Royce Khalil O'Neale (born June 5, 1993) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player for the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

(NBA). He played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

Denver Pioneers The Denver Pioneers are the sports teams of the University of Denver (DU). They play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, and have amassed 35 NCAA titles as of 2024, which is in the top 15 among all schools (24 in S ...

and the

Baylor Bears The Baylor Bears are the athletic teams that represent Baylor University. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as one of only three private school members of the Big 12 Conference. Prior t ...

College career

O'Neale, a

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People *Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Smal ...

from

Killeen, Texas Killeen is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Bell County. According to the 2020 census, its population was 153,095, making it the 19th-most populous city in Texas and the largest of the three principal cities of Bell County. It is ...

, was recruited to the

University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private research university in Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1864, it has an enrollment of approximately 5,700 undergraduate students and 7,200 graduate students. It is classified among "R1: D ...

out of

Harker Heights High School Harker Heights High School is a public high school located in Harker Heights, Texas and classified as a 6A school by the University Interscholastic League. It is one of six high schools in Killeen Independent School District located in western B ...

. He played two seasons for the Pioneers, including an all-

Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the Western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, Texas, Utah and Washington (state), Washington. Due to ...

(WAC) season in 2012–13, before transferring to

Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...

in 2013. Because he transferred to be closer to his family and ailing grandfather, the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA) granted him a waiver to transfer rules, making him immediately eligible to play for the Bears instead of sitting out the customary year.

Professional career

Riesen Ludwigsburg (2015–2016)

Following the close of his college career, O'Neale was not selected in the

2015 NBA draft The 2015 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2015, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It was televised nationally in the U.S. by ESPN. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eli ...

. He played his first professional season in Germany for

MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg BG Ludwigsburg, for sponsorship reasons MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg (), is a professional basketball club that is based in Ludwigsburg, Germany. The club currently plays in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), the first tier of basketball in Germany. Fo ...

, where he averaged 8.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Gran Canaria (2016–2017)

After playing for the

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...

' Summer League team in 2016, he signed with Spanish club

Herbalife Gran Canaria Club Baloncesto Gran Canaria – Claret, S.A.D., known as Dreamland Gran Canaria due to sponsorship, is a professional basketball club based in Las Palmas, Spain. The team plays in the Spanish Liga ACB and the Champions League. Their home venue ...

for the 2016–17 season.

Utah Jazz (2017–2022)

On June 25, 2017, O'Neale signed with Lithuanian club Žalgiris Kaunas. However, he never played a game for the team. After playing for the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...

in the

2017 NBA Summer League The 2017 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. Eight teams participated in the ...

, he was signed to the team for the 2017–18 season due to the exception left in the contract with Žalgiris Kaunas. O'Neale made his NBA debut on October 21, 2017, playing a single minute in their 96–87 win against the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...

. On February 14, 2018, he scored 19 points in a home game against the

. After the game on November 12, 2019, against the Brooklyn Nets, O’Neale traded jerseys with former Baylor Bears teammate

Taurean Prince Taurean Waller-Prince ( ; born March 22, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears. He was drafted by the Utah Jazz ...

. On January 19, 2020, the

announced that they had signed O’Neale to a contract extension.

Brooklyn Nets (2022–2024)

On June 30, 2022, O'Neale was traded to the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...

in exchange for a 2023 first-round draft pick. On November 17, O'Neale put up 11 points, alongside a game-winning tip, with 10 rebounds, and 11 assists for his first career triple-double in a 109–107 win over the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

. On January 8, 2023, O'Neale put up a game-winning putback in a 102–101 win over the

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

Phoenix Suns (2024–present)

On February 8, 2024, O'Neale was traded to the

for

Keita Bates-Diop Keita Bates-Diop ( ; born January 23, 1996) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Early life Ke ...

Jordan Goodwin Jordan Goodwin (born October 23, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Saint Louis Billikens. High school career Goodwin ...

, and 3 second round picks in a three-team trade that also involved the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...

David Roddy David Michael Roddy (born March 27, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA G League. He played ...

Chimezie Metu Chimezie Chukwudum Metu (born March 22, 1997) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player who last played for FC Barcelona Bàsquet, FC Barcelona of the Liga ACB and EuroLeague. He played college basketball for the USC Trojans men's ba ...

Yuta Watanabe is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Chiba Jets Funabashi of the B.League. He played college basketball in the United States for the George Washington Colonials (now Revolutionaries), becoming the first Japanese-born studen ...

, and a 2026 first round pick swap. On July 6, he re-signed with the Suns. On

October 31 Events Pre-1600 * 475 – Romulus Augustulus is proclaimed Western Roman Emperor. * 683 – During the Siege of Mecca, the Kaaba catches fire and is burned down. * 802 – Empress Irene is deposed and banished to Lesbos. Consp ...

, O'Neale scored a career-high 21 points in a 125–119 win over the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...

.https://www.nba.com/game/0022400131

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

, 69 , , 4 , , 16.7 , , .423 , , .356 , , .803 , , 3.4 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , .2 , , 5.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 16 , , 20.4 , , .475 , , .386 , , .762 , , 3.5 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , .3 , , 5.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 71 , , 62 , , 28.9 , , .433 , , .377 , , .764 , , 5.5 , , 2.5 , , .8 , , .5 , , 6.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 71 , , 71 , , 31.6 , , .444 , , .385 , , .848 , , 6.8 , , 2.5 , , .8 , , .5 , , 7.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 77 , , 77 , , 31.2 , , .457 , , .389 , , .804 , , 4.8 , , 2.5 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , 7.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, 76 , , 53 , , 31.7 , , .386 , , .389 , , .725 , , 5.1 , , 3.7 , , .9 , , .6 , , 8.8 , - , rowspan=2 style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 49 , , 6 , , 24.5 , , .388 , , .366 , , .682 , , 4.5 , , 2.8 , , .7 , , .6 , , 7.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 30 , , 8 , , 25.1 , , .411 , , .376 , , .692 , , 5.2 , , 2.7 , , .9 , , .5 , , 8.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 75 , , 22 , , 24.5 , , .423 , , .406 , , .731 , , 4.7 , , 2.2 , , .9 , , .5 , , 9.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 600 , , 319 , , 26.2 , , .426 , , .385 , , .770 , , 4.8 , , 2.4 , , .8 , , .4 , , 7.1

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 11 , , 5 , , 23.5 , , .500 , , .357 , , .632 , , 3.5 , , 1.4 , , .9 , , .4 , , 7.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 0 , , 27.4 , , .467 , , .348 , , .750 , , 4.6 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , .4 , , 10.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 7 , , 7 , , 35.5 , , .406 , , .455 , , .500 , , 5.4 , , 2.7 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 5.6 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 11 , , 11 , , 36.7 , , .506 , , .467 , , .833 , , 7.3 , , 2.1 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 11.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 6 , , 6 , , 31.4 , , .400 , , .280 , , 1.000 , , 5.7 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , .2 , , 6.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 0 , , 29.5 , , .241 , , .182 , , 1.000 , , 4.3 , , 3.5 , , 1.3 , , .3 , , 5.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, style="text-align:left;", Phoenix , 4 , , 2 , , 26.1 , , .318 , , .333 , , , , 4.8 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , .0 , , 5.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 48 , , 31 , , 30.4 , , .438 , , .369 , , .711 , , 5.2 , , 1.9 , , .9 , , .3 , , 7.7

References

External links

Baylor Bears bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneale, Royce 1993 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Germany American expatriate basketball people in Spain American men's basketball players Basketball players from Killeen, Texas Baylor Bears men's basketball players Brooklyn Nets players CB Gran Canaria players Denver Pioneers men's basketball players Liga ACB players Phoenix Suns players Riesen Ludwigsburg players Salt Lake City Stars players Small forwards Undrafted NBA players Utah Jazz players 21st-century American sportsmen