San Antonio Spurs waive big man Chimezie Metu ahead of free agency

Dec 4, 2018; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Chimezie Metu (7) dunks the ball during the second half against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2018; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Chimezie Metu (7) dunks the ball during the second half against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
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On the cusp of 2020 NBA free agency, the San Antonio Spurs announced they’ve waived big man Chimezie Metu, who was drafted by the team two years ago.

Just moments before the start of the free agency moratorium period, the San Antonio Spurs announced that big man Chimezie Metu would be waived. On a non-guaranteed deal for the 2020-21 season, San Antonio can free up salary cap space and a roster spot by letting their former second-round pick walk.

Metu, the 49th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, has spent much of his early career playing with the San Antonio Spurs’ G League affiliate in Austin. Signs that he may not be with the team for much longer became clear when Metu was left at the end of the bench during the Orlando restart. Instead, it was restricted free agent Drew Eubanks who took over backup center duties for an injury-ridden roster.

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There’s no telling what’s next for Metu, but there’s plenty of untapped talent for him to put together. Metu was a monster in the G League, averaging 18 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in his sophomore campaign. Ultimately, he wasn’t able to pick up the intricacies of head coach Gregg Popovich’s gameplan in time to crack the rotation.

Many Spurs fans have wondered why Metu never made it. He seems to have plenty of talent in a modern NBA landscape that favors multi-faceted big men who can switch on the perimeter. However, it doesn’t seem like Metu has learned to capitalize on his tools just yet. Another organization could easily pick him up and return great value from the 23-year-old, but the San Antonio Spurs are heading in another direction.

One can’t help but wonder what the San Antonio Spurs are up to if they’re clearing out roster spots. It could easily be due to cap space and shaving the luxury tax, but it could be more.

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