San Antonio Spurs Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Grizzlies, Tillman, Spurs

October 13th, 2022 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Mavericks made a series of roster cuts on Wednesday, waiving four players who were in training camp on non-guaranteed contracts. With the preseason schedule set to wrap up on Friday, most teams will make their cuts on Saturday, but head coach Jason Kidd said it was “a little awkward” last year when Dallas made its moves just hours after the team’s final preseason game.

“We’re just trying to be a little bit more sensitive to that situation,” Kidd said, per Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. “Learning from that last year, we’ll make the cuts now with guys being around to be able to say ‘bye’ or ‘see you later’ or whatever it may be. We just felt it was a little insensitive the way things went down last year, so as an organization, we just wanted to be better.”

The Mavericks still likely have at least a couple more roster moves to come. They’re believed to be preparing to sign guard Facundo Campazzo to fill the lone open spot on their 15-man roster, and could finalize their roster by converting their only remaining camp invitee, McKinley Wright IV, to a two-way deal.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

The Mavericks are hoping to schedule an exhibition game in Spain against Real Madrid, Luka Doncic‘s former team, next fall if the NBA is able to work out the logistics, Caplan writes in a separate story for The Dallas Morning News. “I don’t know that we’ll be able to play a preseason game in Slovenia,” team owner Mark Cuban said, referring to Doncic’s home country. “But we’re working really hard to play one against Real Madrid.”
While the possibility of regression looms and the team had a relatively quiet summer, John Hollinger of The Athletic is bullish on the Grizzlies‘ chances of having another strong season, projecting the team to win 51 games and finish third in the Western Conference.
Xavier Tillman is accustomed to playing center, but he may have to adjust to life at power forward if he hopes to see regular minutes for the Grizzlies this season, says Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. There should be playing time available at the four to open the season, with Jaren Jackson Jr. on the shelf. “Playing the four is a learning adjustment,” Tillman said. “I’m all about evolving, I’m all about getting better.”
The Spurs‘ home arena continues to be known as the AT&T Center — for now. The team has extended its arena naming rights agreement with AT&T into the 2022/23 season, but continue to search for a more permanent arena sponsor, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.

Spurs Sign, Waive Chaundee Brown

October 12th, 2022 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 12: The Spurs waived Brown on Tuesday shortly after signing him, per the official transaction log at NBA.com.

OCTOBER 11: Free agent guard Chaundee Brown has signed a contract with the Spurs, according to RealGM’s NBA transaction log and the team’s official roster page. While details of the deal haven’t been reported, it’s a safe bet that it’s a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 pact.

Brown, 23, went undrafted in 2021 out of Michigan. As a rookie, he appeared in five total NBA games for the Lakers and Hawks, spending time on two-way deals with both clubs. His two-way contract with Atlanta included a second year covering the 2022/23 season, but the team waived him last month.

Brown played in 30 regular season G League games for the South Bay Lakers last season, averaging 15.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.6 APG on .447/.328/.833 shooting in 30.4 MPG.

The Austin Spurs – San Antonio’s NBAGL affiliate – acquired Brown’s returning rights from South Bay in September, so he’ll likely be waived by the NBA team soon and head to Austin to start the season. He’ll be eligible for a bonus worth up to $50K if he spends at least 60 days with the Spurs’ G League team.

The Spurs had an open spot on their 20-man preseason roster after waiving Tommy Kuhse on Monday, so no corresponding move was required to make room for Brown.

Spurs Pick Up 2023/24 Options For Devin Vassell, Joshua Primo

October 10th, 2022 at 3:45pm CST by Rory Maher

The Spurs have exercised their 2023/24 team options on former lottery picks Devin Vassell and Joshua Primo, the team announced.

Both players figure to have bigger roles in ’22/23 after Dejounte Murray was traded to Atlanta over the summer, so it was a mere formality that their options were picked up. Vassell will earn $5,887,899 in ’23/24, his fourth season, while Primo will make $4,341,600 in his third.

Vassell, 22, was the 11th overall pick of the 2020 draft after two seasons with Florida State. After a fairly modest rookie campaign saw him average 17 minutes per contest in 62 games, the wing increased his numbers across the board last season, averaging 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals on .427/.361/.838 shooting in 71 games (32 starts, 27.3 minutes). He recently expressed excitement about the opportunity for an expanded role in ’22/23.

Primo, 19, was the 12th overall pick of last year’s draft after one season with Alabama. He averaged 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 50 games (16 starts, 19.3 minutes) as a rookie last season, but struggled with efficiency, posting a .374/.307/.746 shooting slash line. The versatile Primo, who views himself as a “positionless player,” is currently dealing with a sprained MCL in his left knee, but he should be ready for the regular season opener on October 19.

Zach Collins Enters Concussion Protocol

October 10th, 2022 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Spurs big man Zach Collins has entered the concussion protocol, tweets Michael C. Wright of NBA.com. Collins won’t travel to Utah for Tuesday’s game and his status for the Spurs’ preseason finale on Thursday vs. Oklahoma City is up in the air.

Spurs Waive Tommy Kuhse

October 10th, 2022 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have waived guard Tommy Kuhse, the team announced today in a press release.

Kuhse, 24, joined the Spurs on an Exhibit 10 deal in August after going undrafted out of Saint Mary’s and playing for Orlando in the Las Vegas Summer League. He averaged 12.2 PPG, 3.7 APG, and 3.7 RPG on .494/.450/.808 shooting in 34 games (30.0 MPG) as a “super-senior” in 2021/22.

Kuhse played in two preseason games with the Spurs this month, averaging 6.0 PPG and 1.5 APG in 9.0 MPG. He’ll likely become an affiliate player for the Austin Spurs, San Antonio’s G League team.

The Spurs now have 19 players under contract. They’re still expected to complete a reported Exhibit 10 deal with rookie free agent Jalen Adaway at some point, though it’s unclear if they’ll do so right away using their newly-opened roster spot — they still have seven days to set their regular season roster, so they could make several moves between now and next Monday’s deadline.

Texas Notes: Roby, Bates-Diop, Fernando, Silas

October 9th, 2022 at 4:16pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Forward Isaiah Roby has been a fan of the Spurs‘ organization since childhood, reports Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. After the fourth-year power forward was waived by the Thunder over the summer, San Antonio claimed him off waivers.

“[The Spurs] were the team my grandpa really liked watching,” the Dixon, Illinois native said. “… Ever since then, I’ve had an interest in the Spurs and the way they play basketball.”

Roby was initially drafted with the No. 45 pick out of Nebraska by the Pistons. The Mavericks traded for his draft rights later that summer. He suited up for the team’s G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, before being flipped to the Thunder in January 2020. He averaged 10.1 PPG on .514/.444/.672 shooting splits in 45 games during his 2021/22 season with Oklahoma City. The 6’8″ forward also contributed 4.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.8 SPG and 0.8 BPG.

According to McDonald, Roby was apparently surprised to be waived by the Thunder during the offseason. In San Antonio, he joins another rebuilding effort that features plenty of intriguing young prospects, with presumably more to come in the next few seasons. The Spurs have liked what they’ve seen from Roby so far.

“He is really more skilled than I was expecting, and he’s a little bigger than I expected,” head coach Gregg Popovich observed. “He handles himself really well.”

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

Spurs forward Keita Bates-Diop is in the running for the last open spot on San Antonio’s standard 15-man roster, having turned in solid performances in two preseason games as a starter, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. McDonald notes that Bates-Diop may start tonight against the Pelicans in the team’s third preseason contest after averaging 9.5 PPG in the first two. “His game improves with every increase in his confidence,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “That’s why he’s still here.” Though Bates-Diop may not ultimately start for the Spurs, McDonald predicts he’ll remain in San Antonio through opening night, thus guaranteeing he gets paid his full $1.9MM salary. “Whether you just signed a new deal or you’re on a one-year or whatever it is, you should always feel like you’re battling for it,” Bates-Diop said. “You don’t want to get too comfortable.”
The Rockets front office is excited about the fit of 6’9″ fourth-year center Bruno Fernando as a rim-runner, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Iko notes that Fernando becoming a lob threat will open up the downhill offensive games of starting guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green.
Rockets head coach Stephen Silas has yet to clear the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, reports Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston (Twitter link). Berman adds (Twitter link) that assistant coach John Lucas, acting as the team’s head coach while Silas remains ill, has expressed optimism that Silas will clear protocols and be able to travel later to join the team in Miami for its next preseason game.

McDermott, Richardson Are Veteran Leaders; Rookies Ready For First Preseason Test

October 1st, 2022 at 9:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Even though they aren’t that old, Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson have to fill the role of veteran leaders on a young Spurs team, per Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The Spurs have 10 players on their 20-man roster who are 22 or younger, and five are still teenagers. “There is something to be said that we are still here and kind of leading the locker room,” the 30-year-old McDermott said. “It’s a blessing honestly that they value me and Josh and Jakob (Poeltl) to be those guys. Because we don’t have any egos and want to see those guys thrive just as much as they do.”
The Spurs‘ six rookies, including three first-round picks, will get their first taste of NBA competition Sunday night, McDonald adds in a separate story. There has been plenty to absorb in a short time for the group, which has been through only four practices together. “It’s been a lot of learning,” said 20th overall pick Malaki Branham. “Fast-paced, but it’s been good. We’re all fast learners so I feel like we all kind of get it.”
Rockets coach Stephen Silas will focus on working out his rotations during the preseason, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “Still trying to figure out which groups play well together,” Silas said. “Tomorrow gives us a chance to do it against another team, which is huge. It’s hard when you’re evaluating both teams at the same time. But when you’re playing against a team, you can really dive into what works well offensively or defensively.”

Hearn Joining Spurs As Scout, Vassell Hoping For Breakout Season

September 30th, 2022 at 8:43pm CST by Rory Maher

Guard Reggie Hearn has decided to retire after nine professional seasons, having agreed to join the Spurs as a scout, sources tell our JD Shaw (Twitter link). As Shaw notes, Hearn spent the majority of his career in the G League, holding career averages of 11.0 PPG and 4.3 RPG on .431/.392/.799 shooting in 317 games (218 starts, 27.7 MPG). Hearn also made a brief appearance with the Pistons in 2018, playing three games while on a two-way contract.
After increasing his averages across the board in year two, former lottery pick Devin Vassell is hoping to have a breakout third season with the Spurs in 2022/23, according to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. “I don’t think I can put into words how excited I am,” Vassell said. “I think it’s going to be a big year, not only for me but for this organization to grow and build. I can’t wait to get this thing going.”

Texas Notes: Wood, Crowder, Collins, Green

September 29th, 2022 at 10:04pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Mavericks‘ plan to start JaVale McGee at center and utilize his fellow five Christian Wood off the bench may test the limits of the team culture second-year head coach Jason Kidd has been cultivating in Dallas, writes Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News. So far though, Wood appears willing to play whatever role is asked of him.

“I’m not really worried about who starts the game, more so who’s finishing the game,” Wood said on Monday, addressing a potential reserve role in Dallas. “If people were asking, ‘How would he feel coming off the bench?’ I’m not worried. It’s something that most likely will happen in talks with extensions and talks with free agency, but during the season, it’s not going to get me off my pivot.”

Wood enjoyed a typically productive 2021/22 season on a lottery-bound Rockets team. He averaged 17.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 BPG and 0.8 SPG in 68 games. He also connected on 39% of a high-volume 4.9 three-point attempts.

Meanwhile, during Kidd’s first season as head coach last year, the Mavericks secured a 52-30 record and returned to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2011, when Kidd was the team’s starting point guard.

Ahead of the 2022 draft, Houston flipped Wood to the Mavericks. In return, the Rockets received several veteran role players, but the highlight of the deal was Dallas’ No. 26 first-round draft pick, which Houston then traded to the Timberwolves in exchange for the No. 29 pick and two future second-rounders.

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

Though Suns power forward Jae Crowder appears to be headed for a divorce with Phoenix, the Mavericks are not interested in trading for the veteran stretch four, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix. Crowder served as the starting power forward for consecutive Finals teams from 2020-21, first with the Heat and then for Phoenix. In 67 contests last season, the 6’6″ vet averaged 9.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.9 APG and 1.4 SPG, while connecting on 34.8% of his 5.4 triples a night and 78.9% of his 1.3 looks at the charity stripe.
Spurs power forward Zach Collins, kicking off a new NBA season healthy at last, is excited to show what he can do this year in San Antonio, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). “I don’t think you guys have seen the best of me yet,” Collins said. “Definitely the best I’ve felt physically in my career.” The 6’11” big man missed most of the 2021/22 season while recovering from an ankle injury. In 28 games, he averaged 7.8 PPG and 5.5 RPG on .490/.341/.800 shooting splits.
Second-year Rockets shooting guard Jalen Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft out of the G League Ignite, is a devout workaholic, according to his trainer Mike Hill. Kelly Iko of The Athletic spoke with Hill about how Green approached the second half of his rookie season and his preparations for 2022/23. Among other areas, the duo worked on improving Green’s strength, ball handling, and pick-and-roll abilities.

Spurs’ Josh Primo Sprains MCL, Expected Back For Opener

September 29th, 2022 at 12:41pm CST by Rory Maher

Second-year guard Joshua Primo has suffered a spained MCL in his left knee, the Spurs announced. However, it sounds like the sprain is relatively minor — while Primo will miss “the start” of the team’s preseason schedule, he’s expected to be back by the season opener on October 19 against Charlotte, according to the Spurs.

The No. 12 overall pick of last year’s draft, Primo appeared in 50 games (16 starts, 19.3 MPG) as a rookie in 2021/22, averaging 5.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG and 1.6 APG on .374/.307/.746 shooting. Primo is still younger than many players who were drafted this year, as he won’t turn 20 years old until late December.

Primo, who also spent a decent chunk of time in the G League last season with the Austin Spurs, is expected to have an opportunity for a bigger role in year two after San Antonio dealt All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray to Atlanta this summer. Multiple starting positions could be open for the Spurs as they pivot to a full rebuild for the first time in decades.