The San Antonio Spurs are signing 22-year old wing Brandon Boston Jr., per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
The San Antonio Spurs and Brandon Boston Jr. have agreed to a deal, league sources told @hoopshype. The 22-year-old guard will compete for a roster spot. He spent the past three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers and averaged 6.2 points in 12.9 minutes per game. pic.twitter.com/HjPPwRnXL9
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) August 9, 2024
Boston became an unrestricted free agent after the Los Angeles Clippers refused to tender a qualifying offer. If they had, the Spurs have still been able to sign Boston. However, the Clippers would’ve reserved the right to match the offer.
Instead, Boston is now headed to San Antonio on a training camp deal. With 15 roster spots filled, the Spurs will likely offer him their remaining two-way slot if he makes it through.
Spurs Sign Former Brandon Boston Jr. To ‘Prove It’ Contract
The No. 51 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, it’s easy to forget that Boston was a top-10 high school recruit.
Coming out of Sierra Canyon, where Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James and Atlanta Hawks big man Onyeka Okongwu also played, the five-star recruit received offers from several prominent programs. In the end, he chose Kentucky, an institution that’s developed a reputation for producing NBA-caliber players.
Despite the fanfare and expectations surrounding Boston, he didn’t quite deliver. His counting stats —11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game —were respectable, especially for a freshman. However, his shooting was unpredictable as he made just 35.5 percent of his field goals and 30.0 percent of his 3s.
Rather than return to Kentucky to sharpen his skills, he opted to enter the draft. Still, since being drafted, he’s shown plenty of flashes. He’s too good for the G League, averaging 24.6 points per game on .504-.429-.755 splits after 14 games.
When given the opportunity with the Clippers, he’s responded decently. When playing 20-29 minutes per game, he’s averaging 12.2 points per game on .414-.351.-800 splits. If playing 30-39 minutes per game, he’s averaging 19.6 points per game on .427-.280-.714 splits.
A natural scorer who possesses great length and defensive upside, Boston definitely has NBA talent. He just needs to become more consistent.
Room For Improvement
The most obvious area where he can improve is beyond the arc. He has the range but may not take enough 3-pointers from his hot spots. To that point, he’s made 36.6 percent of his career corner 3s. That leads to his other issue, which is that he’s capable of scoring in so many ways, he doesn’t have a go-to move. Yet, many an all-time great has ate off a bread-and-butter basket.
A renowned player development coach, Gregg Popovich knows how to find the balance between letting Boston extend his wings and teaching him how to fly. If he’s coached by Popovich, Boston will also likely become a quicker decision-maker. This could make him more of a heads-up passer and increase his playability.
