Josh Primo’s two-way Clippers contracted converted to a standard NBA deal
Former Alabama shooting guard Josh Primo was one of the most promising prospects to come out of the program all-time as he was selected 12th overall by the San Antonio Spurs. At the time of the 2021 NBA draft when Primo was selected, he was only 18 years old and one of the youngest draft picks in the past couple of years. In 54 games with the Spurs, Primo averaged 5.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 37.2 percent shooting in 19.6 minutes per game.
Unfortunately, things did not work out with the Spurs and he was ultimately released by the team in Oct. of 2022. After spending nearly a year away from the game, the Los Angeles Clippers swooped in to sign Primo to a two-way contract on Sept. 29. On Monday, Primo’s two-way deal was converted into a standard NBA contract meaning he will be entirely with the active NBA roster and won’t spend time playing with their G-League affiliate.
Between Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Paul George the Clippers have a lot of really expensive players on their roster. Meaning, that they will need young and cheap players like Primo to give them reliable minutes when the stars are sitting out as they get older. The Clippers especially have been notorious for allowing players to indulge in load management so I think Primo will get good minutes in LA.
The Los Angeles Clippers are planning to convert two-way guard Josh Primo on a standard NBA contract and sign guard Xavier Moon to a two-way deal, sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium. pic.twitter.com/poMYZ1vhJ3
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Former San Antonio Spurs guard Josh Primo has been suspended for four games by the NBA.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the NBA has suspended former San Antonio Spurs guard Josh Primo for four games following an investigation into the allegations made against him nearly a year ago. The Spurs waived Primo last year around the time the allegations were made.
Former Spurs clinical psychologist Dr. Hillary Cauthen filed a civil lawsuit against Primo and the Spurs organization. She claimed Primo exposed himself to her multiple times, and the team ignored her repeated reports of the incidents. She claimed Primo exposed himself to her nine different times, but when she reported it to the Spurs, they ignored her and lessened her role with the organization.
Wojnarowski unveiled that the league determined Primo’s behavior to be inappropriate and offensive, though the former Spurs guard continues to state that the incidents were unintentional.
“NBA probe found Primo ‘engaged in inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women. Primo maintains that his conduct was not intentional, and the league did not find evidence that he engaged in any sexual or other misconduct apart from these brief exposures.,'” Wojnarowski tweeted.
Primo would serve his four-game suspension should he sign with an NBA team, as he is currently a free agent.
The Spurs drafted Primo with the 12th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, and he played two seasons for the club, appearing in 50 games his rookie year and just four his sophomore season.
In his 54 total appearances with the Spurs, Primo averaged 5.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 37.2% from the field and 30.2% from behind the three-point line.
Nate Oats is quickly turning the Alabama men’s basketball program into a pipeline to the NBA!
From 2000 through 2018, the Alabama men’s basketball program produced just six total NBA draft picks. In 2019, athletic director Greg Byrne announced the hiring of Buffalo head coach [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the Tide turned (pun intended).
Since Oats’ arrival in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide have had six players drafted, four of which have been first-round picks.
Before Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney were selected in the 2023 NBA draft on Thursday night, Kira Lewis, Josh Primo, Herb Jones, and J.D. Davison were all draft picks under the tutelage of Oats.
It’s starting to make sense as to why the Tide has been so successful on the hardwood over the past few seasons, elite talent and development have paved the way to Alabama becoming one of the premier programs in college basketball under the leadership of Nate Oats. And it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
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Every Alabama basketball player to be selected in the NBA draft since 2000!
The Alabama men’s basketball program may not be the NBA pipeline like Duke or Kansas, but the Tide has produced its fair share of talent to the league over the years.
As we countdown to the hours until the start of the 2023 NBA draft, we continue to take a deep dive into what to expect from this year’s draft and also reflect on what Alabama has done in previous drafts.
Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney will both likely be selected in the first round on Thursday night adding to Alabama’s NBA draft pedigree.
While we await NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver to open up the 2023 NBA draft, let’s take a look back at every Alabama player to be selected in the NBA since 2000.
Speaking at the 2022 NBA Mexico City Game, the commissioner opened up about how the league is responding to misconduct moving forward.
While fans of the Boston Celtics have for the most part moved on from the Ime Udoka scandal that nearly upended the start of a much-anticipated season, the team itself has yet to resolve the suspended Celtics head coach’s situation. During this process, the NBA has largely remained in the background, monitoring the situation with minimal public discussion.
But on Saturday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver fielded questions about team player and staff misconduct from the Celtics Wire, including that of Udoka with Boston, Detroit Pistons Assistant GM Rob Murphy, and former San Antonio Spurs guard Josh Primo.
Regarding the Primo incident in which the player allegedly exposed himself repeatedly to a team psychologist in therapy, Silver hinted the league had worked more closely with the team than with Boston or Detroit.
The details that have emerged since the news broke are ugly. While the former Alabama guard initially said he was focusing on his mental health treatment, ESPN reported the decision was made following multiple alleged instances in which the 19-year-old exposed himself to women.
USA TODAY’s Jeff Zilgitt has confirmed that Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee will represent a former employee of the Spurs who alleges that Primo exposed himself to her. Buzbee also represented several women who accused NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office hasn’t received any complaints against Primo as of today. Primo, meanwhile, cleared waivers and became an unrestricted free agent on Monday. His short-lived tenure with San Antonio ended far before anyone could have ever expected.
Hindsight is 20/20, but I characterized Primo similarly during my interactions with him during the pre-draft process and on the night of the 2021 NBA Draft, which For The Win watched alongside Primo and his family. Here is what I wrote:
“He was somebody who understood the proverbial it and is willing to accept whatever role it takes for him to take the next steps in his path to success. All things considered, it was very easy to see why San Antonio decided he was worth the pick.”
The Spurs were confident enough to pick Primo at No. 12 overall and they clearly believed in his long-term potential, but the decision to move on was never about basketball. The organization had just exercised its team option on Primo’s contract earlier in the month, and he will remain on the payroll with a guaranteed contract for all of this season and all of next season.
They were giving him a much bigger role within the offense, too. In fact, at the time of the news, he actually had the highest year-over-year total increase in dribbles per touch (+2.03) as well as the largest percentage increase in seconds per touch (+48.8%) of any player in the NBA.
None of that mattered to the franchise when they took swift measures to move on from Primo, though. What actually matters is that Primo hurt people. His alleged actions are gross and had consequences, and the front office acted accordingly.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
“Westbrook’s productivity is considerably better when he is given the keys to the offense with the bench squad, so it’s not shocking to see this work out so far. But the decision especially paid off on Sunday when the Lakers got their first win of the season.
The former MVP finished with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. He was 2-for-4 from beyond the arc. But most important: His plus-minus (18) in the game was the best of any player on either team.
It was a great change of pace to watch Westbrook enjoy himself on the floor.”
If he is able to become a positively impactful player off the bench, that changes everything for the Lakers.
Nets (-340, -7.5) vs. Pacers (+260), O/U 235.5, 7:30 PM ET
The Nets are the most embarrassingly bad team in the NBA and the Pacers legitimately have two of the more exciting young players (Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin) of the season. I’ll take Indiana with the points, but the favorable money line is attractive as well.
Spurs cut former Alabama MBB standout Josh Primo in a stunning move, he releases statement.
In a move that shocked most of the NBA community, the San Antonio Spurs released former Crimson Tide stand-out, [autotag]Josh Primo[/autotag].
Primo was selected No. 12 overall in the 2021 NBA draft by the Spurs and he was the youngest player selected in that draft. Primo doesn’t turn 20 until late December, so he remains incredibly young.
Just two weeks ago the Spurs exercised the team’s third-year option for Primo in 2023-2024 and he was slated to make $4.1 million this season. Reports show that the Spurs were pleased with Primo’s growth on the court and were very excited to see him continue to develop.
There has been and will continue to be much speculation over what occurred, but for now, Primo has released a statement and he knows best. So rather than share my two cents, here is what he has to say:
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Josh Primo and his journey.
Josh Primo statement to ESPN in the aftermath of his release from the Spurs tonight: pic.twitter.com/H1n3k3IIcn
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Alabama offers highly sought-after 2024 shooting guard Jonathan Powell.
On Saturday, 2024 guard Jonathan Powell announced via Twitter that Alabama had reached out with an official offer. It is offer No. 10 for Powell up to this point.
Powell is listed at 6-foot-6 and 170 pounds. His size is something that head coach Nate Oats would love to have. In the past, he has had taller shooting guards in John Petty Jr. and Josh Primo who both stood at 6-foot-6.
Thus far, the Ohio native has impressed quite a number of coaches. Programs like Ohio State, Illinois, Notre Dame and Texas A&M have extended offers.
According to On3’s RPM, he is favored to commit to Xavier at 24.4% likelihood. There is not a clear favorite to land Powell. Perhaps, Alabama can come into the mix in the near future.
Powell is being recruited primarily by assistant coach and stellar recruiter Bryan Hodgson. Over the years, Hodgson has been the lead recruiter for [autotag]Jaden Bradley[/autotag], [autotag]Brandon Miller[/autotag], [autotag]Charles Bediako[/autotag], and Josh Primo. The Tide hope that Powell pays them a visit in the future.
Murray revealed his advice to Primo amidst a tough stretch of the season for the rookie guard.
San Antonio Spurs rookie Josh Primo has split the season between the NBA and NBA G League and has, understandably, experienced some ups and downs along the way.
Primo, in 33 games, is averaging 4.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 36.9% shooting from the field with the Spurs. He has spent much of the past month with San Antonio and has seen sporadic playing time during that stretch based on a variety of factors.
The 12th pick is posting six points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists on 32.4% shooting during that stretch. He has battled through some foul trouble and has struggled to shoot, just two areas that can often complicate things for a first-year player.
Despite the recent rough patch, the Spurs have continued to encourage Primo along the way. Spurs All-Star Dejounte Murray revealed his advice to the 19-year-old.
It is a process. It can be difficult at times. It could be really good at times. He is just going through a difficult time right now. When you have a consistent role when you know you’re playing each and every game and you know your minutes, it is easier to be consistent.
He is just going through that tough little thing where he is in Austin and then comes up here and he might get in, he might not get in. I just tell him to stay focused and know it is for the better and the bigger picture and it’ll all be greater later.
Primo has often impressed his Spurs teammates with the poise and control he plays with when he steps onto the court. He plays confidently but can also make all of the reads a seasoned veteran would make, from passing to keeping the ball himself.
He entered the NBA draft as the youngest prospect but head coach Gregg Popovich has commended him for the maturity he brings on a daily basis. The team is bringing him along slowly but it is clear that he has impressed throughout the season.
The Spurs certainly view Primo as a big part of the future, and he has shown why in a small sample size this season. The organization has found great success in developing players and Primo is poised to be the next one in line to benefit.
Primo entered the season as the youngest player in the NBA but Popovich believes he has shown maturity beyond his years.
San Antonio Spurs rookie Josh Primo entered the 2021-22 season as the youngest player in the NBA but head coach Gregg Popovich believes the 19-year-old has shown maturity beyond his years.
Primo has often impressed his Spurs teammates with the poise and control he plays with when he steps onto the court. He plays confidently but can also make all of the reads that a seasoned veteran would make, from passing to keeping the ball himself.
The team set forth a plan prior to the season that Primo would spend time with San Antonio and in the NBA G League with the Austin Spurs. The team views Austin as a great way for him to develop and see consistent playing time, something that has been sporadic in the NBA.
Popovich joked that he would love to see Primo stay with San Antonio.
If I could really do what I wanted to do and didn’t care about anything else in the world, I’d throw him in the frying pan like we did Tony Parker. Tony was 19 but the difference was Tony played a couple of years against grown men in the European leagues before he came over.
With the Spurs dealing with injuries and players in the health and safety protocol, Primo has played a larger role as of late. He has appeared in each of the five games for the Spurs and is coming off a career-high 15-point performance on Tuesday versus the Toronto Raptors.
The outing versus the Raptors offered a glimpse into the future of what he can bring to the court. Popovich can already see some areas of his game that he has picked up quickly, such as navigating the pick-and-roll and his decision-making.
Joshua has an uncanny maturity about him, (a) kind of a steady demeanor. He is not awed by the NBA or anything like that. He makes good decisions. He definitely knows how to play and understands the game. (It is) just a matter of getting stronger and aware that these are men and are coming after your head, so to speak.
With the G League season set to resume this week, the team will likely send Primo back to Austin once more players return from injury and the protocol. He is averaging 17 points, 4.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 12 appearances, and could continue to use those minutes to develop.
The Spurs certainly view Primo as a big part of the future, and he has shown why in a small sample size this season. The organization has found great success in developing players and Primo is poised to be the next one in line to benefit.
