**Spurs Re-Sign Veteran Forward**
The San Antonio Spurs are focusing on building their future around Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French phenom projected to become one of the NBA’s top players. To accelerate their development, they acquired veteran point guard Chris Paul this summer. Despite first-round draft pick Stephon Castle recently injuring his wrist, the team remains optimistic about his potential.
On Tuesday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Spurs agreed to a one-year deal with forward Sandro Mamukelashvili to retain him on the roster.
Mamukelashvili, originally from New York City, spent much of his youth in Georgia (Central Asia) and Italy. He returned to the U.S. to attend Seton Hall University in North Jersey, where he averaged 17.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and earned the title of Big East co-Player of the Year as a senior.
Drafted in the second round by the Indiana Pacers in 2021, the 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward has averaged 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game over three NBA seasons. The Spurs signed him late in the 2022-23 season after he was waived by the Milwaukee Bucks.
While few expect the Spurs to reach the playoffs or the play-in tournament this season, they have a talented roster that includes Devin Vassell, who averaged 19.5 points per game during the 2023-24 season.
Wembanyama’s potential is particularly exciting. As a rookie, he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and an NBA-high 3.6 blocks per game. The prospect of his improvement in his second season is highly anticipated.
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