The NBA has been busy recently. The trade deadline has come and gone, but the buyout market has seen plenty of action. The San Antonio Spurs have been heavily involved, first buying out LaMarcus Aldridge and now nabbing Gorgui Dieng after he hit the market following a buyout agreement with the Memphis Grizzlies, per The New York Times' Marc Stein.
The Spurs beat out a bunch of contending teams for Dieng's services:
Since securing his release from Memphis, Dieng has been pursued by the Knicks, Suns, Clippers, Sixers, Raptors, Heat and Nets in addition to the Spurs, sources say.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 28, 2021
The Spurs are waiving Marquese Chriss to make room for Dieng, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. San Antonio acquired the injured Chriss from the Golden State Warriors ahead of the trade deadline.
Dieng is a decent rotational player and has been rather consistent throughout his career. He's averaging 7.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 51.9% from the field and an impressive 47.9% on 3-pointers.
The Spurs are currently in seventh place in the Western Conference and aim to make a push for the playoffs in the final two months of the season. Dieng will likely come off the bench for this team and provide some nice depth after the front office decided to part ways with Aldridge, making this a good signing for now and perhaps for the future as well.
The Spurs are in a somewhat odd spot as they try to be competitive now while developing a young core. Having a veteran star in DeMar DeRozan certainly helps matters, but he might not be long for San Antonio with his free agency coming up in the offseason.
The Spurs take on the Sacramento Kings twice in a row for their next two games, with the first game taking place on Monday night.
Follow Us
Subscribe