015. In the subsequent summer, he got an opportunity to play for the Miami Heat in the 2015 NBA Summer League. By November, he had returned to the Skyforce and played a key role in ending the 2015–16 season with a D-League-best 40–10 record. This success was followed up by a league championship title in a 2–1 Finals series victory over the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

In July 2016, McGruder returned to the Miami Heat for the 2016 NBA Summer League. He later penned a three-year, partially guaranteed contract with the Heat. His first NBA game came marked with a victory against the Orlando Magic in October 2016. On the sixth of February in 2017, he set his season-high record of 15 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

A stress fracture in his left leg in October 2017 sidelined him indefinitely. He returned to the court in February 2018 against the Philadelphia 76ers after a brief tenure with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Despite the setbacks and recoveries, McGruder faced another career shift in April 2019 when he was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Clippers after being waived by Miami Heat. November of the following year saw McGruder being traded to the Detroit Pistons in a three-team deal. Yet again, he was waived by the Pistons in August of 2021 but re-signed with the team a few days later.

The following year, he was traded, along with a 2022 second-round draft pick via the Brooklyn Nets, to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Bol Bol. However, following a medical hiccup, this trade was voided, and he returned to the Pistons.

In August 2022, McGruder announced another innings with the Pistons. However, this stint was short-lived as he signed with the Golden State Warriors in September 2023, only to be waived the following month. His succeeding venture was with the elite Italian club, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the Lega Basket Serie A and the EuroLeague, in January 2024.

However, he had to part ways with this Italian powerhouse due to a personal issue overseas; during his brief tenure here, he averaged 7.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in seven EuroLeague games. His latest contract came on October 4, 2024, when he signed with Reyer Venezia of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A, embarking on another journey in his professional basketball career. His story stands testament to his resilience, talent, and sheer love for the game.