How Did Spurs Hint at Possible Roster Move?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Dec 22, 2024 4:51 PM ET

On Saturday night, the San Antonio Spurs beat the Portland Trail Blazers in a dominant 114-94 win. Victor Wembanyama's 30 points and 10 blocks were the highlight of the game for fans, although all of the Spurs' centers had solid outings.

Charles Bassey tied his career-high with 16 points and added 12 rebounds off the bench. Sandro Mamukelashvili didn't check in until garbage time and didn't score, but the two bigs who played real minutes--Wemby and Bassey--each had an excellent game.

Interstingly, Zach Collins did not play, although he was healthy entering the game. He has been battling a back injury, and acting head coach Mitch Johnson was asked if Collins not playing was due to injury rehab.

Johnson made it clear that Collins could play, but the coach decided not to use him in the game.

"Zach's been doing a really good job, and he's available," added Johnson, with a little bit of hesitancy. "He's just working."

When Bassey plays, Wembanyama sits, so his -3 plus/minus doesn't tell the full story. He was one of the highest-impact players off the bench for the Spurs in the win and might be poised to take over as the backup center.

"Energy was great," praised Johnson of Bassey, who played 18 minutes. "Impactful on both ends, when he does some very simple things consistently with energy, it's amazing how impactful those are."

Bassey, like Collins, knows he won't become the starting center anytime soon, although he has embraced his role.

"Staying consistent is the key," explained Bassey. "Just being solid, as a guy coming off the bench...I'm just doing my job, doing what I can to help the team win."

Fans have long called for Collins to be traded, but he is set to make $18 million next season, so moving him is no easy task. Still, Bassey has emerged as the better, more trustworthy player on both ends and it shouldn't be surprising if the Spurs trade Collins or shut him down for an extended period.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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