Category: Spurs News

Rookie Sir’Jabari Rice excited about opportunity with Spurs

Rookie Sir’Jabari rice, who made his Summer League debut on Friday, is excited about his opportunity with the San Antonio Spurs.

For the majority of the summer, there has been a spotlight on the San Antonio Spurs, as Victor Wembanyama, just 19 years old and yet to appear in an NBA game, is already a superstar. Fans flocked to the arena in Las Vegas for Wembanyama’s Summer League debut, selling out the gym and making it feel like a regular season game.

But Wembanyama isn’t the only player on the Spurs. Their Summer League squad is full of young talent, and one of the more intriguing stories has been Sir’Jabari Rice, who missed the team’s first slate of Summer League games with a medical issue, but made his debut on Friday night against the Detroit Pistons.

During a chat with Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News, Rice revealed that the Spurs contacted him around the 43rd pick in the draft, but when it wasn’t him, they told him they still wanted him around. And he’s excited about the opportunity.

“[The Spurs] had called right before the 43rd pick, I believe, and told me to stay warm a little bit,” Rice said. “And then the 43rd pick came and it wasn’t me, so I was just kind of optimistic about what was going to happen next. Then they called me as soon as the pick was over with and told me they wanted me to join the team. I have been excited since then.”

He also said he appreciated the Spurs’ tactical approach when it came to resting him in Summer League while he worked on his health.

“I love them for that, honestly,” Rice said. “I appreciate them for that. I’ve been really getting my rest, getting back to who I really am. I was there on the sidelines, and it looked like I had energy and was perfectly fine. But playing in a game and the physical aspect of it, we just wanted to take it slow and play the long game.”

In his debut against the Pistons, Rice put up 11 points, two rebounds, one assist, three steals, and one block while shooting 4-of-8 from the field and 1-of-5 from three.

The 24-year-old, 6-foot-4 guard clearly as potential. He’ll be on a two-way deal with the Spurs next season, and fans should be excited to see what he can do in the G League and with the main roster.

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Spurs land guard Cam Payne in trade with Suns

Cameron “Haboob” Payne is being traded to the San Antonio Spurs.

The San Antonio Spurs have acquired veteran point guard Cameron Payne from the Phoenix Suns in a trade, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. San Antonio will receive Payne, a future second-round pick, and financial compensation in exchange for an outgoing future second-round pick to complete the deal.

Payne’s $6.5 million contract was guaranteed by Phoenix this June, and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. A little undersized at 6-foot-1, Payne uses his speed, craftiness, and tenacity to his advantage and was a major player for Phoenix during the team’s trip to the NBA Finals in 2021. The veteran point guard averaged 10.3 points and 4.5 assists in a bench role with the Suns during the 2022-23 campaign.

Phoenix made several transactions Sunday morning. The team acquired more draft capital in a move with the Orlando Magic and also signed big man Bol Bol. As contenders like the Suns have reimagined their rosters ahead of next season, San Antonio has been a helpful and willing partner, landing valuable pieces and players in the process.

3 Summer League players Spurs should sign to the main roster

Here are three players from the San Antonio Spurs Summer League squad who they should consider signing to the main roster.

While the San Antonio Spurs may not have had the splashiest offseason, they still made sure to stay active. Obviously, their summer was highlighted by the addition of French phenom Victor Wembanyama, who they selected with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. But that wasn’t the only move they made.

San Antonio re-signed Tre Jones, Julian Champagnie, and Sandro Mamukelashvili to new deals. They also got involved in some trades, adding Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens in the deal that saw Max Strus join the Cleveland Cavaliers, and bringing in Reggie Bullock via the deal that saw Grant Williams land with the Dallas Mavericks.

San Antonio already has 17 players under contract heading into next year, so they already have some work to do, but their Summer League squad produced some solid talent, too.

The Spurs have two two-way spots left available, but if they want to sign guys to a standard deal, they would have to cut players. Let’s take a look at three players the Spurs should look to sign from their Summer League team.

(All Summer League stats are through the Spurs’ first four Las Vegas games.)

Jeremy Sochan acting as ‘good influcence’ for Spurs Summer League team

Jeremy Sochan has been a “good influence” for the San Antonio Spurs’ Summer League squad.

Heading into their Friday night contest, the San Antonio Spurs were 2-1 in Summer League with a chance to keep their playoff hopes alive. Unfortunately, they were defeated by the Detroit Pistons, but Summer League was still a great event for them in terms of evaluating their young talent.

Victor Wembanyama was the focal point of the summer, but there were also guys with NBA experience on the roster. Guys like Malaki Branham, Julian Champagnie, and Dominick Barlow all helped lead the way, but on top of that, Jeremy Sochan was in Las Vegas, too, constantly cheering on the Spurs from the sidelines.

According to Summer League head coach Matt Nielson, Sochan was a great influence for the summer Spurs. (H/t Matt Guzman of Inside the Spurs)

“Jeremy’s [been] a good influence on the guys,” Nielson said. “[Both the regular roster] and the Summer League team. I Credit to Jeremy and the way he goes about it. It’s really good, [and] it will be pretty helpful for us moving forward.”

And during San Antonio’s game against the Washington Wizards, Sochan spoke about his role as a supporter during Summer League.

“It feels good to come and support my fellow teammates,” Sochan said. “This season, I’m in a different role. I’ve been in [San Antonio] for a year now, so I see little things [that they don’t] and I’m able to talk to them and help them out.”

Heading into his sophomore season, Sochan seems ready to take on a larger role for the Spurs both on and off the court.

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Spurs’ Sidy Cissoko knows role: ‘You can get minutes playing defense’

San Antonio Spurs rookie Sidy Cissoko understands that defense comes first, and he’s ready to embrace that mentality.

Heading into Summer League, all eyes were on the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama. The phenomenal Frenchman went first overall after over a year of anticipation, as the 19-year-old was (and still is) the most hyped prospect since LeBron James. But while his two Summer League games garnered a ton of attention, his teammates have played well, too.

Malaki Branham had an up-and-down stint, but he showed off his potential. Guys like Dominick Barlow and Julian Champagnie also played well. But Spurs rookie Sidy Cissoko has also played well, leaving Spurs fans intrigued by his talent and ability to handle the ball.

But Cissoko knows his offense isn’t going to be what gets him on the floor.

“I know I am a rookie and a second-round pick, so I know I won’t get 20 shots a game,” Cissoko said via Tom Osborn of the San Antonio Express-News. “I am just trying to do my best with my defense and try to help the team in other ways. I know my role. I know what to do.”

He’s committed to helping the Spurs with his defense, knowing that everything else will fall in line afterward.

“I just try to help the team first with my defense,” Cissoko said. “You can get minutes playing defense. When you play defense, the offense will come along.”

Cissoko has put on a show during Summer League, displaying his flashiness, but when it comes down to it, he understands that defense comes first. And for him to already know that as a 19-year-old rookie is a great indicator of his maturity.

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Spurs Summer League: 3 top performers from loss to Pistons

Let’s take a look at three of the San Antonio Spurs’ top performers in their Summer League loss to the Detroit Pistons.

The San Antonio Spurs have had a very fun Summer League stint, and heading into their Friday night contest against the Detroit Pistons, they had an opportunity to finish 3-1, giving them a chance at making the playoffs. Unfortunately, they came up short, losing to Detroit by a score of 79-73.

With Victor Wembanyama and Malaki Branham both shut down for the remainder of Summer League, Spurs fans got a chance to take a look at some of the other talent on the roster, as those two had been dominating the spotlight. And while they weren’t able to come away with a win, some players still managed to shine.

Here are three of the top performers from the Spurs’ Summer League loss to the Pistons.

San Antonio Spurs ranked 27th in latest NBA Power Rankings

In a recent set of NBA Power Rankings, the San Antonio Spurs ranked 27th.

This past season, the San Antonio Spurs were one of the worst teams in the league. Guys like Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan showed off their potential, but it was clear they had a long rebuild ahead of them. But everything changed at the NBA Draft Lottery, as they landed the first overall pick and, in turn, were able to select Victor Wembanyama.

And with a ton of cap space available to them, some believed the Spurs could look to add pieces to their roster in free agency. But instead, they simple re-signed a few core pieces and kept their roster intact through the bulk of the NBA’s summer activities.

In the latest NBA Power Rankings, put together by Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report, the Spurs rank 27th.

“The San Antonio Spurs’ title chances didn’t change much (if at all) in free agency, but Tre Jones, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan are all years away from their respective primes,” Bailey wrote. “Each could reasonably improve on promising 2022-23 campaigns.

“The changes that did happen, including the additions of Cedi Osman and Reggie Bullock, could bolster the rotation and add experience without derailing that development. But the biggest reason to think San Antonio might be better is the addition of Victor Wembanyama.

“Although rookies typically don’t boost a team’s win percentage, Wembanyama is such a natural fit on this team. His most translatable skills are likely on defense, where the learning curve is usually longer for young players.”

How far will the Spurs go next year?

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