Spurs path forward with injury-prone player has been decided for them

When the Spurs added Charles Bassey to the roster, the hope was that he would turn into a strong defensive backup who could reliably provide support in an auxiliary role. He had already gone through some injury woes, only playing 23 games for the Sixers in his rookie season, but that happens to players early in their careers sometimes. It didn't mean he was injury-prone.

Three seasons into his tenure with the Silver and Black, he's played a total of 88 games for the team. Now, we can say without equivocation that he's injury-prone. It's an unfortunate reality because players who get hurt consistently don't do it on purpose. They have no control over how often their body lets them down. But it's the truth, and it's time for San Antonio to move on from the Nigerian big man.

Spurs are not to blame for failed Bassey experiment

The move to bring Charles in at such a low contract number for the past few years was a pretty innocent one. There was merit to the idea that he'd develop into a solid rotational center. When he's on the court, he brings a strong defensive presence around the rim, going after layup and dunk attempts with the unrelenting aggression of a rabid rottweiler.

Bassey has turned in several multi-block performances, impressing fans and teammates alike. He's even shown the occasional feathery touch around the rim. He's just not on the court enough. Brian Wright only signed him to a one-year deal, so it would be best to let him walk in free agency.

The Spurs backup has been in and out of the lineup all season, only playing 34 of a possible 67 games this season. He's never played more than 35 games in the four years he's been in the league. With only 15 games left in a lost year, there's no reason to bring him back now, so this may be another year he doesn't pass that benchmark. Not that it would even be an impressive thing to do.

The free agent class wasn't great last summer, though. There wasn't an obvious name out there who the team should have gone after. Re-signing Bassey to a cheap one-year contract and biding their time was the best option.

The upcoming free agent class will have better players in it, and the 2025 draft class boasts a ton of talented players better suited to play second fiddle to Victor Wembanyama. The way Wemby projects to dominate the sport over the next decade or more, the backup job should be looked at as a premier position. Like, who wouldn't want to back up Batman?