The San Antonio Spurs just waived veteran point guard Cameron Payne, who they acquired in a trade with the Phoenix Suns earlier this summer. Payne, who will be 29 years old for the entirety of next season, will now have the opportunity to join a win-now roster in hopes of giving them point guard depth. He simply didn’t fit into the Spurs’ long-term plans.
And Payne isn’t the only player the Spurs are going to have to offload this summer. Even after his departure, San Antonio still has 17 players on the roster, meaning they will have to cut two more guys before the beginning of the regular season.
Payne was one of a few veterans whom the Spurs acquired in trades over the summer, with others being the likes of Reggie Bullock and Cedi Osman – both of whom are candidates to get the axe.
Bullock and Osman, along with Doug McDermott, could provide the Spurs with some solid three-point shooting at the wing, but none of them fit the current timeline of the team. In addition, guys like Khem Birch and Devonte Graham’ could also be on the chopping block.
With Victor Wembanyama at the helm and a slew of young talent behind him, including Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, and Sidy Cissoko, the Spurs will likely prioritize youth development over a veteran presence. That said, having one or two veterans on the roster heading into the year could be a valuable asset.
But when it comes down to it, Birch, Graham, Bullock, and Osman are the most likely to get cut. Two of those four will probably be gone by the start of the regular season.
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