Category: San Antonio Spurs Blog

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Raptors trade Khem Birch and draft picks to Spurs for Jakob Poeltl

The San Antonio Spurs have completed a trade with the Toronto Raptors, acquiring center Khem Birch, along with a 2024 first round draft pick and second round picks in 2023 and 2025, in exchange for center Jakob Poeltl.

Birch, 6-8/230, is in his sixth NBA season and holds career averages of 5.0 points and 4.4 rebounds while playing 17.1 minutes per game in 282 total appearances. After attending training camp with the Miami Heat in 2014, the Canadian center spent three years playing in the G League, Turkey and Greece. He made his NBA debut in 2017 with the Orlando Magic, where he spent his first three-plus seasons before joining the Raptors in 2021. Birch will wear No. 92 for the Silver and Black.

Poeltl was acquired by the Spurs in a trade with the Raptors on June 18, 2018. In four-plus seasons with the Silver and Black, Poeltl appeared in 326 games, averaging 8.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.40 blocks in 22.9 minutes while shooting .622 (1,267-2,037) from the field. In the last two seasons, Poeltl started all but one of his 114 appearances, averaging 12.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 27.8 minutes. The Austrian owns the Spurs franchise record for single-season field-goal percentage after shooting .645 (187-290) from the floor during the 2018-19 season.

For Gregg Popovich and the Spurs, the rebuild continues

The San Antonio Spurs have been rebuilding in recent seasons. But for those who have followed coach Gregg Popovich’s entire tenure with the team, recent seasons, and especially this one, have been a different kind of time. Via the San Antonio Express-News:

From Day 1 of this season built to lose, Popovich’s positivity has not waned.

It is a feature not lost on Spurs players, who are trying to ride out a developmental season as best they can.

“I’m sure it’s frustrating, coming from a lot of success and winning a bunch of championships,” center Zach Collins said. “He doesn’t show that to us, though. He’s always very positive. He’s always telling us how to get better.”

For a coach who has won more NBA games than anyone in history, the past four Spurs seasons must have felt like something of an out-of-body experience.

From 1997-98 through 2016-17, Popovich’s Spurs never won fewer than 50 games or the prorated equivalent. The 1998-99 squad won 37 games in a season shortened to 50 because of a labor dispute.

The Spurs are 14-35 this season, which is the 14th best record in the Western conference.

Their leading scorers so far in 2022-23 are Keldon Johnson at 21.5 PPG and Devin Vassell, who has played in just 29 games due to injury, at 19.4 PPG. Other Spurs are all scoring below 14 PPG.

Spurs sign Gorgui Dieng to second 10-day contract

The San Antonio Spurs have signed center Gorgui Dieng to a second 10-day contract.

Dieng, 6-10/265, started this season with the Spurs, appearing in 13 games and averaging 4.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 11.6 minutes before being waived on Jan. 5. He signed the first 10-day contract on Jan. 8. The 10-year NBA veteran has played in 611 total games and holds career averages of 7.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.3 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 currently stands at 17 players.

Spurs sign Gorgui Dieng to a 10-day contract

The San Antonio Spurs yesterday (Sunday) signed center Gorgui Dieng to a 10-day contract.

Dieng, 6-10/265, started this season with the Spurs, appearing in 13 games and averaging 4.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 11.6 minutes before being waived on Jan. 5. The 10-year NBA veteran has played in 610 total games and holds career averages of 7.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.4 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.

Dieng will wear No. 41 for the Silver and Black. The Spurs roster now stands at 17 players.

The Dec. 2, 2022 Spurs home game will feature a David Robinson bobblehead giveaway

The San Antonio Spurs are set to continue their 50th anniversary celebration with their “1999 Championship Night” on Friday, Dec. 2 when the team hosts the New Orleans Pelicans at 7 p.m.

The special night honoring San Antonio’s first-ever championship will be highlighted by a David Robinson bobblehead giveaway to the first 10,000 fans in attendance and a pregame meet-and-greet with 1999 Champion Sean Elliott.

George Gervin’s bobblehead giveaway on Nov. 7 kicked off the collectible five-part series that ultimately come together as one unit to form a Spurs river barge, made popular during the team’s championship celebrations. Now, David Robinson’s piece of the puzzle will be available to early-arriving attendees, alongside a chance to meet Spurs TV analyst Sean Elliott on the main concourse before the game starting at 6 p.m.

David Robinson is a two-time NBA Champion with the Spurs, as well as a 10-time NBA All-Star and the league’s MVP in 1995. His No. 50 jersey is retired by the Spurs in the rafters of the AT&T Center after his 14-year career, all in San Antonio, where he helped the Silver and Black win titles in 1999 and 2003.

Sean Elliott helped the Spurs capture the 1999 Championship, most notably with his game-winning three-pointer dubbed the “Memorial Day Miracle” in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers. Elliott was a two-time All-Star who also has his jersey retired by the Spurs.

Spurs sign Alize Johnson, waive Jordan Hall

The San Antonio Spurs have signed forward Alize Johnson and waived Jordan Hall.

During the Spurs 50th Anniversary season, Johnson becomes the 50th call-up from the NBA in Austin Spurs history.

Johnson, 6-7/210, played in four preseason games with San Antonio this year before joining Austin on Oct. 15. He appeared in six games with Austin this season, averaging 22.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 34.7 minutes while shooting 59.8% from the field. Originally drafted by Indiana with the 50th overall selection in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft, the Missouri State alum spent two seasons with the Pacers before stints with the Nets, Bulls, Wizards, and Pelicans. He holds career averages 2.5 points, 3.0 rebounds in 7.5 minutes across 72 NBA games.

Hall was called up to the Spurs from Austin on Nov. 2 and appeared in nine games with San Antonio, averaging 3.1 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 9.1 minutes.

The Spurs roster now stands at 17 players.

Spurs forward Zach Collins has leg fracture

San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins underwent an MRI examination in San Antonio that has confirmed a non-displaced fracture of the fibula head.

Collins suffered a left lower leg contusion during the Spurs-Clippers game on November 4 at the AT&T Center, which was later imaged and revealed the non-displaced fracture.

Per the San Antonio Express-News, “Collins’ injury comes at a time when he was beginning to find a groove as part of the Spurs’ bench unit. He averaged seven points and 6.3 rebounds in the Spurs’ first nine games, and is leading the club’s regulars in blocks at 1.2 per game.”