Devontae Cacok facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Devontae Cacok

Cacok with UNC Wilmington in 2019
Free agent
Center
Personal information
Born	(1996-10-08) October 8, 1996 (age 28) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
High school	Alpharetta (Alpharetta, Georgia)
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
College	UNC Wilmington (2015–2019)
NBA Draft	2019 / Undrafted
Pro career	2019–present
Career history
2019–2021	Los Angeles Lakers
2019–2020	→ South Bay Lakers
2021–2022	San Antonio Spurs
2021–2022	→ Austin Spurs
2022–2023	Motor City Cruise
2023	CSKA Moscow
2023–2024	Virtus Bologna
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (2020) Italian Supercup winner (2023) All-NBA G League First Team (2020) NBA G League All-Rookie Team (2020) NCAA rebounding leader (2018) CAA Defensive Player of the Year (2017) 2× First-team All-CAA (2018, 2019) No. 15 retired by UNC Wilmington Seahawks

Devontae Calvin Cacok (born October 8, 1996) is an American professional basketball player. He last played for Virtus Bologna in Italy. He also played in the EuroLeague, which is a top European basketball league. Before turning pro, Devontae played college basketball for the UNC Wilmington Seahawks. During the 2017–18 season, he was the best rebounder in the entire nation.

Devontae Cacok's Early Life and Sports Beginnings

Devontae Cacok was born in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in Riverdale, Georgia. When he was younger, he played football, mostly on the offensive line.

He started playing basketball in eighth grade. This happened after he broke his wrist, which ended his football season. Devontae said he was not very good at basketball at first. But he grew seven inches when he was a sophomore. This growth spurt helped him join his high school's main basketball team. In his senior year at Alpharetta High School, he scored about 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds per game. He also helped his team win a regional championship.

College Basketball Journey

Starting at UNC Wilmington

Devontae went to UNC Wilmington for college. As a freshman, he usually came off the bench. He averaged 3.3 points per game.

In his second year, he averaged 12.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. He was amazing at shooting, making 80.0% of his shots. This was the highest percentage ever recorded! He mostly shot the ball very close to the basket. He also had 40 blocks. He was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year. He also made the Third Team All-CAA.

Growing as a Player

After his second year, UNC Wilmington lost many of its main players and their coach. A new coach, C. B. McGrath, wanted Devontae to improve his all-around game.

In February 2018, Devontae had a great game against Elon. He scored 17 points and grabbed 21 rebounds. In the next game, he scored 29 points and had 17 rebounds against College of Charleston. These two strong games earned him CBS Sports Player of the Week honors.

As a junior, Devontae led all college players in rebounding. He averaged 13.5 rebounds per game. He also scored 17.8 points per game. He was named to the First Team All-CAA.

Senior Year Success

Before his senior year, Devontae was chosen for the Preseason First Team All-CAA. In his final year, he averaged 15.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. He also led the nation in "double-doubles" with 22. A double-double means getting double-digit numbers in two different stats, like points and rebounds. He was again selected to the First Team All-CAA.

Professional Basketball Career

Playing for the Los Angeles Lakers (2019–2021)

After college, Devontae Cacok was not chosen in the 2019 NBA draft. However, he signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played for them in the 2019 NBA Summer League.

In December 2019, Devontae signed a "two-way contract" with the Lakers. This meant he could play for both the Lakers and their G League team, the South Bay Lakers. On December 28, 2019, he had a career-high 19 rebounds and scored 22 points for the South Bay Lakers.

He later got a foot injury in January. But he returned in February, scoring 13 points and grabbing seven rebounds. At the end of the season, Devontae was named to the All-NBA G League First Team. He averaged 19.4 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. He also made the League's All-Rookie Team. On August 13, he played his first NBA game for the Lakers. He scored six points and grabbed five rebounds.

In September 2021, Devontae signed with the Brooklyn Nets. However, he was released before the regular season started.

Time with the San Antonio Spurs (2021–2022)

In October 2021, the San Antonio Spurs signed Devontae. They also gave him a two-way contract, allowing him to play for their G League team, the Austin Spurs. In March 2022, the Spurs changed his contract to a regular NBA deal.

Motor City Cruise (2022–2023)

In September 2022, Devontae signed with the Portland Trail Blazers. But he was released in October.

In November 2022, Devontae joined the Motor City Cruise. This team is part of the NBA G League.

Playing in Europe (2023–2024)

In February 2023, Devontae signed with CSKA Moscow in Russia.

Then, in July 2023, he signed a two-year deal with Virtus Bologna in Italy. This team plays in the Italian Lega Basket Serie A and the EuroLeague. In September 2023, Virtus Bologna won the Italian Supercup. Devontae was part of that winning team. He was released from the Italian club in November 2024.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2019–20	L.A. Lakers	1	0	9.0	.500	—	—	5.0	1.0	.0	.0	6.0
2020–21	L.A. Lakers	20	1	4.0	.586	—	.455	1.6	.1	.3	.2	2.0
2021–22	San Antonio	15	0	8.1	.677	—	.571	2.8	.4	.5	.5	3.1
Career		36	1	6.3	.621	—	.500	2.2	.2	.4	.3	2.5

EuroLeague

See also

In Spanish: Devontae Cacok para niños