Ex-Spurs big man surprisingly joins division rival amid rash of injuries

A familiar name to fans of the San Antonio Spurs popped up in NBA news this week as onetime Alamo center Charles Bassey signed with the Memphis Grizzlies, inking a hardship contract to fill a need while the Grizzlies deal with a cornucopia of injuries.

The Spurs bid farewell to young center Charles Bassey this past summer, electing instead to sign Luke Kornet as the official backup to Victor Wembanyama, add Kelly Olynyk for a shooting element, and finally bring back veteran Bismack Biyombo as the emergency option and locker room presence.

The Spurs essentially chose Biyombo over Bassey, an interesting decision given how little Biyombo has played and how limited his overall game is. Perhaps he is a designated banger signed merely to take on the most physical matchups; perhaps his experience was specifically sought after, albeit on a team with plenty of other veterans.

Whatever the reason, Charles Bassey found himself a free agent this offseason after three seasons in San Antonio. The former Western Kentucky big man turns 25 years old this week, spending his athletic prime trying to prove to the Spurs and the NBA that he belongs in the league. He found mixed results.

The 6'10" Bassey is a physical defender and rebounder and an efficient finisher around the basket, but he brings little else in terms of skill or upside. In 90 career games with the Spurs, he averaged 14 points per 36 minutes on 63 percent shooting, but didn't bring much to the table in terms of playmaking or shooting; he had less than an assist per game and hit just three triples in three seasons.

The flashes were there, and he dominated lesser competition in other settings. That earned him a place this past preseason with the Atlanta Hawks, battling for a roster spot in training camp. While he ultimately fell short, he did have a monstrous final preseason game, pulling down 17 rebounds and blocking five shots.

The Grizzlies hope Bassey can contribute

The Memphis Grizzlies need a warm body more than anything else, but they are a franchise with a long track record of finding players on the scrap heap and turning them into real NBA rotation players. Could that happen for Charles Bassey? It's absolutely possible, and he has a massive opportunity to prove himself in games that count.

Starting center Zach Edey is still recovering from offseason surgery. Veteran backup Brandon Clarke is out for the next few months. Jay Huff was traded to the Indiana Pacers this offseason. Memphis desperately needs a big to step in and fill out the rotation, and Bassey should be up to the challenge.

Will he prove something to the Grizzlies or another NBA team? He sure hopes so. If this hardship contract ends without any interest in a return or a spot elsewhere, Bassey may very well end up heading overseason. To keep his NBA dream alive, he needs to crush this opportunity in a way he wasn't able to do with the Spurs.

Now is his chance. Can he make San Antonio regret cutting him loose?