Joshua Primo Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Ball, Holland, Raptors, Hornets, G League

October 30th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

After the Bulls announced on Tuesday that Lonzo Ball has been diagnosed with a sprained right wrist and will be sidelined for at least 10 days, the veteran point guard spoke to reporters on Wednesday about the injury, explaining that it falls between a Grade 1 and Grade 2 sprain, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN.

“If I play on it right now while it’s still swollen, it could get to a Grade 3. That would require surgery,” said Ball, who had a brace on his right wrist. “Trying to avoid that obviously. Let the swelling down, hopefully tape it up and get back to it.”

It’s an unfortunate setback for Ball, given that his comeback from two-and-a-half lost seasons due to knee surgeries had been off to as good a start as he and the team could have hoped for. Although Ball’s early-season numbers (4.7 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game on 35.7% shooting) don’t jump off the page, he hasn’t experienced any setbacks related to his left knee and the team has a +20.3 net rating in his 47 minutes of action.

“An unfortunate moment, but it happens,” Ball said. “Hopefully I get over it as fast as possible and get back to business.”

Here’s more from across the Eastern Conference:

No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland has played a modest role so far for the Pistons, averaging 13.3 minutes per night through his first four NBA games and contributing 5.3 PPG and 3.3 RPG. Still, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has liked what he’s seen from the 19-year-old rookie, writes Spencer Davies of RG.org. “The thing that’s been most impressive is he’s just fearless,” Bickerstaff said recently. “You watch some of the guys that he’s gone after defensively, gotten in a few skirmishes already. But (he) just hasn’t backed down from anybody. To be a rookie and young at that, to come in and take on challenges of these proven, veteran guys, I just have a ton of respect for that.”
Once lauded for the rises of unheralded prospects like Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, the Raptors‘ player development program hasn’t had nearly as many wins in recent years. However, that could be changing this season, per Eric Koreen of The Athletic, who takes a look at the promising early-season progress Toronto is seeing from rookies Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead, and Jamison Battle.
James Jordan, who had been serving as the Hornets‘ executive vice president and chief operating officer, will move into a senior advisory position beginning this weekend, as Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer details. The older brother of former Hornets owner Michael Jordan, James Jordan has been employed by the franchise since 2013.
The Bulls‘ and Pistons‘ G League affiliates are among the teams to announce their training camp rosters this week. The Windy City Bulls’ roster includes veteran NBA guard Ryan Arcidiacono and former lottery pick Joshua Primo, while wings Lamar Stevens and Dereon Seabron are among the former NBA players on the Motor City Cruise’s squad (Twitter link).

Bulls Sign, Waive Joshua Primo

October 3rd, 2024 at 5:33pm CST by Rory Maher

5:33 pm: As expected, the Bulls have now waived Primo, according to Johnson (Twitter link).

11:20 am: The Bulls are signing free agent guard Joshua Primo to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic (via Twitter). The move is now official, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Sports Network).

The No. 12 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Primo spent his rookie season with the Spurs, appearing in 50 regular season games (19.3 minutes per contest) while averaging 5.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists on .374/.307/.746 shooting.

About a week into his second season, he was waived by San Antonio for “inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women.” The NBA imposed a four-game suspension in response to Primo’s behavior, which allegedly included multiple incidents with a long-time sports psychologist who worked for the Spurs during his time with the organization.

Primo missed the rest of the 2022/23 campaign after being cut by the Spurs. He caught on with the Clippers last fall, initially on a two-way contract (he served the suspension at the beginning of last season). Primo was converted to a standard deal in November, but he only appeared in two NBA games for Los Angeles, which released him on the final day of the ’23/24 regular season.

Primo, 21, spent most of last season in the NBA G League with the Clippers’ affiliate, averaging 16.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals on .469/.369/.758 shooting in 30 regular season contests (30.9 minutes).

The former Alabama guard suffered a stress fracture in the navicular bone of his left ankle in April, which limited his basketball activities this offseason. According to Mayberry, Primo is expected to be released by Chicago and will head to the team’s NBAGL affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, as he continues to rehab from the injury.

Assuming Primo is waived before the season begins and spends at least 60 days with Windy City, the Exhibit 10 language in his contract would entitle him to a bonus worth up to $77.5K on top of his regular NBAGL salary.

After signing Primo, the Bulls are now at the offseason limit of 21 players under contract.

Clippers Sign Kai Jones, Waive Josh Primo

April 14th, 2024 at 1:00pm CST by Tristan Tucker

APRIL 14: The Clippers have officially waived Primo and signed Jones.

APRIL 13: The Clippers are signing center/forward Kai Jones to a multiyear contract, adding him to their playoff roster, per Shams Charania and Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). Jones recently completed a 10-day contract with the Sixers.

In order to make space on the roster for Jones, the Clippers are waiving Joshua Primo (Twitter link).

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ohm Youngmisuk, Primo suffered a season-ending ankle injury that’s expected to sideline him through the summer (Twitter links). Primo’s agent Todd Ramasar describes the injury as a stress fracture in the navicular bone of the left ankle.

Jones, the 19th overall pick in the 2021 draft, played two seasons for the Hornets, averaging 2.7 points in 67 games. He signed with the Sixers on a 10-day deal but didn’t appear in a game for them. He has been more productive in the G League over the course of his career, averaging 16.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 48 career regular season and Showcase Cup G League games.

Jones made a series of unusual social media posts before this season. A report ahead of training camp indicated that the big man wouldn’t be reporting to the Hornets for personal reasons. He subsequently requested a trade and then was waived by the club shortly thereafter.

The Clippers previously brought Jones in for a visit in November.

Primo was the 12th overall pick by the Spurs in 2021. He appeared in two games with the Clippers this season after they signed following him being waived by San Antonio last year for engaging in “inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women.” The NBA imposed a four-game suspension in response to Primo’s behavior, which allegedly included multiple incidents with a long-time sports psychologist who worked for the Spurs during his time with the organization.

As Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets, the Clippers will carry $1MM in dead money for Primo next season, since his 2024/25 salary was partially guaranteed.

Clippers Notes: Brown, Harden, Powell, Consistency, Primo

December 8th, 2023 at 8:06pm CST by Rory Maher

Clippers forward Kobe Brown has usurped P.J. Tucker in the team’s rotation of late, per Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times. Brown, who was the final first-round pick of this year’s draft (30th overall), is receiving a rare opportunity for a Clippers rookie, Greif writes, as L.A. has been focused on contending in recent years — its young players typically receive playing time in the G League instead of the NBA.

That was also the case for Brown prior to the trade for James Harden, which saw the Clippers send out four forwards and only receive one in return (Tucker), creating a void at the position. The 23-year-old said his time with the Ontario Clippers was beneficial, Greif notes.

“The G League definitely helped, a lot,” he said. “It’s the same stuff we do with the big team but the games are a lot slower, at least in my opinion, so you’re able to grasp onto stuff we’re doing a lot easier so when you come back up it’s like, everything slows down a little bit for me. That’s been the biggest thing for me, really.”

Brown’s statistics have been modest to this point, which is to be expected with so many ball-dominant players on the roster. But the team likes his versatility, and head coach Tyronn Lue has been encouraging him to remain confident even when he makes mistakes, according to Greif.

Here’s more on the Clippers:

L.A. reeled off six straight losses after acquiring Harden, but the Clippers have gone 7-3 over their past 10 games and are back at .500 with a 10-10 record. What has led to the turnaround? Law Murray of The Athletic explores that topic, writing that Harden is regaining his form, Norman Powell continues to provide a lift off the bench, and players growing more comfortable in their roles have all played factors in the team’s improved play.
Despite recent comeback wins over Golden State and Denver, the Clippers are still searching for consistency, Greif writes for The Los Angeles Times (subscription required). Evaluating the team through 20 games is nearly impossible because of all the changes to the roster and rotation, says Greif, but one thing seems certain — avoiding playing Harden and Russell Westbrook together is a must, with Lue saying the team plans to stagger their minutes late in games.
Guard Joshua Primo won’t face charges after being accused of “exposing himself to one individual” five different times over the course of several months, Greif tweets. The Bexar County District Attorney’s office cited a lack of evidence as the reason why Primo won’t be charged with a crime. The 20-year-old was given a second chance this fall by the Clippers after being waived by San Antonio last year for engaging in “inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women.” The NBA imposed a four-game suspension and Primo has been undergoing therapy for his behavior, which allegedly included multiple incidents with Dr. Hillary Cauthen, a sports psychologist who worked for the Spurs during his time with the organization.

Clippers Officially Promote Joshua Primo To Standard Roster

November 16th, 2023 at 1:25pm CST by Luke Adams

November 16: Primo received a two-year, minimum-salary deal that is fully guaranteed for the remainder of this season and features a $1MM partial guarantee for 2024/25, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

November 15: The Clippers have officially signed two-way player Joshua Primo to a new standard contract, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported last Monday that this promotion was coming. The move had to be made official today because teams aren’t permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for more than two weeks at a time. The Clippers had been carrying 13 since completing their James Harden and Filip Petrusev trades on November 1.

Primo was given a second chance this fall by the Clippers after being waived by San Antonio last year for engaging in “inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women.” The NBA imposed a four-game suspension and Primo has been undergoing therapy for his behavior, which allegedly included multiple incidents with Dr. Hillary Cauthen, a sports psychologist who worked for the Spurs during his time with the organization.

The 20-year-old wing was the youngest player in the 2021 draft when San Antonio selected him with the 12th overall pick. He appeared in 50 games as a rookie, making 16 starts and averaging 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.3 minutes per night. He got into just four games during his second season before being waived and has yet to appear in an NBA game since joining the Clippers.

Primo has been playing for the Ontario Clippers, L.A.’s G League affiliate, and is expected to remain in the NBAGL for the time being, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. He has averaged 17.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 3.0 APG in three games (28.9 MPG) for Ontario so far.

While the exact terms of Primo’s deal aren’t yet known, it will be a minimum-salary contract, which is all the Clippers can offer. According to Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), it’s a two-year contract with a partial guarantee in year two — that suggests the deal is fully guaranteed for the 2023/24 season, though we haven’t yet gotten official confirmation on that.

Los Angeles is expected to sign Xavier Moon to a two-way contract soon to fill Primo’s spot. The team is also on track to fill the open 15th spot on its standard roster by signing Daniel Theis, who is currently on waivers.

Joshua Primo Will Get Standard Contract With Clippers; Xavier Moon To Land Two-Way Deal

November 6th, 2023 at 10:17am CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers will convert Joshua Primo‘s two-way contract to a standard deal, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. The two-way opening will go to Xavier Moon, who was waived before the start of the season.

The new contract signifies a major turnaround for Primo, who was released by the Spurs last year for engaging in “inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women.” The NBA imposed a four-game suspension, and Primo has yet to appear in a game for the 3-2 Clippers.

Primo has been undergoing therapy for his behavior, which allegedly included multiple incidents with Dr. Hillary Cauthen, a sports psychologist who worked for San Antonio during Primo’s time with the organization. Cauthen filed a lawsuit against Primo and the Spurs that accused the team of being “willing to tolerate abhorrent conduct” from players.

The 20-year-old wing was the youngest player in the 2021 draft when the Spurs selected him with the 12th pick. He appeared in 50 games as a rookie, making 16 starts and averaging 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.3 minutes per night. He got into just four games during his second season before being waived.

The Clippers were down to 13 players after last week’s James Harden trade, so another move won’t be needed to add Primo to the regular roster.

Moon, a 28-year-old shooting guard, made brief appearances with the Clippers over the past two years, playing in 14 total games. He spent last season with the organization’s G League affiliate in Ontario and was named to the All-NBAGL Third Team.

Clippers Notes: Leonard, Primo, Mann, Covington

October 2nd, 2023 at 6:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kawhi Leonard said he’s unaffected by the league’s new rules regarding load management, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN.

Leonard had his games limited during his lone season with Toronto and the Clippers have also employed the strategy with him and other players. He hasn’t played more than 60 regular-season games since the 2017/18 season.

“I’m not a guy that’s sitting down because I’m doing load management — well, when I was with the Raptors, it was different; like, I was coming [off] an injury,” he said. “And you have to know the details from the doctor. But if the league is seeing or trying to mock what I did with the Raptors, they should stop because I was injured during that whole year. But other than that, if I’m able to play, I’ll play basketball. I work out every day in the summertime to play the game. So, no league policy is helping me to play more games.”

We have more on the Clippers:

Newcomer Joshua Primo said he’ll let his actions speak for him as he tries to clean up his image, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Primo will serve a four-game league suspension for indecent exposure. Primo signed a two-way contract with the Clippers late last month. “Talking’s cheap, guys,” he said. “Obviously it’s going to be my actions each and every day that proves my character.”
Apparently, the possibility of starting Leonard at power forward and inserting Terance Mann in the backcourt alongside Russell Westbrook is in play. Coach Tyronn Lue acknowledged he’s been thinking about, Greif tweets. “You’re a smart man,” Lue responded when asked about it during media day.
The Clippers were uninterested all summer in putting Mann in potential trade packages for Philadelphia’s James Harden, according to Greif.
Lue hinted he plans to give Robert Covington more playing time this season, Greif added in another tweet. He said Covington deserved to play “a little bit more last year, and that’s my fault.” The veteran forward appeared in only 48 games off the bench last season, averaging 16.2 minutes per night, his fewest since his rookie season.

Pacific Notes: Vincent, Primo, Gay, McGruder, Suns

September 30th, 2023 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

In an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Gabe Vincent said he isn’t upset that Lakers coach Darvin Ham has already chosen D’Angelo Russell as his starting point guard. Vincent is only a few months removed from starting for the Heat in the NBA Finals, but he’s willing to accept a reserve role with his new team.

“That’s something for D-Ham to worry about,” Vincent said. “I’m not the coach. I don’t set lineups. I just go out there and do my job. I’ll do whatever I can to help this team win games and help this organization win games. As I’ve seen in the past, every night doesn’t always look the same. With that big picture in mind with trying to help us win, I’ll wear whatever hat is needed.”

L.A. signed Vincent to a three-year contract worth $33MM, so he’s obviously in the team’s plans even if he won’t start right away. Vincent had several options in free agency, but he liked the idea of playing for Ham because they have similar backgrounds.

“I think it’s just in general his route,” Vincent said. “I think there are some similarities between me and him in that regard and his journey. He spent some time in the G League as did I. There are some similarities that we have naturally, even when we sit down and talk the game and catch up. It’s seamless. We get along well. D Ham has been great. He’s been very real. So I definitely have appreciated him early in this process.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Clippers gave Joshua Primo a chance because he’s a talented young player that they were able to get on a two-way contract, but his future will depend on a lot more than how he performs on the court, writes Mirjam Swanson of The Orange County Register. Primo was out of the NBA for nearly a year after being accused of predatory and indecent acts for allegedly exposing himself to a Spurs team psychologist on numerous occasions. Swanson adds that it’s a bad sign that Primo still insists the incidents were accidental.
Rudy Gay and Rodney McGruder appear to be the top candidates for the Warriors‘ final roster spot after signing non-guaranteed deals with the team earlier this week, observes C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle.
Jusuf Nurkic will replace Deandre Ayton in the Suns‘ starting lineup next to Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, but there’s no clarity on who the fifth starter will be, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. He expects Josh Okogie, Keita Bates-Diop and Yuta Watanabe to be given a chance to win the spot in camp.

Pacific Notes: Primo, Hachimura, Jasikevicius, Poole

September 30th, 2023 at 11:05am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Clippers signed guard Joshua Primo to a two-way contract on Friday, the same day the league suspended him for four games after the league determined he “engaged in inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women.” Andrew Greif of The Los Angeles Times writes that the Clippers felt comfortable with signing Primo after meeting with him for months and hearing from specialists who spent time with him.

Lawrence Frank, the Clippers’ president of basketball operations, said that the decision to sign Primo came with “a great deal of conversation with people throughout the organization,” according to Greif. Frank also said that female employees who most frequently interact with players were consulted on the decision, per Greif.

“We took many steps to make sure that we could feel very confident that we will be able to create a safe and comfortable workplace,” Frank said.

The specialists who met with Primo worked in mental health fields, Frank said, according to Greif.

“We’re not disputing allegations or condoning the alleged conduct, but why we’re here is because of all the work he’s put in since those allegations,” Frank said.

Primo was drafted with the 12th overall pick by the Spurs in the 2021 NBA Draft but was waived four games into his second season after a psychologist who worked for the Spurs, Dr. Hillary Cauthen, alleged in a civil complaint against the Spurs that Primo exposed himself to her nine times during individual private sessions.

A source tells San Antonio Express-News’ Tom Orsborn (Twitter link) that, in addition to Dr. Cauthen, Primo exposed himself to two other women, with all incidents occurring while he was with the Spurs. Orsborn adds that it’s possible that charges could arise in other counties like they did in Bexar County (Twitter link).

In addition to being suspended for the first four games of the season, Primo is ineligible to appear in the NBA’s preseason, Greif writes.

We have more notes from the Pacific Division:

The Lakers have four of their five starting positions relatively locked in, with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell expected to start. According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, Rui Hachimura will enter camp as the favorite to earn the third starting frontcourt spot, though Taurean Prince and Jarred Vanderbilt could also build their own respective cases.
Veteran coach Sarunas Jasikevicius will be with the Kings for the preseason, according to Eurohoops. Jasikevicius parted ways with FC Barcelona after winning the ACB championship in 2021 and 2023, along with the Copa del Rey in 2021 and 2022. Jasikevicius holds 138 games played during his stint as a player in the NBA, playing for the Pacers and the Warriors.
While getting Chris Paul is an overall positive, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area writes that Jordan Poole‘s departure shouldn’t be glossed over. The former Michigan guard was one of the quickest players on the team, according to Poole, who says that the Warriors may miss his burst and overall offensive production.

Clippers Sign Joshua Primo To Two-Way Contract

September 29th, 2023 at 6:16pm CST by Luke Adams

6:16pm: Primo’s two-way deal is official, the Clippers announced (via Twitter).

3:23pm: The Clippers have reached an agreement to sign free agent guard Joshua Primo to a two-way contract, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

The news comes on the heels of the NBA’s announcement that Primo will be suspended for four games for conduct detrimental to the league. An investigation into the circumstances that led to Primo’s release from the Spurs nearly a year ago found that he “engaged in inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women,” per a statement from the NBA.

One of those women, Dr. Hillary Cauthen, was a sports psychologist who was employed by the Spurs at the time. She filed a lawsuit against Primo and the Spurs that accused the team of being “willing to tolerate abhorrent conduct” by prized athletes.

While that lawsuit was settled a few weeks later, a spokesperson from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office tells Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News that it filed an indecent exposure case against Primo with the district attorney’s office in May after having interviewed Cauthen. Indecent exposure is a misdemeanor that is punishable by a maximum of 180 days in a state prison and a maximum fine of up to $2,000, per Orsborn.

According to Wojnarowski, Primo has been undergoing therapy since being cut by the Spurs and that treatment will continue in Los Angeles. Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter) that the Clippers organization was comfortable giving the 20-year-old this opportunity after he was evaluated by specialists who consult with the team.

Primo, the 12th overall pick in 2021, was the youngest player drafted in his class. He averaged 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 50 games (16 starts; 19.3 minutes per night) as a rookie, but struggled with efficiency, posting a .374/.307/.746 shooting slash line.

He will be ineligible to play in the first four games of the Clippers’ regular season while he serves his suspension.