NBA News: Quincy Pondexter agrees to a 1-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs

What's the story?

The San Antonio Spurs have reached an agreement on a one-year deal to sign free-agent Quincy Pondexter, Chris Haynes of ESPN reports.

In case you didn't know...

Pondexter played only 23 games for Chicago Bulls during the 2017-18 season before being waived.

The heart of the matter

With the announcement of retirement by Manu Ginobili, the Spurs find themselves with another vacant spot on their roster. Having a past history of multiple knee surgeries which made him sit out for two full NBA seasons, Pondexter returned for the 2017-18 season but ended up playing only 23 games for the Chicago Bulls before being waived midway through the season in 2017-18. .He told ESPN last year that he suffered an MRSA infection that complicated his recovery.

Pondexter was picked by the Oklahoma City Thunder as the 26th pick in 2010 NBA draft. He has averaged 5 points and 2 rebounds per game in 302 games with the Hornets, Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Bulls till now in his injury-plagued career.

He comes from a family where basketball is taken seriously, his father, Roscoe, was a third-round pick by the Boston Celtics in 1974 and his uncle Cliff was drafted by the Bulls in the same year as the 16th overall pick in 1974 draft.

He also tweeted last night about Ginobili's departure and expressed how much the game will miss the veteran guard.

What's next?

As the Spurs look to rebuild with a young core, he will play a big role in being a veteran leader and will get some rotational minutes if he stays fit.

Author's take

Good move for the Spurs considering that they have lost so much experience in their roaster, if he stays fit, he can prove to a valuable addition to the unit. Hopefully, his 9th year in the league will be a more memorable one and not just be about injuries.