4:08pm: Bassey’s deal with the Spurs is now official, the team confirmed in a press release.
3:23pm: Spurs big man Charles Bassey isn’t just having his two-way contract converted into a rest-of-season deal with the team. He’ll sign a four-year, $10.2MM pact with San Antonio, agents Adie von Gontard and Daveed Cohen tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Bassey, who joined the Spurs in October on a two-way contract after being waived by the 76ers, has appeared in 25 games for the club so far this season, averaging 4.7 points and 5.3 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per night. The 22-year-old was the 53rd overall pick in the 2021 draft.
Bassey is in position to take on a more significant role following the trade that sent starting center Jakob Poeltl to Toronto. A report on Sunday indicated that he was expected to be promoted to the standard roster to fill the open roster spot created when Stanley Johnson was waived.
The Spurs still have a ton of available 2022/23 cap room and are well below the salary floor, so they’ll be incentivized to front-load Bassey’s contract. We don’t know the exact structure yet, but San Antonio could construct a descending four-year, $10.2MM deal that is worth Bassey’s minimum (about $2.26MM) in year four.
According to Bassey’s agents, the contract will include $5.2MM in guaranteed money, which suggests it’ll probably be guaranteed for this season and 2023/24.
Good signing for SA, I liked his fit with the team this year. Can’t say I’ve watched that much Spurs basketball this year though.
Charles Barkley? Wait, what? In the front office I’m guessing. Wow.
I’ve been a Charles Bassey fan ever since the Spurs picked him up … I believe he can help this team and he’s only 22 years of age
A very Spurs signing, and expected with Poeltl being shipped down the road. A nice change after the strange events of Primo
Stanley Johnson, come back home