San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spurs Sign RaiQuan Gray

September 28th, 2023 at 7:43am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have filled their 21-man offseason roster by signing free agent forward/center RaiQuan Gray to a training camp contract, per RealGM’s transaction log.

The 59th overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Florida State, Gray spent his first professional season in the G League with the Long Island Nets. He signed a training camp contract with Brooklyn in the fall of 2022 but didn’t make the regular season roster and was cut before opening night, ultimately spending a second season in Long Island before being promoted to a two-way deal during the final week of the 2022/23 season in April.

After an underwhelming rookie season at the G League level, Gray emerged as a full-time starter in ’22/23, averaging 15.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 2.6 APG with a .578/.382/.629 shooting line in 18 games (30.6 MPG). However, he was waived by Brooklyn this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Austin Spurs – San Antonio’s G League affiliate – acquired Gray’s returning rights from Long Island in an NBAGL trade last month. That move, along with Gray’s new training camp contract, signals that San Antonio will likely waive the big man ahead of the regular season and have him report to Austin.

Assuming Gray’s new deal includes Exhibit 10 language, he’ll be in line to earn a bonus worth up to $75K if he spends at least 60 days with the Spurs’ G League team.

Pre-Camp Roster Snapshot: Southwest Division

September 22nd, 2023 at 9:16am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of taking a closer look at each NBA team’s current roster situation, evaluating which clubs still have some moves to make and which ones seem most prepared for training camp to begin.

This series is meant to provide a snapshot of each team’s roster right now, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.

We’re continuing our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Southwest Division. Let’s dive in…

Dallas Mavericks

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Seth Curry, Luka Doncic, Dante Exum, Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jaden Hardy, Richaun Holmes, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Jones, Maxi Kleber, Dereck Lively, Dwight Powell, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Grant Williams
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Markieff Morris ($200K partial guarantee)
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 3
- Greg Brown, Jordan Walker, Joe Wieskamp
Players on two-way contracts: 2
- A.J. Lawson, Mike Miles

The Mavericks spend much of the early part of the offseason on the hunt for a reliable veteran center, having been linked to players like Deandre Ayton and Clint Capela. They’d probably still welcome a trade for a big man if one falls into their laps, but if not, they seem likely to open the season with a full 15-man roster that features their current 14 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Morris.

Dallas’ Exhibit 10 camp invitees, including Brown, Walker, and Wieskamp, could end up vying to earn the team’s final two-way contract.

Houston Rockets

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 12
- Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason, Jalen Green, Jeff Green, Jock Landale, Kevin Porter Jr., Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith, Jae’Sean Tate, Amen Thompson, Fred VanVleet, Cam Whitmore
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 2
- Boban Marjanovic ($1.3MM partial guarantee), Aaron Holiday ($1.05MM partial guarantee)
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 4
- Nate Hinton, Matthew Mayer, Joshua Obiesie, Jeenathan Williams
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Darius Days, Trevor Hudgins, Jermaine Samuels

It’s extremely unlikely that Porter will play another game for the Rockets — the question is whether he’ll be traded, released, or simply sent home for the start of the season.

Whether or not Porter remains on the roster, Houston is in position to add one more player to its 15-man squad before opening night, since grouping Marjanovic and Holiday with the 12 players with guaranteed salaries would leave one opening.

Memphis Grizzlies

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 17
- Steven Adams, Santi Aldama, Desmond Bane, Josh Christopher, Brandon Clarke, Jaren Jackson Jr., Luke Kennard, John Konchar, Jake LaRavia, Kenneth Lofton Jr., Ja Morant, David Roddy, Derrick Rose, Marcus Smart, Xavier Tillman, Isaiah Todd, Ziaire Williams
Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 1
- Shaquille Harrison
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Jacob Gilyard, G.G. Jackson, Vince Williams

Five games into Morant’s suspension, the Grizzlies will be able to move him to the suspended list and open up an extra roster spot. However, that won’t be possible at the start of the season, so Memphis will have to trade or waive two of its 17 players with guaranteed contracts by opening night. Christopher and Todd appear to be the most at risk, especially if no trade opportunities arise.

New Orleans Pelicans

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Dyson Daniels, Jordan Hawkins, Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones, Kira Lewis, E.J. Liddell, Naji Marshall, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy, Larry Nance Jr., Jonas Valanciunas, Zion Williamson, Cody Zeller
Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Jose Alvarado
Players on two-way contracts: 1
- Dereon Seabron
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 4
- Trey Jemison (training camp), Tevian Jones (training camp), Landers Nolley (training camp), Liam Robbins (training camp)

Alvarado is a lock to make the roster, of course, which would give the Pelicans 14 players on standard contracts. New Orleans is a little over the tax and would rather duck below that line (perhaps by trading Lewis) than go further above it, so I wouldn’t expect the team to add a 15th man for opening night unless it can make a cost-cutting trade.

The Pelicans’ primary offseason goal could be finding a pair of players who will join Seabron on two-way deals. Jemison, Jones, Nolley, and Robbins haven’t been officially signed yet, but they could all be contenders for one of those spots.

San Antonio Spurs

Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 17
- Charles Bassey, Khem Birch, Malaki Branham, Reggie Bullock, Julian Champagnie, Sidy Cissoko, Zach Collins, Devonte’ Graham, Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Doug McDermott, Cedi Osman, Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Victor Wembanyama, Blake Wesley
Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Dominick Barlow, Seth Millner, Sir’Jabari Rice
Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Charles Bediako (training camp)

Like Memphis, San Antonio will have to trade or release two players with guaranteed salaries before the season begins. A report last week suggested that the Spurs probably won’t make any more cuts before training camp begins, with all 17 of those players on guaranteed deals given the opportunity to make a strong impression at camp.

Of course, some roster spots are more secure than others. Osman, Bullock, McDermott, and perhaps Bassey could be trade candidates, while Birch and Graham will have little trade value and might be the odd men out if San Antonio decides to simply waive two players. The Spurs already removed one veteran on an expiring contract from their roster when they cut Cameron Payne earlier this month.

Previously:

Sandro Mamukelashvili Sees Greater Opportunity In San Antonio

September 21st, 2023 at 10:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Sandro Mamukelashvili is looking forward to his first full season with the Spurs after seeing limited playing time with the Bucks to start his NBA career, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. San Antonio claimed Mamukelashvili off waivers in early March and he averaged 23.3 minutes per night in 19 games. “It was hard with Milwaukee to find my spot and to gel,” Mamukelashvili said. “We had a lot of older guys who took me under their wing like a little brother, but here (in San Antonio) everything is more my age. We’re all in the same situation.”

Spurs Waive Javante McCoy

September 21st, 2023 at 7:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have waived guard Javante McCoy less than a week after signing him to an Exhibit 10 contract, per NBA.com’s official transaction log.

McCoy, 25, spent his rookie season in 2022/23 with the South Bay Lakers in the G League after going undrafted out of Boston University. He came off the bench in 26 regular season NBAGL games, averaging 14.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 25.8 minutes per contest. His shooting line was .524/.370/.767.

McCoy played for San Antonio’s Summer League team in Sacramento and Las Vegas this July, appearing in six total games for the club.

The Austin Spurs recently acquired McCoy’s G League rights in a trade with South Bay. That move – along with the fact that he was waived so soon after being signed – signals that San Antonio intends to have him report to its NBAGL affiliate this fall. Assuming he spends at least 60 days with Austin, McCoy will earn a bonus worth $75K on top of his G League salary.

The Spurs now have 20 players under contract, leaving one open spot on their 21-man offseason roster.

Spurs Notes: 2023/24 Outlook, Wembanyama, Olympics

September 19th, 2023 at 7:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Despite adding No. 1 overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs appear set to be a lottery team once again in 2023/24, writes Paul Fogerty of SpursTalk.

As Fogerty notes, San Antonio is anticipated to surpass the 22-60 record it posted last season, but will likely still finish well below .500. Part of the thinking behind that forecast, per Fogerty, is that the makeup of the rest of the club remains fairly unchanged this year.

There’s more out of San Antonio:

Bouncing back from the lottery dregs for the Spurs is going to take more than adding Wembanyama, ESPN’s Andrew Lopez and Kevin Pelton opine. The Spurs’ two previous No. 1 picks, Hall of Fame big men Tim Duncan and David Robinson, powered San Antonio to two of the three best single-season improvements in NBA history during their respective rookie years. Duncan led the Spurs to a 36-win turnaround in 1997/98, while Robinson propelled San Antonio to a 35-win shift in 1989/90. However, it’s unfair to place the same expectations on Wembanyama, ESPN’s duo writes.
Wembanyama has confirmed that he plans to play for Team France at the Paris Olympics next summer, according to The Associated Press. “Performing well at the Olympics would be a great story,” Wembanyama said. “I’ll be present at the Olympics, and there’s no other goal than gold.” France won the silver medal at the most recent summer games in 2021, but did not advance out of the first round in the FIBA World Cup this summer. “The World Cup was very disappointing,” Wembanyama was quoted as saying on Tuesday. “But I have no judgment to make as I wasn’t there.”
In case you missed it, free agent guard Javante McCoy has signed an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with the Spurs.

Contract Details: Morris, Gibson, Boban, Forrest, Millner

September 18th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Markieff Morris‘ new contract with the Mavericks is a one-year, minimum-salary deal that is partially guaranteed, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, who tweets that Morris received a $200K guarantee.

The agreement doesn’t include any early salary guarantee dates prior to the league-wide salary guarantee date in January, so Morris will have to remain under contract beyond January 7 in order to earn his full $3,196,448 salary. If it becomes guaranteed, it will count for $2,019,706 against the Mavericks’ cap, with the NBA covering the difference between the cap hit and Morris’ full salary.

Here are a few more contract details from around the NBA:

The one-year, minimum-salary deal that Taj Gibson signed with the Wizards is fully guaranteed, Hoops Rumors has learned. That gives Washington a total of 17 players on standard guaranteed contracts, meaning the club will need to trade or waive at least two of those players before opening night.
Boban Marjanovic‘s one-year contract with the Rockets will be worth the veteran’s minimum and will be partially guaranteed, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The two-way contracts recently signed by Trent Forrest (Hawks) and Setric Millner (Spurs) each cover just one year, Hoops Rumors has learned. That means Forrest and Millner will become eligible for restricted free agency in 2024, assuming they play out their respective deals.
In case you missed it, we recently passed along the details on Danny Green‘s non-guaranteed contract with the Sixers, including multiple partial guarantee dates.

Spurs Sign Javante McCoy To Exhibit 10 Contract

September 18th, 2023 at 11:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have signed free agent guard Javante McCoy to an Exhibit 10 contract, Hoops Rumors has learned. The move gives San Antonio a full 21-man offseason roster.

McCoy, 25, spent his rookie season in 2022/23 with the South Bay Lakers in the G League after going undrafted out of Boston University. He came off the bench in 26 regular season NBAGL games, averaging 14.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 25.8 minutes per contest. His shooting line was .524/.370/.767.

McCoy played for San Antonio’s Summer League team in Sacramento and Las Vegas this July, appearing in six total games for the club.

The Spurs are carrying 17 players on standard guaranteed contracts and three on two-way deals, so there likely won’t be a spot for McCoy on their regular season roster. The Austin Spurs – San Antonio’s G League affiliate – recently acquired McCoy’s rights in a trade with South Bay, which is a strong signal that he’ll end up reporting to Austin as a returning rights player.

Assuming McCoy is waived by San Antonio prior to the season and then spends at least 60 days with Austin, he’ll be eligible to earn a $75K bonus on top of his G League salary.

Spurs Sign Setric Millner To Two-Way Contract

September 18th, 2023 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have signed rookie free agent forward Setric Millner to a two-way contract, per NBA.com’s transaction log.

A report back in June indicated that Millner would be signing with San Antonio. However, that report stated that he’d be receiving an Exhibit 10 contract. It appears the former Toledo standout will fill the Spurs’ final two-way opening instead.

Millner, who began his college career with Cleveland State in 2018/19, spent his sophomore year with Northwest Florida State College, then transferred to Toledo, where he played his junior, senior, and “super-senior” seasons.

In 35 games (32.7 MPG) in 2022/23, Millner averaged 16.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG with a shooting line of .496/.420/.784, earning a spot on the All-MAC Second Team. He joined the Spurs for Summer League after going undrafted and appeared in five total games for the club in Las Vegas and Sacramento this July.

The Spurs now have 20 players under contract, including 17 on guaranteed standard deals and three on two-way pacts. They’ll need to reduce their standard roster count to 15 players (not counting two-ways) by opening night, but in the meantime, they’ll be able to carry up to 21 total players in training camp and the preseason.

Dominick Barlow and Sir’Jabari Rice are San Antonio’s other two-way players.

And-Ones: Zagars, Sophomores, Super-Max, Best Offseason Deals

September 18th, 2023 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

World Cup standout Arturs Zagars has officially signed with Turkish club Fenerbahce and has been loaned to Lithuanian team BC Wolves, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net relays. A recent report suggested that was the likely outcome for Zagars, who attracted NBA interest based in part on his strong play for Latvia at this year’s World Cup.

Zagars averaged 12.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per game across his eight World Cup appearances, making 48.6% of his shots from the floor and 41.7% of his three-pointers. The 23-year-old, who spent last season playing in Lithuania, was named to the All-World Cup Second Team.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

A panel of ESPN’s NBA reporters weighed in on which sophomore players are the best candidates to break out in 2023/24, with Trail Blazers guard Shaedon Sharpe, Rockets forward Tari Eason, and Hornets big man Mark Williams among those to earn votes. Mavericks guard Jaden Hardy, Nuggets wing Peyton Watson, and Spurs swingman Malaki Branham were some of the players picked to be effective under-the-radar contributors in their second NBA season.
In an Insider-only story for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks takes an in-depth look at the players who could become eligible for a super-max contract by meeting certain performance criteria in 2023/24, and projects what those max deals would look like. We published our own preview of this season’s super-max candidates last week.
Which free agent contracts and extensions were the most favorable deals completed by teams this offseason? Keith Smith of Spotrac identifies 10 he believes fit that bill, including multiple signings by the Mavericks (Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry), Bucks (Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez), and Lakers (Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent).

Southwest Notes: Brooks, Smart, Spurs, Player Participation

September 14th, 2023 at 8:37pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Rockets and Grizzlies made some of the splashiest moves of the summer, with Houston inking Dillon Brooks to a four-year deal worth up to $90MM and Memphis trading for longtime Celtic Marcus Smart. The Athletic’s Kelly Iko takes a closer look at both team’s additions and what fans can expect from each player.

Brooks’ play in the first round of the playoffs left much to be desired, as he averaged 10.5 points on 31.2% shooting. That led to some questions surrounding the large sum of his contract, but the Rockets knew what they were getting in the veteran forward, according to Iko.

Houston’s defensive rating hasn’t ranked above 27th in the league in the past three seasons and Brooks, a talented perimeter defender, will help address that concern, Iko writes. Brooks’ stint with the Canadian National Team at the World Cup also showed glimpses of what he can be, and he could end up having success in isolation on offense, according to Iko.

As for Smart and the Grizzlies, Iko writes that it’s a match made in heaven in terms of approach and attitude, with Smart pairing nicely with the “grit and grind” mentality of Memphis. He’s a proven commodity on the defensive end and had a career year distributing the ball last year (6.3 APG) and should help fill the void left by Tyus Jones (traded) and Ja Morant (suspension).

Iko also takes a look at what he expects Memphis’ rotation to look like to begin the year, with Smart starting next to Desmond Bane, David Roddy, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Steven Adams in his exercise. Derrick Rose, Luke Kennard, John Konchar, Santi Aldama and Xavier Tillman would be the first five off the bench in that scenario.

We have more from the Southwest Division:

After waiving Cameron Payne, the Spurs have 17 players under guaranteed standard contracts, two over the regular season limit of 15. San Antonio Express-News’ Jeff McDonald is not expecting any more players to be waived before training camps begin, suggesting that the plan is to have all 17 compete for a spot (Twitter link). Cedi Osman, Khem Birch, Devonte’ Graham and Charles Bassey are among the players who could be the odd men out.
The NBA’s new rules on player participation and resting stars will greatly benefit fans who want to come see their favorite star players, writes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. Walker points to the fact that Golden State superstar Stephen Curry hasn’t played in Smoothie King Arena (the home of the Pelicans) since the end of the 2020/21 season, meaning Warriors fans in New Orleans haven’t been able to see their favorite players for several years. The star players affected by this policy must have been named to an All-Star Game or All-NBA Team in the last three seasons, meaning Zion Williamson is subject to the rule but Brandon Ingram is not. Ingram, or any other New Orleans player, would be affected if they were named to an All-Star Game this upcoming season.
In case you missed it, the Rockets are attempting to trade Kevin Porter Jr. before training camp.