- Victor Wembanyama‘s progress after an offseason that included playing in the gold medal game at the Olympics will be the focus as the Spurs prepare to open camp, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “He’s bound to make a jump,” Julian Champagnie said. “He’s going to get stronger. He’s going to get better. He’s going to learn the game a little bit more. He’s only 20. I’m excited to see where he goes these next couple of years.” McDonald examines a few other pre-camp storylines, including the additions of veterans Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes, potential rotation changes with Devin Vassell still recovering from surgery and expectations for lottery pick Stephon Castle.
Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the San Antonio Spurs.
Free agent signings
Chris Paul: One year, $10,460,000. Includes an additional $1,568,999 in unlikely incentives. Signed using cap room.- Charles Bassey: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception. Waived right to veto trade.
- Sandro Mamukelashvili: One year, minimum salary. Re-signed using minimum salary exception. Waived right to veto trade.
- Brandon Boston Jr.: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Malachi Flynn: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Nathan Mensah: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Riley Minix: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Jameer Nelson Jr.: One year, minimum salary. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Note: Nelson was subsequently waived.
Trades
- Acquired the Timberwolves’ 2031 first-round pick and the right to swap 2030 first-round picks with the Timberwolves (top-one protected) in exchange for the draft rights to Rob Dillingham (No. 8 pick).
- Acquired the draft rights to Juan Nunez (No. 36 pick) and cash in exchange for the draft rights to Johnny Furphy (No. 35 pick).
- Acquired cash from the Hornets in exchange for Devonte’ Graham and the Pelicans’ 2025 second-round pick.
- Acquired Harrison Barnes and the right to swap 2031 first-round picks with the Kings in a three-team trade in exchange for RaiQuan Gray (two-way; to Bulls).
Draft picks
- 1-4: Stephon Castle
- Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $41,351,699).
- 2-36: Juan Nunez
- Signed with Barcelona in Spain.
- 2-48: Harrison Ingram
- Signed to two-way contract.
Two-way signings
Departed/unsigned free agents
- Dominick Barlow (Hawks)
- Cedi Osman (Panathinaikos)
Other moves
- Waived Jamaree Bouyea (two-way).
Salary cap situation
- Went below the cap to use room.
- Now operating over the cap ($140.6MM) and below the luxury tax line ($170.8MM).
- Carrying approximately $145MM in salary.
- No hard cap.
- Full room exception ($8MM) available.
The offseason so far
After earning All-NBA votes and finishing as the runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year award as a 20-year-old rookie, Victor Wembanyama is on a trajectory to become one of the league’s very best players sooner rather than later. However, the Spurs made it clear with their offseason moves that they won’t rush the process of building a contending team around him.
Rather than going all-in on win-now pieces or taking an extreme long-term view by surrounding Wembanyama with several more young prospects, San Antonio split the difference. The team entered June’s draft armed with a pair of picks in the top eight, but only kept the first of the two, using it to select guard Stephon Castle fourth overall and then sending the No. 8 pick to Minnesota in exchange for two far-off draft assets — an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a top-one protected pick swap in 2030.
It’s a risky move, given the wide range of outcomes for those two assets. It’s entirely possible that the ’31 pick ends up in the 20s and the ’30 swap doesn’t get used at all.
But the logic behind the move makes sense. The 2024 draft class wasn’t particularly loaded, so that No. 8 pick was unlikely to produce a star; the Wolves – given their cap situation – are a team whose long-term sustainability is worth betting against; and the Spurs don’t necessarily need to bet on those picks to land in the top halves of the 2030 and 2031 drafts, since they could use them as trade chips well before that in order to add players who will complement Wembanyama as he enters his prime.
Adding two rookies to a young roster also might not have the been the best approach for optimizing Wembanyama’s development, which was certainly a consideration for the Spurs this offseason. That’s a key reason why the team used essentially all of its available cap room to bring in a pair of veterans: Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes.
Paul, who was waived by the Warriors so they could avoid guaranteeing his $30MM salary for 2024/25, ended up signing with San Antonio for about a third of that amount. The future Hall of Famer could have chosen to join one of any number of teams closer to title contention, but the opportunity to play for head coach Gregg Popovich and alongside a young phenom like Wembanyama made the Spurs an appealing option.
Wembanyama spent much of his rookie year playing next to “point guards” like Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham before veteran Tre Jones was eventually reinserted into the starting lineup. Sochan and Branham are promising young players, but they’re not point guards, as last year’s experimentation confirmed. Wembanyama was most effective offensively with Jones on the court, and should benefit tremendously from having either Jones or Paul running the offense in his second year.
Barnes won’t necessarily have the same sort of direct impact on Wembanyama’s on-court production, but the forward is a solid defender who should help make the big man’s life a little easier on that end of the floor. Wembanyama should also reap the benefits of Barnes’ and Paul’s knowledge and experience — the two veterans have a combined 31 NBA seasons and three Olympic gold medals under their belts, and Barnes has won a championship.
Outside of bringing back reserve free agent centers Charles Bassey and Sandro Mamukelashvili, the Spurs didn’t make any other moves of note this summer, but they’re well stocked with future draft picks that will put them in position to continue adding talent to this core, either by drafting players or using those picks as trade pieces.
Up next
With 15 players on standard guaranteed contracts and no players eligible for contract extensions, the Spurs are unlikely to have a particularly active October.
They’re only carrying a pair of players on two-way deals right now, so they have a decision to make on who will fill the third slot. Brandon Boston, Nathan Mensah, and Riley Minix are on the roster on Exhibit 10 contracts and could be candidates to have those deals converted to two-ways. Boston is probably the best candidate of the bunch if San Antonio wants a player capable of competing for minutes — he has appeared in 105 regular season games over the past three seasons for the Clippers.
The Spurs could also look outside the organization to fill that slot, either with a current free agent or with a player on another team’s roster who gets waived before the season begins.
It’s also worth noting that the Spurs are one of the few teams with a ton of flexibility below the luxury tax line, so they’re a good candidate to help accommodate a trade between two cap-strapped clubs, like the Hornets are doing in the Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster.
A pair of recently reported Jazz signings are now official, according to the NBA transaction log at RealGM.com. Utah has officially signed guard Isaiah Wong and wing Taevion Kinsey, whose Exhibit 10 agreements with the team were revealed within the last week.
RealGM actually lists both players as having signed with Sacramento, but that appears to be an input error — their deals were said to be with Utah, and Wong and Kinsey are both listed on the Jazz’s roster on the team’s official website.
Another Exhibit 10 signing was officially completed on Friday, with the Hawks announcing in a press release that they’ve added Daeqwon Plowden to their training camp roster. Plowden had been on a two-way deal with the Warriors but was recently waived in order to make room for rookie Quinten Post.
Here are a few more of the minor roster moves from around the league that were overshadowed on Friday by the news of the biggest trade of the 2024 offseason:
- According to the official transaction log at NBA.com, the Trail Blazers have waived Estonian wing Henri Drell, who had been on an Exhibit 10 contract. Drell will likely end up playing for the Rip City Remix, Portland’s G League affiliate.
- The Spurs have cut guard Jameer Nelson Jr., the son of former NBA guard Jameer Nelson, per NBA.com. As we wrote when Nelson signed with San Antonio earlier this week, he seems destined to become an affiliate player for the Austin Spurs in the NBAGL.
- The Clippers have waived guard Elijah Harkless, according to NBA.com. Harkless spent the 2023/24 season playing for the Clippers’ G League affiliate and will likely return to the team – now known as the San Diego Clippers – this fall.
Veteran wing Devin Vassell won’t be available when San Antonio’s season tips off next month, the team announced today in a press release. According to the Spurs, Vassell is still recovering from surgery to address a stress reaction of the third metatarsal head in his right foot.
Vassell is taking part in non-contact basketball activities and his status will be updated on November 1, per the club. That means he’ll be sidelined for at least the Spurs’ five games in October and perhaps beyond that.
Vassell was the Spurs second-leading scorer last season behind Victor Wembanyama. The 24-year-old averaged 19.5 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 33.1 minutes per game across 68 outings. His 47.2% field goal percentage was a career high.
Here’s more out of San Antonio:
- Although the news on Vassell isn’t ideal, the Spurs issued more positive injury updates on big men Zach Collins (labrum surgery) and Charles Bassey (ACL surgery). Collins has been cleared for all basketball activities, while Bassey is in the midst of a “progressive ramp up to live play.” Both players are expected to be available for the start of the regular season, according to the team.
- Doug Haller of The Athletic spoke to several former NBA stars and head coaches about what to expect from Wembanyama in his second season and just how good the reigning Rookie of the Year has the potential to be. “Chris Paul is going to make him a lot better,” Hall of Famer Gary Payton said. “He’s going to get him in the right places and get him the ball at the right time, and then once (Wembanyama) gets stronger and a little bit more seasoning, it’s going to be hard to stop him.”
- Following the offseason addition of Harrison Barnes, third-year forward Julian Champagnie almost certainly won’t match the 59 starts he made last season. However, he says he’s perfectly fine with coming off the bench and is more focused on continuing to develop his game and doing whatever he can to help the team, as Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News details in a subscriber-only story. “I’m into growth,” Champagnie said. “You’ve got to be better than you were last year. One percent better every day is still progress. … I know what they’re asking of me. I know what they’re shooting for. I have a good overview on where we are now and where we want to be in the next four or five years. I want to be part of it, so I’m going to do everything they ask of me to the best of my ability. And let the chips fall where they fall.”
- Spurs minority shareholder Paul Viera has increased his stake in the franchise from 5% to 11%, according to Michael Ozanian and Jessica Golden of CNBC, who say that Viera’s latest purchase came “at a steep discount in a deal that values the team at $2.5 billion.” The NBA’s Board of Governors has approved the transaction, the Spurs announced in a press release. Viera bought out a stake that had been controlled by the food service company Aramark, per CNBC.
The Suns‘ and Pacers‘ G League affiliates have completed a trade involving a former No. 3 overall NBA draft pick, per a press release from the Valley Suns. Phoenix’s new affiliate acquired the returning rights to guard David Stockton from the Indiana Mad Ants in exchange for the returning rights to forward Garrison Brooks and former lottery pick Jahlil Okafor.
Brooks and Okafor were among the Suns’ picks in June’s expansion draft, but it’s unclear if either one intends to play in the G League at all in 2024/25 — they both competed overseas last season.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Free agent swingman Oshae Brissett is believed to be drawing interest from a EuroLeague team, according to a report from Sportske.net. As Dario Skerletic of Sportando relays, the Serbian outlet says that the Belgrade-based club Crvena Zvezda has its eye on Brissett as a potential target. The five-year NBA veteran, who won a title last season with the Celtics, has been on the lookout for a new home since he turned down his player option with Boston in June.
- ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks, and Tim Bontemps (Insider link) have published the latest installment of their annual “future power rankings,” which are based on each team’s projected on-court success for the next three seasons. The Thunder top this year’s version of the list, while the Celtics drop from No. 1 to No. 2 despite their 2024 championship, since their salary cap situation may get untenable in the near future. The Knicks (third) Sixers (fourth), Mavericks (fifth), Rockets (seventh), Timberwolves (eighth), and Spurs (10th) each rose five or more spots to claim a place in ESPN’s top 10.
- Howard Beck of The Ringer sorts the NBA’s 30 teams into six separate tiers based on how clear their plans are going forward. The Nets and Wizards, in full-on rebuilds, are among the teams in the “ever-clear” top tier along with championship hopefuls like the Mavericks and Sixers, while clubs with less obvious goals, like the Hawks, Bulls, and Raptors, find themselves in the lowest “fun-house mirror” tier.
- ESPN has laid off senior writer Zach Lowe, sources tell Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Lowe is the second noteworthy NBA reporter to depart the network in recent weeks, joining Adrian Wojnarowski, who unexpectedly announced his retirement from the news industry last week.
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 at this time, so these articles won’t be updated in the coming weeks as more signings, trades, and/or cuts are made. You can follow our roster counts page to keep tabs on teams’ open spots as opening night nears.
We’re wrapping up our pre-camp Roster Snapshot series today with the Southwest Division. Let’s dive in…
Dallas Mavericks
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 2
- Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 3
- Players on two-way contracts: 2
Although Morris’ salary isn’t guaranteed, I’d expect him to fill the 15th spot on the Mavericks‘ opening night roster. His non-guaranteed contract should give them some additional flexibility during the season — for instance, they could waive him ahead of the January 7 league-wide guarantee date, re-sign him to a couple 10-day contracts, then bring him back on a rest-of-season deal after February 6 once they know they won’t need that 15th roster spot for a trade acquisition.
With one two-way slot still available, the Mavs could hold a camp competition for that opening. In addition to their three Exhibit 10 players, Lawson would also be two-way-eligible, though he’d have to be waived and re-signed rather than directly converted.
Houston Rockets
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 14
- Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 2
- Players on two-way contracts: 3
After buying out AJ Griffin, the Rockets have an open spot on their projected 15-man standard regular season roster. They’re well below the luxury tax line, so they’d have no issue carrying a 15th man on a minimum-salary contract (or even something more lucrative than that, if they so choose). Still, with so many players on the roster who have a case for rotation minutes, Houston may not be in a rush to fill that spot by adding someone who won’t play.
Even though the Rockets’ three two-way slots are currently occupied, I’d expect Hinton and/or Samuels to receive consideration for a two-way deal if they impress in camp. Houston also has room on their roster to bring two more players to camp.
Memphis Grizzlies
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 4
- Players on two-way contracts: 2
The Grizzlies opened up a pair of standard roster spots within the last month by waiving Mamadi Diakite and Derrick Rose. Because they stretched Diakite’s partial guarantee and got Rose to agree to give up his full salary, they’re nearly $6MM below the luxury tax line, giving them more than enough breathing room to carry a full 15-man roster into the season if they want to.
I’d expect Memphis to peruse the free agent market for a 14th man, but it’s worth noting that Pippen – who played a rotation role for much of last season – is a strong candidate to be promoted from his two-way contract to the standard roster sooner or later. If that happens before the season, there would be an opening for one of the Grizzlies’ Exhibit 10 signees to have his contract converted to a two-way deal.
Like Houston, Memphis has enough room on its 21-man preseason roster to bring two more players to camp.
New Orleans Pelicans
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 13
- Players on non-guaranteed standard contracts: 1
- Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 3
- Players on two-way contracts: 3
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 1
- Elfrid Payton (Exhibit 10?)
Alvarado is a lock to make the roster, and the Pelicans – who never pay the tax – are already hovering a little above the luxury tax line, so I’d bet on them leaving their 15th roster spot open to start the season in order to save some money.
The only wild card there could be if the team makes a preseason trade. I wouldn’t necessarily count on that, but New Orleans remains on the lookout for a starting-caliber center and Brandon Ingram‘s future with the team is still in question.
After signing and waiving Galen Robinson Jr. on Tuesday, the Pelicans have an open spot on their 21-man roster to finalize Payton’s deal, though they may rotate other players in and out of that spot before camp begins next week for G League/Exhibit 10 bonus purposes.
San Antonio Spurs
- Players on guaranteed standard contracts: 15
- Players on Exhibit 10 contracts: 4
- Players on two-way contracts: 2
- Players who have reportedly reached contract agreements: 2
- Nathan Mensah (Exhibit 10)
Barring a preseason trade, the Spurs‘ projected standard roster looks set with their current 15 players on guaranteed contracts.
It’s unclear whether there will be an open competition for the final two-way contract or if San Antonio has someone specific in mind for it. Boston would be a good candidate — he has over 100 games of NBA regular season experience on his résumé and has one more year of two-way eligibility left. Flynn, on the other hand, is ineligible for a two-way deal.
I’d expect the Spurs to cut Minix or Nelson at some point in the coming days to make room for Mensah, though it’s possible his Exhibit 10 deal won’t be completed until later in October.
Previously:
The Spurs have signed free agent guard Jameer Nelson Jr., according to Paul Garcia of The Spot Up Shot, who cites the team’s official roster page.
While the terms of the agreement aren’t known, it’s likely a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract. An Exhibit 10 contract can be converted to a two-way deal prior to the regular season (the Spurs have one open slot) or can make a player eligible to earn a bonus worth up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate (in this case, the Austin Spurs).
The son of longtime NBA point guard Jameer Nelson, Jameer Jr. spent his first two college seasons at George Washington, followed by two years at Delaware and a single season at TCU in 2023/24. As a super-senior for the Horned Frogs, he averaged 11.2 points, 3.3 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.1 steals in 25.0 minutes per game across 34 appearances (22 starts), with a shooting line of .434/.306/.738.
After going undrafted in June, Nelson caught on with the Spurs for Summer League play, appearing in eight total games with the team in the California Classic and Las Vegas leagues. He struggled with his shot (.277/.267/.600) in a limited role (11.2 MPG), but it appears the Spurs still envision him having a spot on their G League team.
San Antonio now has a full 21-man roster, though more moves are expected in the coming days and weeks.
T.C. Swirsky has been named head coach of the Memphis Hustle, the NBA G League affiliate of the Grizzlies, the Hustle announced (via Twitter). Swirsky was an assistant with the team last season.
Danielle Boiago, Nick Covington, Jack Hostetler and Rob Sanicola have been named assistant coaches, while former Hustle head coach Jason March has been promoted to Taylor Jenkins‘ Grizzlies staff.
We have more G League news:
- The Raptors 905 have traded the rights to Mouhamadou Gueye to the Capital City Go-Go, the Wizards’ affiliate, for the rights to Devon Dotson and a first-round pick in the 2025 G League draft, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet tweets. Gueye appeared in 11 Raptors games last season. He was waived by Toronto in June. Dotson didn’t appear at all in the NBA last season but saw action in six Wizards games in 2022/23.
- The Valley Suns have received the returning player rights to guard Kaleb Johnson from the Austin Spurs in exchange for the returning player rights to Justin Smith, according to Phoenix’s affiliate (Twitter link). Johnson appeared in 24 regular-season games with the Austin Spurs last season.
- The Hawks’ G League affiliate has a new head coach. Get the details here.
Tre Jones has started 113 games for the Spurs at the point over the past two seasons. He’ll likely be relegated to the second unit this season with the free agent addition of Chris Paul. Jones isn’t upset about losing his starting job to a future Hall of Famer, as he told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
“It was extreme excitement right away,” Jones said of the Spurs signing Paul. “To be able to learn from a generational point guard like that, it’s something I’ll never take for granted.”
Jones looks at the upcoming season as a learning experience.
“He’s a guy who thinks the game at such a high level,” he said. “He’s been on some of the best teams and been around some of the greatest to play the game. He’s gone to the Finals. He’s been in huge moments in the playoffs. Just being able to pick his brain and learn from him all year – I’m going to take full advantage of that.”
It’s a crucial season for Jones — he’s entering his walk year and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- The Spurs showed some interest in bringing free agent wing DeMar DeRozan back to San Antonio, Sam Amick of The Athletic reports. At the same time, the Spurs made it clear they would be willing to help him get to the team of his choice by helping facilitate a three-team trade. And that’s exactly what happened, as DeRozan was dealt by the Bulls in a sign-and-trade transaction to the Kings in a three-team swap. Harrison Barnes was sent to San Antonio as part of that trade.
- The backup point guard spot is the biggest question hovering over the Grizzlies, according to Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Derrick Rose and Scotty Pippen Jr. are the top candidates for the job, but Rose has struggled with injuries in recent seasons and only appeared in 24 games last season. Pippen played well in the second half of the season but didn’t play much with the team’s biggest stars due to the team’s injury issues. If neither of them emerges, Memphis may have to lean on non-traditional options like Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane to back up Ja Morant at the point, Cole writes.
- Amen Thompson‘s versatility makes it difficult to pinpoint what position he’s best suited to play, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle notes. When Thompson was at his most impactful last season, he defended point guards, but offensively was more of a rim-running center, according to Feigen. However, Rockets coach Ime Udoka said he plans to have Thompson back up Fred VanVleet at the point this season.
In an NBA G League swap, the Memphis Hustle acquired a 2025 first-round pick and the returning player rights to forward Malik Fitts from the Cleveland Charge, the Grizzlies’ G League team tweets. The Charge, the Cavaliers’ affiliate, received the returning player rights to guard Jacob Gilyard.
Fitts has appeared in 18 NBA games, most recently in eight contests with Boston during the 2021/22 campaign when he was signed to two 10-day contracts. Gilyard appeared in a combined 41 NBA games with the Grizzlies and Nets last season. He was on a two-way deal with Brooklyn after Memphis waived him.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- It’s impossible to keep all the NBA teams happy and give them their desired dates on an 82-game schedule. Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic spoke to an unnamed source who detailed the issues confronting the schedule makers. “You’ve got 30 different teams each with their own perspective on what they would like to see and within each of the 30 teams, you’ve got multiple perspectives from what makes the most sense,” the source said. “The league is then responsible for taking all of the different perspectives and try to make something that’s going to please everyone, which inherently is an impossible task.”
- How would projected 2025 top pick Cooper Flagg impact a team in rebuild mode? Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report dives into that topic, exploring how the Duke freshman big man would fit in with the Nets, Hornets, Pistons, Trail Blazers, Spurs, Raptors, Jazz and Wizards.
- Nathan Peavy, David Noel III and Alex Ruoff have been announced as assistant coaches on DJ Bakker‘s staff with the Greensboro Swarm, the Hornets‘ affiliate, the G League team announced in a press release. Peavy joins the Swarm after serving last season as the head coach of the Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league, Puerto Rico’s top professional division. Noel spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons’ affiliate. Ruoff was on West Virginia’s coaching staff the last two seasons.