Vipers Acquire Jarret Culver

EDINBURG, Texas (Jan. 26, 2023) – The Rio Grande Valley Vipers announced today that the team has agreed to trade the returning player rights to Trevelin Queen to the South Bay Lakers; additionally, RGV has agreed to trade the returning player rights to Marcus Foster to the College Park Skyhawks. In exchange, the Skyhawks have agreed to trade Jarrett Culver to the Vipers. South Bay has also agreed to trade its first-round pick (via Iowa) in the 2023 NBA G League Draft to the College Park Skyhawks. This trade is not subject to a physical.

Culver (6-6, 195lbs.) spent part of the 2022-23 season on a Two-Way contract with the Atlanta Hawks and its NBA G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. He played in 10 games for the Hawks in which he averaged 4.4 points and 3.8 rebounds. With the Skyhawks he appeared in five games, three of which he started, averaging 14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists. 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks. 

During the 2021-22 season Culver played in 37 games for the Memphis Grizzlies averaging 3.5 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists. He was also seen in four games with the Memphis Hustle where he averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks. 

He spent the 2019-21 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves where he appeared in 97 games. With the Timberwolves he averaged 7.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals. In 2019 Culver declared for the 2019 NBA Draft where he was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the first round as the sixth overall pick. 

Before declaring for the draft, Culver spent his freshman and sophomore years of college with the Texas Tech Raiders. From 2018-2019 he averaged 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 blocks in 38 games played and started. During the 2017-2018 season he played in 37 games for the Raiders in which he averaged 11.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals. While at Texas Tech Culver was recognized as the 2019 Hall of Fame Classic MVP, 2019 Big 12 Player of the Year and the 2017 Big 12 Newcomer of the Week. 

Queen was selected as the 2022 NBA G League MVP and Finals MVP during his time with the Vipers, he played and started in 19 games in which he averaged 25.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.4 steals and 1.0 blocks.  He also spent the 2020-21 bubble season with the Vipers averaging 10.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and steals. 

Foster played in 33 games for the Vipers during the 2021-22 season. He averaged 18.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals.