San Antonio Spurs Rumors

Hawks’ Kristaps Porzingis Feels ‘Fantastic’ After Recovering From Illness

July 29th, 2025 at 4:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kristaps Porzingis is feeling refreshed and ready to play again, he said in an interview with Latvia’s Sports Studija (YouTube link).

Porzingis struggled mightily in the playoffs with the Celtics due to the lingering effects of a mysterious illness he contracted in February. It was later described as post-viral syndrome. He was dealt to the Hawks this summer.

“I feel fantastic, to be honest,” Porzingis said, per BasketNews.com. “I took time to rest after the season. Something was lingering during the playoffs—I had fatigue, dizziness, even moments where I felt like I might faint. It wasn’t great.”

Porzingis will play for Latvia’s national team in the EuroBasket tournament before joining Atlanta for training camp.

“In June, I fully rested and lowered the intensity. All of that has gone away,” he said. “I haven’t felt any of the playoff symptoms anymore. I feel great and ready to join the national team. Super happy.”

Porzingis has a $30.7MM expiring contract, so his stay in Atlanta could be a short one, though he’s eligible to sign a contract extension. The Hawks hope he can make them a true playoff contender. Atlanta also upgraded its roster by adding Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard this offseason.

“I think expectations are high. Atlanta’s been on the edge of the playoffs the last few years, sometimes getting through the first round,” Porzingis said. “It’s a great situation for me to come in and contribute. Maybe even better than Boston, where it was championship or bust.”

Boston”s front office was motivated to shed salary after Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles during the playoffs. Porzingis anticipated he could be moved, though not necessarily to the Hawks.

“After the season, I spoke to my agent and kind of expected that one or more of us would be traded,” he said. “For a while, I thought I might end up with the Spurs, but then Atlanta came in—and that was a nice surprise. It was out of my hands.”

Porzingis believes he’ll mesh quickly with his new teammates.

“I’ve always been a player who can fit into any system, but now I adapt faster,” he said. “I read defenses better and make quicker decisions. That comes with experience.”

The veteran big man produced at a high level when he was available last season, averaging 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 28.8 minutes per game across 42 starts for the Celtics in 2024/25, with a shooting line of .483/.412/.809.

Summer League Notes: Rookie Standouts, Maluach, Fears

July 27th, 2025 at 6:02pm CST by Eli Cohen

The 2025 Summer League gave fans and teams first impressions of most of this year’s incoming rookies, as well as serving as a showcase for several sophomores and younger veterans. In the wake of the event, Law Murray of the Athletic breaks down each rookie’s performance with an eye for what it could mean for the coming season.

Cooper Flagg (Mavericks), Dylan Harper (Spurs), and VJ Edgecombe (Sixers) were arguably the biggest names who participated in the Summer Leagues – headlined by the Las Vegas event – and despite some shooting efficiency concerns, all three gave their fans plenty of reason for excitement.

Flagg displayed a well-rounded on-ball skill set, Harper came up clutch in his last game to force overtime, and Edgecombe lived at the free throw line while displaying some advanced ball-screen offensive game, Murray observes.

The next three picks in the draft, Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Ace Bailey (Jazz), and Tre Johnson (Wizards), all showed off their shot-making capabilities, which will likely be what earns them regular playing time as rookies. Knueppel was rewarded for his play with the only All-Summer League Second Team selection among rookies, while Nique Clifford (Kings) was the lone rookie to make the First Team, thanks to his stellar all-around play.

Other rookies, such as Collin Murray-Boyles (Raptors), Carter Bryant (Spurs), Joan Beringer (Timberwolves), and Brooks Barnhizer (Thunder) flashed tantalizing defensive capabilities, though Murray-Boyles and Bryant were inconsistent offensively, Murray notes.

Here are a few more leftover Summer League notes:

John Hollinger of the Athletic takes a look at some of the low points of Summer League, including the worst ejection of the tournament, awarded to the Celtics‘ Jordan Walsh for not only having an excessive foul on the Heat’s Pelle Larsson, but for accidentally throwing him into Walsh’s own front office executives courtside.
In terms of players who struggled, Hollinger mentions Khaman Maluach (Suns), who had difficulty catching lobs and other passes, Jeremiah Fears (Pelicans), who was unable to spearhead an offense and create for others, and the limitations of the four Nets rookies who suited up, among others.
On the non-player side, Hollinger points to an abundance of turnovers caused by stepping out of bounds, as well as the prevalence of split-screen interviews that made following the games an exercise in patience and eagle-eyed vision.

Partizan Belgrade May Be Frontrunner To Sign Charles Bassey

July 27th, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Former Spurs center Charles Bassey is negotiating with several European teams, but he appears to be leaning toward KK Partizan, according to Eurohoops. Agent Mark McNeil confirmed negotiations with the Belgrade club in an interview with Meridian Sport.

“Charles is honored by the interest shown by Basketball Club Partizan,” McNeil said. “He is definitely considering the offer and will continue discussions with the club and his representative. Other European clubs have also contacted him, but Partizan has been his priority.”

Bassey was a standout with the Celtics during Summer League play, leading to speculation that he might get at least a training camp offer. However, it appears he’s leaning toward taking the safer route of guaranteed money in Europe rather than waiting for an opportunity with Boston. He averaged 15.3 points and 11.0 rebounds in Las Vegas while shooting 70.4% from the field, but he had to leave after three games due to a prior commitment.

Bassey was selected by Philadelphia with the 53rd pick in the 2021 draft. He was waived after one season and signed with San Antonio, where he played for the past three years. He appeared in 36 games last season, averaging 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per night.

The 24-year-old big man was born in Lagos, Nigeria, but he has never played overseas as a professional before. He spent three seasons at Western Kentucky before being drafted into the NBA.

Partizan, which signed Shake Milton earlier this week, continues to build up an impressive collection of former NBA talent. Its roster also includes Jabari Parker, Sterling Brown, Isaac Bonga, Aleksej Pokusevski, Frank Ntilikina, Duane Washington, and Carlik Jones.

Southwest Notes: Rockets, Christie, Lazare, Spurs

July 25th, 2025 at 10:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

Rockets fans should expect to see much more of the two-big lineups featuring Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams this season, writes Kelly Iko for The Athletic.

Despite the fact that neither are shooters — Sengun made just 23.3% of his three-pointers last season while Adams is 1-of-17 in his career from beyond the arc — Houston found an unexpected level of success playing the duo together. The two skilled international bigs were able to leverage their passing, rebounding, and toughness around the rim to great success, and Iko writes that other Western Conference teams took note and may attempt to follow suit.

Bringing in Clint Capela should help the Rockets manage Adams’ minutes, though since Capela is less of a play-maker than the other two centers, it remains to be seen if they’ll attempt to capture the same type of magic by putting him in lineups with Sengun.

The Rockets know that Sengun will have to expand his range, not just for these lineups, but also to facilitate playing with Amen Thompson, another very limited shooter. Iko writes that becoming more comfortable outside of the three-point line is one of Sengun’s priorities this offseason, and Thompson is hard at work on his jumper as well.

We have more from the Southwest division:

Max Christie is excited to reunite with new Mavericks teammate D’Angelo Russell, writes Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News. “That’s one of my closest friends and closest teammates,” Christie said. “We were together for two years out in L.A. and I respect him a lot.” Christie has had an eventful start to his career, from playing with LeBron James to being included in a trade for Luka Doncic, to now forming a new young core with Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively II to complement Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, when Irving returns from injury. He’s excited for the challenge, citing the day he was traded as his favorite day as an NBA player. “We got a good roster,” he said. “We got a good coaching staff. We’re looking forward to making a big splash in the West.”
The Grizzlies are adding Darnell Lazare onto their coaching staff, Drew Hill reports for The Daily Memphian (subscriber link). Lazare previously worked for the Grizzlies as a player development coach in 2018 before joining the Pelicans in a similar role, notes Damichael Cole writes for Memphis Commercial Appeal. Cole writes that Lazare is expected to work with Memphis’ big man rotation after working closely with Pelicans rookie Yves Missi last season.
The Spurs have committed over $1 billion in funding to San Antonio’s downtown revitalization, which will include a new arena, write Amanda Moreno and Chris Hoffman of News 4 San Antonio. The civic project, known as Project Marvel, could cost up to $4 billion in total, and the Spurs’ commitment is expected to help alleviate some of the fiscal concerns. The Spurs’ investment includes $500MM for a new arena, $500MM in downtown development, and $60MM in community incentives, affordable tickets, and small business support. “As we have done since 1973, we are operating in good faith, grounded in deep love for our community and a sincere desire to help San Antonio thrive,” said Spurs chairman Peter J. Holt. The team is asking the city to contribute another $500MM to the arena costs. The Spurs are expected to stay in their current home, the Frost Bank Arena, until 2032, when the lease expires.

NBA Insiders Talk 2025, 2026 Drafts

July 25th, 2025 at 6:04pm CST by Eli Cohen

Now that the 2025 Summer League has wrapped up, scouts and evaluators around the NBA are looking ahead to the 2026 draft and considering how this year’s draft class might perform as rookies.

Among league personnel, there’s a near-consensus that the Mavericks‘ Cooper Flagg will win Rookie of the Year, according to ESPN’s annual survey of NBA executives and scouts conducted this year by Jeremy Woo. Flagg was the overwhelming favorite, with 17 votes, followed by the Spurs‘ Dylan Harper, who picked up two votes. The Wizards’ Tre Johnson also received a vote.

Those polled speculated that while some rookies, like Johnson or Ace Bailey of the Jazz, may get a chance to shoot and score more points, Flagg’s overall contributions to a team that will likely be fighting for a play-in spot will push him over the edge.

While he didn’t receive a vote for Rookie of the Year, the Sixers‘ VJ Edgecombe was the top vote-getter for those asked who would end up the best non-Flagg pick in the draft.

“VJ might be Philly’s second-best player by the end of the season, factoring in [Joel] Embiid‘s uncertain health,” one general manager said.

When Woo’s poll respondents weighed in on the biggest draft steal, the Spurs’ Carter Bryant led the way, followed by Joan Beringer (Timberwolves) and Kasparas Jakucionis (Heat), though this question proved to be the most wide-ranging in terms of responses.

Executives also discussed the 2026 draft, which is widely anticipated to be a star-studded draft class. When asked about who the top pick would be, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson led the way with 12 votes, while BYU’s A.J. Dybantsa was a close second with eight.

Peterson is described in the article as “one of the best lead guard prospects in recent memory,” though Woo writes that given the high level of competition for the No. 1 spot, the race for the top spot is unlikely to be as open-and-shut as it was in 2025, when Flagg remained relatively unchallenged throughout the draft cycle.

“It’s a total toss-up right now — by no means is [there a] consensus yet,” one executive said.

While only Peterson and Dybantsa received votes as the probable No. 1 pick for 2026, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, Nate Ament (Tennessee), and Mikel Brown (Louisville) are also considered top prospects who could be in the mix for a top spot.

While it’s never easy to predict the future when it comes to the NBA draft, last year’s executive survey had Flagg as the top vote-getter for the number one pick, far ahead of Harper’s second-best vote tally, with Bailey and Edgecombe coming in third and fourth.

In that same poll last year, Reed Sheppard and Zach Edey were forecasted as the top candidates for Rookie of the Year, though eventual winner Stephon Castle came in a close third.

Spurs Sign Lindy Waters On One-Year Deal

July 24th, 2025 at 5:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

July 24: Waters is officially a Spur, according to NBA.com’s transaction log. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports (via Twitter) that the minimum-salary deal includes a $500K partial guarantee.

July 23: Free agent swingman Lindy Waters III has agreed to a one-year contract with the Spurs, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

San Antonio officially had 13 players on its 15-man roster entering Wednesday, as our roster counts show, so the team won’t have to make room for Waters.

Waters spent his first three NBA seasons with Oklahoma City. He finished last season with the Pistons after playing with the Warriors until the trade deadline. Waters was acquired by Detroit in the multi-team blockbuster deal that sent Jimmy Butler to Golden State.

Waters played 38 games for the Warriors, including nine starts, and averaged 5.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 17.2 minutes per night. The Warriors acquired him in a draft-night trade with the Thunder.

Waters’ playing time dropped in Detroit, as its main motivation in the trade was to acquire backup guard Dennis Schroder. Waters made 14 appearances off the bench for the Pistons, averaging 3.4 PPG in 8.8 MPG.

Waters has 156 games of NBA experience and has taken a vast majority of his shot attempts from beyond the three-point arc. He’s had a 36.6 percent success rate from long range in his career.

With Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, lottery pick Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie among the Spurs’ options at the wing, there’s no clear path for Waters to gain rotation minutes but he’ll add depth at the shooting guard and small forward positions.

David Jones-Garcia Signs Two-Way Deal With Spurs

July 23rd, 2025 at 3:08pm CST by Dana Gauruder

July 23: Jones-Garcia has officially signed his two-way contract with the Spurs, the team announced today in a press release.

July 22: The Spurs are signing Summer League standout David Jones-Garcia to a two-way contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.

Jones-Garcia earned All-Summer First Team honors playing for San Antonio. The 6’6″ wing finished an eight-game summer campaign with averages of 22.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per contest. He posted averages of 21.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 3.8 APG while shooting 52.9% from 3-point range during a handful of games in Vegas.

Jones-Garcia recently turned down a three-year offer from Olympiacos and let all other European suitors know he was committed to continuing his NBA career. He’ll now focus on trying to earn a promotion to a standard NBA contract.

After going undrafted out of Memphis in 2024, Jones-Garcia signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia last July but was waived in September. He also spent about a month-and-a-half on a two-way contract with the Jazz prior to being released on January 1.

The 23-year-old didn’t appear in any NBA games with Utah last season. However, he was one of the top performers in the G League, finishing as the runner-up in voting for NBAGL Rookie of the Year.

Jones-Garcia, who is from the Dominican Republic, was also named to the All-California Classic Summer League team earlier this month after averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals.

San Antonio hadn’t filled any of its tw0-way slots, so the team will still have two more openings when Jones-Garcia signs.

NBA Names Kyle Filipowski Summer League MVP, Announces All-SL Teams

July 22nd, 2025 at 3:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski has officially been named the Summer League Most Valuable Player for 2025, the NBA announced today (via Twitter). Filipowski is also one of five players who earned a spot on the All-Summer League first team.

Here are the full All-Summer League teams, per the league (Twitter links):

First Team

Kyle Filipowski (Jazz)
Nique Clifford (Kings)
David Jones-Garcia (Spurs)
Jordan Miller (Clippers)
Terrence Shannon Jr. (Timberwolves)

Second Team

Ron Holland (Pistons)
Isaac Jones (Kings)
Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
Ajay Mitchell (Thunder)
KJ Simpson (Hornets)

Filipowski, who is entering his second NBA season after playing 72 games as a rookie, appeared in a total of six Summer League contests (Salt Lake City and Las Vegas). He averaged 23.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 blocks in 27.6 minutes per game. He especially excelled in Las Vegas, averaging 29.3 PPG and 7.7 RPG in three outings.

Clifford, a rookie drafted with the No. 24 pick last month, posted averages of 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals in six contests. Jones-Garcia, who is seeking a contract, finished an eight-game summer campaign with averages of 22 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He posted averages of 21.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in a handful of games in Vegas.

Miller (22.0, 7.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists) racked up impressive number in five summer games after being waived earlier this month by the Clippers. Entering his second season with Minnesota, Shannon (22.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists) excelled in three contests.

After competing in the Summer League championship game on Sunday, both the Hornets (Knueppel and Simpson) and Kings (Clifford and Jones) had multiple players recognized for their play in Las Vegas. Knueppel was named the MVP of the championship game.

Summer League Standout David Jones-Garcia Turns Down Olympiacos Offer

July 21st, 2025 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

David Jones-Garcia turned down a three-year offer from Olympiacos and let all other European suitors know he’s committed to continuing his NBA career, Dusty Garza of SpursReport tweets.

A report from Eurohoops.net confirms Jones-Garcia’s decision to pursue NBA opportunities.

Interest in Jones-Garcia, who doesn’t currently have an NBA deal, grew after some standout performances in the Las Vegas Summer League for the Spurs. The swingman averaged 21.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.8 APG and 1.2 SPG while shooting 52.9% from deep in five contests (24.9 MPG) this month.

After going undrafted out of Memphis in 2024, Jones-Garcia signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia last July but was waived in September. He also spent about a month-and-a-half on a two-way contract with the Jazz prior to being released on January 1.

The 23-year-old wing didn’t appear in any NBA games with Utah last season. However, he was one of the top performers in the G League, finishing runner-up in voting for NBAGL Rookie of the Year.

Jones-Garcia, who is from the Dominican Republic, was named to the All-California Classic Summer League team earlier this month after averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 47.1% from three-point range in three games for San Antonio.

Olympiacos Reportedly Eyeing David Jones-Garcia

July 19th, 2025 at 11:37am CST by Rory Maher

Olympiacos is discussing a contract with Spurs Summer League standout David Jones-Garcia, according to Greek reporter Tolis Kotzias (hat tip to Sportando).

After going undrafted out of Memphis in 2024, Jones-Garcia signed a two-way contract with Philadelphia last July but was waived in September, before the 2024/25 season began. He also spent about a month-and-a-half on a two-way contract with the Jazz prior to being released on January 1.

The 23-year-old wing didn’t appear in any NBA games with Utah last season. However, he was one of the top performers in the G League, finishing runner-up in voting for NBAGL Rookie of the Year.

Jones-Garcia, who is from the Dominican Republic, was named to the All-California Classic Summer League team earlier this month after averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 47.1% from three-point range in three games for San Antonio.

The guard/forward has continued to put up big numbers for the Spurs at the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 21.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.0 APG and 1.5 SPG while shooting 50.0% from deep in four contests (25.4 MPG).

Olympiacos, which features multiple ex-NBA players, including Sasha Vezenkov and Evan Fournier, competes in both the EuroLeague and Greece’s top basketball league, the GBL. Olympiacos won the GBL finals last season over rival Panathinaikos.