2023-24 Spurs Player Reviews: Devonte’ Graham

Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s 2023-24 player reviews! The series will look at the 15 players who finished the season with the Spurs on guaranteed contracts (so no two-way players because we saw so little of them this year, and no Doug McDermott). Enjoy!

Devonte’ Graham

2023-24 stats: 23 games, 5 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 52 FG%.

Contract Status: 1 year, $12.650 million remaining ($2.850 million guaranteed)

Age: 29

Devonte’ Graham could have pouted. Yes, he’s on a contract that compensates him highly for a guy who hasn’t been that good for a while, but players want to be on the floor. Ever since joining the Spurs, minutes have been inconsistent for Graham and in this past season disappeared almost entirely. Graham was healthy but played just 313 minutes, by far a career low. He suited up for 23 games, being on mop-up duty in most of them, before getting more playing time as injuries open up room in the rotation late in the season. He could have asked for a trade, complained to the media, or simply been apathetic while counting the days until he could leave.

The veteran guard took a different path. He wasn’t happy with his role but he didn’t show that publicly. Graham sat on the bench cheering on his teammates and embraced the position of elder statesman in a young locker room. He was a steadying presence and offered advice to players on the team who respected the man they called “OG,” “old head” or “unc” despite him being just 29 years old. That much was clear when they celebrated his game-winner against the Nuggets in the second to last game of the season when the team had nothing to gain from a victory. Everyone on the roster was happy for the veteran leader who bid his time and had his patience rewarded with one shining moment.

The Spurs didn’t ask Graham to be a contributor on the court this season. They needed a seasoned player who could teach the younger guys how to remain engaged while uplifting others throughout a losing season despite a small or fluctuating role. In that sense, the veteran guard delivered.

Looking forward

The Spurs have until July 1 to decide whether to make the last year of Graham’s contract worth $12.6 million fully guaranteed for next season or waive him and save roughly $10 million. It will be tough to make a case for retaining him. Graham has not been a good NBA player for years now but is getting paid like one. In the late March-early April stretch in which he got minutes, he shot 33 percent from the floor and 28 from beyond the arc, ghastly numbers for a scoring guard. He would likely shoot better from outside with a regular role that allows him to develop some rhythm, but he won’t fix his shot selection this late in his career.

A return is not completely out of the question, as the Spurs might have the quiet offseason they have been rumored to be gearing up for, which would make waiving Graham to create cap space not a priority. The guard is on a midsized deal and will be on the last year of his contract, so he could be salary ballast for a midseason trade. But it seems much more likely that the decision will be to move on since Graham doesn’t fit the timeline and the Spurs might need roster spots.