Category: San Antonio Spurs Blog

Spurs blog – San Antonio Spurs blog, with news, rumors and more

Spurs select Victor Wembanyama first overall in 2023 NBA Draft

Via ESPN.com:

The Victor Wembanyama era has officially begun in San Antonio, as the Spurs made him the No. 1 overall pick in Thursday’s NBA draft.

Wembanyama, a 7-foot-5 French phenom with an 8-foot wingspan, walked across the stage at the Barclays Center in New York to shake NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s hand and formally mark the start of his new career.

Wembanyama, 19, is considered by many to be a generational talent — a player who can defend and play above the rim but also move with such fluidity that he can also hit step-back 3-pointers off one leg.

When the Spurs won the right to draft Wembanyama by winning the lottery on May 16, Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt leaped with joy from his seat on stage inside Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center.

San Antonio Spurs win 2023 NBA Draft Lottery

The NBA today announced that the San Antonio Spurs have won the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery, which was conducted at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago earlier this evening. The Spurs will have the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft that will be held on Thursday, June 22.

“The team and the city that sticks with us and put so much effort and love into the organization, it’s just amazing for them to get rewarded,” said Spurs Managing Partner Peter J. Holt immediately following the Lottery. “So many folks have been with us a long time and now everybody can feel rewarded and excited. My joy was a ‘we’ type of fun and joy.”

For the third time in franchise history, San Antonio holds the top overall pick with the previous two being Hall of Fame big men David Robinson in 1987 and Tim Duncan in 1997, who helped the Spurs start their NBA record 22-year Playoff streak from 1998-2019.

Going into tonight’s lottery, the Silver and Black held a 14.0% chance to land the No. 1 pick. Since the Draft Lottery was introduced in 1985, San Antonio has owned seven total lottery picks, fewest in the NBA.

Former Spurs guard Dejounte Murray receives warm reception in San Antonio

Via the San Antonio Express News:

Hawks guard Dejounte Murray said he appreciated the warm reception he received in his first game back at the AT&T Center.

Murray spent his first six NBA seasons with the Spurs before being dealt to Atlanta last summer.

“I felt like it was what it should be,” said Murray, who tallied 22 points in the Hawks’ defeat. “It showed nothing but love, both sides.”

The team began the afternoon’s festivities with a video thanking Murray for his time in San Antonio.

“I’m thankful, grateful,” Murray said. “It’s family forever.”

Spurs center Charles Bassey injured, out for remainder of season

San Antonio Spurs center Charles Bassey underwent additional testing today in San Antonio that confirmed a non-displaced fracture in his left patella. The injury occurred during the first quarter of last night’s Spurs-Magic game at the AT&T Center.

Bassey will miss the remainder of the 2022-23 NBA season.

The Spurs are 18-50 this season, which is the second worst record in the Western conference. They will officially miss the 2023 playoffs.

Bassey was averaging 5.7 points and 5.5 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.

Spurs add Sandro Mamukelashvili, waive Isaiah Roby

The San Antonio Spurs they have claimed forward Sandro Mamukelashvili off waivers.

In addition, Mamukelashvili has been converted to a standard NBA contract and the team has waived Isaiah Roby.

Mamukelashvili, 6-10/240, most recently played with the Milwaukee Bucks on a two-way contract before being waived on March 1. This season, he appeared in 24 games with the Bucks, averaging 2.4 points and 2.3 rebounds, also seeing action in 11 G League games with the Wisconsin Herd and posting averages of 19.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 30.6 minutes.

From Tbilisi, Georgia, Mamukelashvili was selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft (54th overall) by the Indiana Pacers before being traded to the Bucks on draft night. Prior to the NBA, he spent four years at Seton Hall (2017-21), where he earned 2021 Big East Co-Player of the Year. The former Pirate averaged 9.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 23.7 minutes in 104 career games.

Roby appeared in 42 games for the Spurs, averaging 4.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 18.9 minutes after being claimed off waivers by San Antonio on July 5, 2022.

Mamukelashvili will wear No. 54 for the Silver and Black.

The Spurs roster now stands at 17 players.

Spurs add Julian Champagnie off waivers on a two-way contract

The San Antonio Spurs have claimed forward Julian Champagnie off waivers on a two-way contract.

Champagnie, 6-8/220, was most recently on a two-way with the Philadelphia 76ers before being waived on Feb. 14. He appeared in two games with the 76ers and 18 G League games with the Delaware Blue Coats, averaging 14.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 28.5 minutes.

Champagnie went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft after spending three years (2019-22) at St. John’s University, where he garnered All-Big East First Team honors as a sophomore and junior. The former Red Storm forward averaged 16.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 30.7 minutes in 88 games.

He will wear No. 30 for the Silver and Black.

The Spurs roster now stands at 17 players.

Spurs sign Gorgui Dieng

The San Antonio Spurs have signed center Gorgui Dieng.

Dieng, 6-10/265, has appeared in 17 games with the Silver and Black this season, averaging 3.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 9.8 minutes. He started the season with the Spurs before being waived on Jan. 5. Dieng re-joined the Spurs signing two 10-day contracts on Jan. 8 and Jan. 20. The 10-year NBA veteran has played in 614 total games and holds career averages of 7.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.2 minutes with Minnesota, Memphis, Atlanta and San Antonio. The native of Senegal was originally selected in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft (21st overall) by the Utah Jazz and before being dealt to the Timberwolves on draft night.

The Spurs roster now stands at 17 players.

Spurs trade Josh Richardson to Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has acquired guard Josh Richardson in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Devonte’ Graham and four future second round draft picks.

Richardson, 6-6, 190, has appeared in 42 games (six starts) for San Antonio this season, averaging 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 23.7 minutes per game while shooting .436 from the field and .357 from deep. Drafted 40th overall by Miami in the 2015 NBA Draft out of the University of Tennessee, the eighth-year NBA veteran has appeared in 480 career games (312 starts) with Miami, Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston, and San Antonio, averaging 12.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 29.2 minutes per game. Richardson has also appeared in 30 career playoff games (nine starts) throughout his career, averaging 7.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 25.2 minutes per contest.

Graham, 6-1, 197, who was originally acquired by the Pelicans from the Charlotte Hornets via trade on August 7, 2021, played in 53 games off the bench this season, averaging 5.3 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. Graham appeared in 129 games (63 starts) for the Pelicans over the last two seasons, averaging 9.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 23.0 minutes per game.