Michigan State forward Marcus Bingham Jr. (30) takes the court for the first half of the second round of the NCAA tournament against Duke at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C.. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

MSU Alum Bingham Won't Play in Summer League After All

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 5:24 PM ET

Former Michigan State center Marcus Bingham Jr. had another shot at making the NBA when the Orlando Magic had included him on its NBA Summer League roster, along with fellow Spartans Jase Richardson and Jaden Akins.

But Bingham will continue his career overseas, albeit with a new country.

BC UNICS, based in Kazan, Russia, of the VTB United League announced on Tuesday that they have signed Bingham. He had been playing in Israel since his brief stint in the G League, where he saw just one game of action as he had suffered a season-ending injury. He is no longer on the Magic's Summer League roster.

Bingham most recently played with Hapoel Tel Aviv, with whom he won the 2025 EuroCup.

The Spartan alum is Michigan State's all-time leader in blocks. He played with the Spartans from 2018 to 2022 and was part of two Big Ten titles.

Bingham was a freshman when Michigan State won the Big Ten in 2019 and went all the way to the Final Four with its epic upset over Duke in the Elite Eight.

He saw less than 4 minutes of action that season but would have a more significant role the following season, averaging over 11 minutes a game while making 16 starts in 31 contests. The Spartans would win their third consecutive Big Ten championship before their season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bingham's best season would be his last, one in which he averaged 9.3 points per game, 6.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks while starting 32 of 35 appearances. He and the Spartans would be bested by Duke in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

Bingham went undrafted but signed with the Dallas Mavericks and would join their G League affiliate, the Texas Legends.

While Bingham won't be playing to make an NBA roster this summer, he will continue to compete for championships overseas, something he is quite used to. He's been a winner at every level, and his ability to stretch the floor and defend makes him valuable to any team.

Akins is still on the Magic's G League roster and will compete with his fellow Spartan teammate, Richardson. Their first game is Thursday against the Sacramento Kings.

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