After splitting time with three teams last year, it seems that former first-round pick Malachi Flynn has a new home. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Flynn is signing with the San Antonio Spurs.
Free agent guard Malachi Flynn has agreed on a one-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Flynn – who had a career high 50 points in April – averaged eight points in 14 minutes per game for Pistons last season. pic.twitter.com/eOealFJJ9O
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 7, 2024
Flynn began last season with the Toronto Raptors, the team that drafted him in 2020. However, the team sent him to the New York Knicks as part of the deal that netted them RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. A few months later, the Knicks flipped him to the Detroit Pistons in a package for Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. On the year, Flynn appeared in 69 combined games for the three teams. In those games, he averaged 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. Although his stats were unremarkable, Flynn did enjoy a career game near the end of the season.
In an April loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Flynn recorded a career-high 50 points off the bench. Flynn shot 18-for-25, including a 5-for-9 mark from beyond the arc. Additionally, he recorded six rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Flynn spoke about his career night after the game.
“Right now, it’s tough because at the end of the day you want to win. But it does feel good to kind of take in the moment. I’m sure a couple of days from now, it will feel really good.”
Additionally, Hawks coach Quin Snyder spoke about Flynn’s performance, saying “he played great.”
“He was making contested shots and he got to the foul line, which got him going,” Snyder says. “We tried to get more aggressive on him and impact him, and he still made plays. He played great.”
San Antonio Spurs to Sign Former First-Round Pick
Malachi Flynn is Not the Only Guard the Spurs Acquired This Summer
In addition to Flynn, the Spurs acquired two other notable point guards this offseason. The team signed legendary point guard Chris Paul, who most recently spent a season with the Golden State Warriors. Additionally, they drafted UConn guard Stephon Castle with the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Recently, Castle spoke about his excitement to play alongside Paul. In an interview with Uproxx, Castle said it will “be super fun” to learn from the future Hall of Famer.
“I feel like he’s one of the best point guards to ever play in the NBA. So, to be able to learn from him, year one, it’s gonna be super fun, for sure,” Castle said. “And to be able to play alongside him, I feel like he’s a legend, so to play alongside Chris Paul and have Coach Pop with me is definitely something I’m looking forward to. But just being able to pick up on things like screen navigation, like when to snake a screen, the right passes to make and stuff, I feel like he’s the best at doing that. So, trying to pick up on a lot of that stuff in the year that we’ll have him.”
The Last Word on Malachi Flynn
Flynn was likely brought in mostly for depth. However, we saw a glimpse of the talent he possesses earlier this year. While he is unlikely to have another 50-point performance this season, Flynn can still become a solid role player for the Spurs.
