The Spurs have signed guard and lottery pick Joshua Primo, according to a team press release.
Primo, the 12th overall pick, played one season at Alabama. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team, averaging 8.1 PPG and 3.4 RPG while starting in 19 of 30 games. The 18-year-old is currently averaging 12.0 PPG, 2.3 APG and 2.0 RPG in 26.0 MPG over three summer league games.
Assuming he receives the usual 120% above rookie scale, Primo will make $3.95MM in his first season and could earn $18.42MM over the next four seasons.
Primo was one of just two first-round picks who had yet to sign their rookie scale contracts — Usman Garuba is the lone unsigned first-rounder now, and his deal should be done soon too.
Why didn’t Spurs trade down to Knicks for 19 and 21?
I’m sure Primo is still available
Reports have suggested OKC and I think one other team were threats to take him before then.
I was shocked when Spurs took Primo. I had read he was great at combine. He was youngest player in draft. Has great size for a PG. But was really more a combo in college. I watched some tapes on him. He’s got good size. Definitely got talent. But I haven’t seen enough to take him that high. I assume Spurs know what they are doing. If you watch him in SL. He’s got game. But is still kind of raw. I’m real interested to see how he develops. This was a swing for the fences. Kind of like that for a rebuilding team. All about upside here.
Taking the youngest player in the draft is all about developing him properly and not just throwing him to the wolves like the Knicks did with Kevin Knox. If the Knicks had put him in the G League for 2 years, he likely would have come out much better. Knox had his confidence destroyed early on and it never recovered.
Same for Ntilikina. If he ends up with a good organization I think they can still squeeze out a useful bench guy.
I don’t really blame the Knicks for Knox’s failure in the NBA. He was not ready to go pro when he did. He had a good freshman year at UK, but not a great one. I watched every game that year and never did I once think of Knox as ready to the next level. He was to unsure of himself.
But it’s hard to blame him since he did get drafted in the top 10. It’s just hard for me to justify rooting for someone that is more worried about money than making himself a better player. For the player, the money is important, but for the fan it shouldn’t matter at all.
Neither player demonstrated confidence before they got to the Nix.
Yup Knicks have messed a few picks. I’ll never understand why they don’t send players to G-league. Develop them right instead of sitting them on bench. Very few 19-20 yr olds are going to help you their first yr.
Or, better yet, don’t draft those guys in the first place if you wouldn’t do what you need to do in order to develop them. If that’s your plan, draft non-projects.
link to nydailynews.com
Good story about Frank. Knicks messed this up. With all the different FO changes, coaches. But I agree if you’re drafted that high. You have to take responsibility too. I wish him well. Needs to be more aggressive on offense. Still has time to make it. Best of luck Frank