San Antonio signing: Spurs surprising addition has familiar feeling
The San Antonio Spurs have signed free agent guard Malachi Flynn to a one-year contract. The deal fills all roster spots for the organization at 21. Flynn finished last season with the Detroit Pistons after being traded for a second time in the same season. He played 14 games for the New York Knicks after being traded from the Toronto Raptors, the team that drafted him 29 overall in the first round of the 2020 draft.
The San Diego State product averaged 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 41.8% from the field and 33.1% from three. While he has yet to make a significant impact in the league, Flynn did drop 50 points on 18-25 shooting in April against the Atlanta Hawks. Unfortunately for the Pistons, the performance didn't result in a victory, but it doesn't seem like that was his fault. Despite that one offensive explosion, the signing is curious.
The Spurs could be gearing up for another move
San Antonio has already been busy this offseason. They've made several trades to improve the roster for the coming season, but one was a precursor to another. When Devonte' Graham was moved to Charlotte, it opened up the cap space necessary to sign Chris Paul. This has a slightly different feel since Flynn was scooped from the free-agent pool, but his addition doesn't make sense from a basketball standpoint.
The Spurs already have 15 players on guaranteed deals, so if they were looking to add a player for the season, they would have to trade or waive someone to keep Flynn. If they just needed a body for training camp, there were plenty of candidates from their Summer League team who could have filled that role.
What's clear is that there is a logjam from positions one to three right now. Keldon Johnson has been the focus of the most trade speculation of any player on the team, so much so that fans have been shocked that he is still on the roster. But considering he wears the same jersey number as Chris Paul and there has still been no indication of who is wearing what number, it makes you wonder if they are still working on a deal.
There are still a few players rumored to be on the move, like Brandon Ingram or Anfernee Simons, but the NBA is good for a nice surprise. Don't be surprised if the team makes a move to bring in someone who was never on the radar. It would be a very Spurs thing to do.