Determining Josh Primo’s role with the Spurs in Year 1

The pick no one expected: Joshua Primo is now a San Antonio Spur.

There is so much to unpack here with this pick and this prospect. As the 12th pick, Primo is just 18 years old, and it’s easy to predict he will spend most of his first year in the G-League with the Austin Spurs. Gregg Popovich likes to play guys that he trusts, and at 18 years old its hard to see Pop trusting him with meaningful minutes as part of a regular rotation role.

Still, meaningful minutes and some type of role in San Antonio may not be completely out of the question. There’s a possibility that the team goes into complete rebuild mode if they don’t get what they want in free agency or that some combination of the current guard logjam gets traded away to fill out the forward and center positions. IF that happens, maybe there is a chance Primo could see minutes this season in order to accelerate development, even if it’s unlikely.

If the most likely outcome occurs, and Primo is sent to the G-League for the season, that will be far from the worst outcome for the youngster out of Alabama. The Spurs have a great developmental system up in Austin with excellent coaches and support staff. San Antonio has seen Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker, Keldon Johnson and Luka Samanic all graduate from Austin, and most of the aforementioned listed are currently playing big roles for the ball club.

At the end of the day, it’s only July, and the season won’t begin until October, so this is just an early projection about the role the newest Spur will possess in year 1. We still have a whole offseason to go, including free agency and possible trades. Then comes Summer League and training camp, where there will be a better chance to get sense of the impact Primo can have from day 1.

And for Spurs fans who are upset with the pick, don’t blame Josh Primo. He is just 18 years old and didn’t choose his destiny. He even admitted how surprised he was by the pick in his presser, but he still said all the right things and appears to be a standup kid. Support him, send him words of encouragement, and hope he pans out to be a huge success.

PTR readers! What do you want to see his role be in year 1, and do you think a spell in the G-League will be beneficial for him, or should the Spurs send him straight to the big leagues?