Newcomer embraces being part of rebuild
DETROIT — Having been through it before, newly acquired Spurs guard Devonte’ Graham has no problem joining a rebuilding team.
“Rebuilding, but they play hard,” Graham said. “I had the same experience in Charlotte, so I kind of know what this feels like, trying to rebuild but just playing the right way, playing hard and continuing to try to get better.”
Graham, a fifth-year pro, came to the Spurs on a frantic trade deadline day. The Spurs got Graham and four future second-round draft picks from New Orleans on Thursday for veteran guard Josh Richardson.
Graham said after shootaround Friday morning in preparation for that night’s game against the Pistons (14-42) that he learned of the swap in a phone call from his agent.
“I kind of had a feeling but just didn’t know how it would work out,” the 27-year-old native of Raleigh N.C., said of being traded for the third time since joining the NBA as a second-round pick (No. 34 overall) by Atlanta in 2018 after four years at Kansas.
The Pelicans were motivated by their desire for more financial flexibility. While Richardson has an expiring contract, Graham has two more seasons left on his pact at more than $12 million per year.
With the Spurs, Graham will have a chance to play more after averaging just 15.3 minutes per game this season following three seasons of averaging 28plus with New Orleans and Charlotte.
Graham, who had a seasonbest 21 points against the Spurs earlier this season and has a career-high of 40 points, said he’s excited about the opportunity.
“It’s a new adventure, new team, new city,” he said. “Optimistic about it. I have always been good at adjusting. Grateful
to be around this franchise, a legendary coach (Gregg Popovich) and this young group.”
Graham's pro journey began with a draft night trade to Charlotte, where he played his first three seasons and twice recorded double-digit scoring campaigns, including averaging a career-best 18.2 points in 63 appearances (53 starts) in 201920. He also had career highs that season in 3point shooting percentage (37.3) and per-game attempts from beyond the arc (9.3).
In August 2021, Graham joined the Pelicans in a sign-and-trade that was part of a three-team deal. Last season, he averaged 11.9 points on 34.1 percent shooting from distance before he saw his playing time dip this year.
He left New Orleans averaging 5.3 points in 53 games, with 34.7 percent shooting from deep on 3.6 attempts, his lowest since averaging 2.6 as a rookie. A big reason for the dropoff stemmed from the Pelicans' glut at guard.
“Devonte is a very good shooter, very veteran-like, spent four years at Kansas,” Popovich said. “He has been a wonderful member of the team there in New Orleans. Class guy. Happy to have him.”
Graham's outside shooting and ability to create his shot should help the Spurs, especially in the fourth quarter, where they often collapse.
“Playing good ball, making shots, great teammate, playmaker, all the little things to try to win games,” Graham said when asked about what he will bring to the Spurs, who entered Friday's game 14-41 after losing 10 in a row.
Although it was tough for the Spurs to lose center Jakob Poeltl and Richardson, they are eager to get Graham in the mix.
“They were great guys, wonderful for us,” Popovich said. “They were great teammates, wish them well.”
The trade for Graham came a day after the Spurs brokered a deal with Toronto that sent Poeltl to the Raptors for center Khem Birch, a 2024 first-round pick and second-round picks in 2023 and 2025.
“We had two great players, two great vets, in Jakob and Jrich, who helped us out a lot,” said guard Devin Vassell, who is continuing to rehab the surgically repaired left knee that has sidelined him for more than a month.
“But we got some good additional pieces. Devonte' is definitely going to help us in the long run, just spreading the floor and being another threat for us.”
Short-handed against Pistons
Playing in the first game of a back-to-back and a huge game in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, the Spurs faced Detroit without leading scorer Keldon Johnson, who was downgraded after shootaround from questionable to out with a sore left ankle.
The Spurs, who play at Atlanta on Saturday, were also without Tre Jones (left foot soreness), Jeremy Sochan (lower back soreness), Romeo Langford (left adductor tightness), Charles Bassey, who is recovering from a minor injury suffered recently in the G League, and Birch, who is ineligible play because of some Canadato-u.s. processing he still has to go through.
Birch, a native of Montreal, joined the Spurs in Detroit and is expected to become eligibile next week.jones and Sochan both were downgraded from questionable to out after they went through shootaround.
Friday's game marked the fourth in a row they have sat out. Friday was the ninth game in a row Langford has missed.
Dieng returns to Spurs, again
As expected, the Spurs signed veteran big man Gorgui Dieng to their 17th and final roster spot. Dieng is a popular 10-year veteran known for his leadership and locker room presence. He joined the team in Detroit.
Dieng began the season with the Spurs after signing with them last August but was waived in early January only to return for a pair of 10-day contracts. He also played 16 games for the Spurs in 2020-21.
Rookie grateful for Poeltl’s time
Spurs undrafted rookie Dominick Barlow said he'll miss hisone-on-one work with Poeltl.
“He gave me a ton of advice, footwork stuff, defensive stuff, all the basic things you kind of need to be able to be a big in this league,” Barlow said. “He is one of the most fundamentally sound players at that position in the league. He gave me a lot of advice, and just watching his day-to-day approach and how he practiced was impressive.”
Barlow, who is on a two-way contract, joined the team in Detroit after playing with the Austin Spurs earlier in the week.