10 San Antonio Spurs that never played a single minute

The San Antonio Spurs are the winningest franchise in NBA history by percentage, but that has not stopped them from making some regrettable moves. Even during the Big 3 era, the Spurs had a few head-scratching starters and multiple failed transactions. Having Gregg Popovich helps make up for that, but it just shows how fragile contending can be.

Becoming the model franchise means limiting mistakes. The Spurs give players chances but are quick to move on if things are not going as planned. Sometimes, that means before the player has even taken the court. San Antonio knows what they want, and the front office is never shy about doing what they believe is best.

The NBA has some quirky rules that can make a stay with a franchise brief. Draft night trades are not finalized until after the event, meaning teams select for each other. There are also instances where players get rerouted in trades or never quite make the regular season roster. It makes them part of a franchise, but even some famous players never see a second on the floor.

San Antonio Spurs that never played a single minute

10. Jimmer Fredette

Fredette became a star at BYU and was the consensus college Player of the Year in 2011. The phenomenal scorer drew plenty of excitement and praise.

After his senior year, Fredette was the tenth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and traded to the Sacramento Kings. He was a bench player before being waived in his third season.

The 6’2 guard played for the Bulls and Pelicans before signing a deal with the Spurs in the summer of 2015. Fredette seemed like a strong offensive fit, but was waived before the start of the regular season because of his defensive struggles. 

He played six years in the NBA, but averaged just 6.0 points and 1.4 assists in 13.3 minutes per game for his career. Jimmer Fredette appeared for five different teams, and only lasted three months with the Spurs where he never saw the floor. He played overseas after leaving the NBA and helped Team USA win the silver medal in the 3x3 World Cup in 2023.

9. Leandro Barbosa

The Spurs drafted Barbosa with the 28th overall pick in 2003, but he was traded to the Phoenix Suns for a future first-round pick. The defending champions were loaded with talent and needed to find more minutes of Manu Ginobili. San Antonio did not need another prospect to develop, so they kicked the draft pick two years down the road.

Barbosa quickly cracked the Suns rotation and was a key role player for 14 years in the NBA. The 6’3 guard won Sixth Man of the Year in 2007 and was a crucial member of the Seven Seconds of Less Suns that reached three conference finals. He was traded to the Raptors in 2012 and played for five different teams over his last seven seasons in the NBA.

He helped the Warriors win a championship in 2015 and made it back to the NBA Finals in 2016 before rejoining the Suns for his final NBA season. Barbosa played overseas for a few years to wrap up his playing career. In 2021, the Brazilian Blur joined Golden State’s coaching staff and won a second championship ring.

Leandro Barbosa never landed in San Antonio. He would have been the perfect role player under Gregg Popovich, but the two sides never made it happen.

8. Marquese Chriss

Chriss was the eighth overall pick in 2016 after one year at the University of Washington where he played with future NBA players Dejounte Murray and Matisse Thybulle. The 6’9 forward ranked 52nd in his high school class but went in the top ten of the NBA Draft just one year later. His athletic ability, defensive potential, and outside shooting made him an interesting prospect with massive upside.

Chriss ended up in Phoenix but never blossomed. He played in all 82 games as a rookie where he averaged 9.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 21.3 minutes per game. The 19-year-old was named second-team All-Rookie, but that was his career-high in minutes per game.

Chriss bounced around the league and struggled to find a consistent role. After leaving the Suns, he played for three different teams over the next three years before being traded to the Spurs in March of 2021. There was excitement from Spurs fans as Chriss was teaming back up with Dejounte, but their hopes were crushed when San Antonio waived him three days later.

Marquese Chriss would be part of four different teams after leaving San Antonio, but only played 34 more NBA games. The 26-year-old did not see the floor in the 2022-23 season and it appears his basketball career is over. Chriss had plenty of talent, but Spurs fans never got a chance to see what he could do in San Antonio under Gregg Popovich.

7. Al-Farouq Aminu

Aminu was the eighth overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft after two years at Wake Forest. The 6’8 forward never blossomed into a star, but was a quality role player for 11 years. His best season came in 2016 with the Blazers as he averaged 10.2 points, 6.1 rebounds. 1.7 assists, and 0.9 steals in 28.5 minutes per game. Aminu played in all 82 games and helped Portland get to the second round of the playoffs.

The 6’8 forward came to San Antonio from the Bulls in the DeMar DeRozan trade. Thaddeus Young and three draft picks, including one first-rounder, joined him. The Spurs were committing to a rebuild and had little use for the 31-year-old forward. Aminu was waived during training camp after just two months with the franchise.

Al-Farouq Aminu had already played his final NBA game before he joined the Spurs. He got a ten-day contract with the Celtics in December of 2021, but never saw the court. The 32-year-old has not played in over two years and his professional basketball days appear over.

During his prime, Aminu was a versatile forward who could defend multiple positions, rebound, and make his team better. San Antonio Spurs fans never got a chance to see what he could do under coach Pop, so who knows what might have been.

6. Raja Bell

Bell went undrafted in 1999 after five years in college. The 6’5 wing played his final two seasons at Florida International but did not do enough to crack the top 60.

He played his first pro season in the CBA before signing with the Spurs in August of 2000. San Antonio was Bell’s first NBA team, but he did not make the regular season roster. He landed a ten-day deal with the 76ers in April of 2001 that jumpstarted his NBA career.

Bell played 12 seasons in the league, including three and a half as a key piece on the Seven Seconds or Less Suns with Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Shawn Marion. Bell battled the Spurs back-to-back years in the playoffs, but San Antonio got the better of Phoenix in 2007 and 2008.

He was a 3-and-D wing before they were popular. Bell made two All-Defensive teams, including earning first-team honors in 2007. He never backed down from a challenge and was willing to guard the best scorer every night.

The San Antonio Spurs could have kept Raja Bell off the Suns and Mavericks if they would have kept him in 2000. The 6’5 wing was not quite ready for the NBA, and the Spurs wanted to win. It cost them a quality role player, but the Spurs' four championship banners eliminate any regrets.

5. Goran Dragic

Dragic was drafted by the Spurs with the 45th overall pick in 2008 but was traded to the Suns for the 48th overall and a 2009 second-round draft choice. The Spurs netted Malik Hairston and DeJuan Blair with the two selections. Hairston played just two years in the NBA, but Blair was a solid role player for the Spurs for four years. Still, they would have been better off keeping Dragic.

The 6’3 guard transformed into a starting point guard and even made an All-Star appearance in 2018. He has played 15 years in the NBA and unquestionably should have been a top-ten pick back in 2008. Dragic was a starter for eight years and a quality role player for several others.

The Spurs acquired him again in a February 2022 trade with the Raptors. Toronto wanted Thaddeus Young and Drew Eubanks to help them contend. Dragic refused to play for the Raptors, so they gave attached a first-round pick to his contract to send him to San Antonio. The Spurs bought him out four days later.

Goran Dragic has twice been a member of the San Antonio Spurs in his 15-year NBA career, but never played a second on the floor in their uniform.

4. Danilo Gallinari

Gallinari needs no introduction. He has been a professional scorer and offensive weapon in the NBA since being the sixth overall pick in 2013.

The 6’10 forward has played for five different teams, but will likely add at least one franchise to his list in the 2023-24 season. He missed last season recovering from a torn ACL. Gallo was traded to the Wizards this offseason and could be moved again if he proves to be healthy.

The Spurs acquired him with four first-round draft picks from the Hawks for Dejounte Murray and Jock Landale. Atlanta needed to give up some matching salary, and Gallinari’s hefty contract did the trick. San Antonio was rebuilding, so they released Gallo just a week later, so he could sign with a contender. He found a deal from the Celtics but injured his knee before taking the floor in Boston.

Danilo Gallinari has not played for the last two teams that have acquired him. Technically, three until he plays his first game with the Washington Wizards. Can he return from a second torn ACL and still be an impactful role player at 35 years old? Fans will get to find out. Gallo is motivated to get back, and it will be fascinating to see how much he has left in the tank.

3. Eddy Curry

Curry was drafted straight out of high school fourth overall by the Bulls in 2001. The seven-footer had a unique blend of size and athleticism that earned him the nickname “Baby Shaq” and created plenty of expectations. Curry was supposed to be a star and help the Bulls recover following three abysmal years after The Last Dance in 1998.

It never happened. The Bulls did make the playoffs in 2005, which was Curry’s final season in Chicago, but they were bounced in the first round. The seven-footer was traded to the Knicks in the offseason and had three strong seasons before things fell apart.

Injuries and weight struggles plagued Eddy Curry as he should have been entering his prime. He played just 26 games after his 26th birthday over five different seasons. The big man could not stay on the floor. He was part of the Heat’s championship team in 2012, but Curry only played in 14 games and a total of 83 minutes.

The San Antonio Spurs signed him in Oct. of 2012 but released him just 22 days later after he did not make the opening night roster. Curry played two games for the Mavericks in the 2012-13 season, which would be his final year in the NBA.

Eddy Curry never quite panned out into a superstar, but the seven-footer is trying to help the next generation (subscription required) learn from his mistakes.

2. Luis Scola

Is a legend in Argentina after being part of their golden basketball generation with Spurs Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili. They won the Olympic gold medal in 2004 and took the bronze in 2008. Ginobili was the team’s leading scorer with the 6’9 forward as his running mate. They were outstanding in FIBA play and became close friends, but the duo nearly teamed up in San Antonio too.

The Spurs drafted Ginobili as a 22-year-old in the second round in 1999 and waited three years before he arrived in the Alamo. In the 2002 draft, they took a similar shot on Scola. They were willing to wait, but not quite long enough. San Antonio traded Scola's rights to the Rockets in July 2007 for a second-round pick.

Scola finally came to the NBA as a 27-year-old and spent the next decade in the league. His unique skill set quickly made him a force. The 6’9 forward averaged 12.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 25.6 minutes per game.

The San Antonio Spurs did bring on Ginobili’s Argentina teammate Fabricio Oberto in 2005, and he helped the franchise win a championship in 2007. Oberto was not Luis Scola, and it would have been fascinating to watch how the 6’9 forward would have played off the Spurs Big 3, especially during his prime years.

1. Tracy McGrady

McGrady played for the San Antonio Spurs in six games for 31 total minutes during the 2013 playoffs. The team lost to the Heatles with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in the NBA Finals, but T-Mac was limited to mop-up duties throughout the postseason. Consider it part of singing just days before the postseason began.

McGrady makes this list on a technicality. For record-keeping purposes, playoff games do not count for records. McGrady signed on April 16 and did not play in the regular season. He never played a statistically counted minute with the Spurs, despite playing in their postseason run.

T-Mac was playing in China before coming to San Antonio. He retired from the NBA after the 2013 playoffs. The seven-time All-Star was well past his prime, but the future Hall of Famer wanted one final crack at a championship. The Spurs fell short, but McGrady knew it was time to call it quits.

Who will be the next player to make this list? The San Antonio Spurs will be active and aggressive in the trade market when Victor Wembanyama proves he is a star. That means more moves and acquiring some guys that will never actually play for the Spurs. Stay tuned to find out who.