The San Antonio Spurs have waived forward Lamar Stevens, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Spurs had previously acquired Stevens in a deal earlier this summer when they helped facilitate the three-team trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat, which saw Max Strus signed and traded to the Cavaliers.
Stevens just wrapped up his third NBA season, all spent with the Cavaliers, and he’s been a solid defender throughout his time in the league. The 6-foot-6, 26-year-old forward has thrived on that end of the court and is also an above-average rebounder for his position. He was a relatively consistent face in Cleveland’s rotation.
This past season, Stevens appeared in 62 games for the Cavaliers, including 25 starts, and played a career-high 18.1 minutes per contest. He averaged 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 44.8% from the field and 31.6% from behind the three-point line.
The Spurs are waiving forward Lamar Stevens, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The defensive-minded Stevens averaged 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 62 games (25 starts) for the Cavaliers last season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 17, 2023
Stevens could have been a solid piece in the Spurs’ rotation next season, especially as a defensive-minded guy, but they simply have too many players on the roster.
Prior to waiving Stevens, the Spurs had 18 players on their roster, and even with him gone, they need to cut at least two more players before heading into next year. And that doesn’t account for Dominick Barlow, who played very well in Summer League and remained unsigned.
Unfortunately for Stevens, he was simply a casualty of San Antonio having too many guys and not enough roster spots.
But with his talent on the defensive side of the ball, it seems likely that some team around the association will scoop him up.
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