3 San Antonio Spurs at Risk of Being Cut From the Roster

As the NBA preseason continues, the San Antonio Spurs currently have 20 players on their roster. By opening night, which is on October 22, the Spurs need to have 18 players under contract. Three of those players can be on two-way deals, and the other 15 will be on standard contracts.

On Sunday, the Spurs waived Nathan Mensah , and need to waive two players before the regular season starts. They currently have David Duke Jr. and Harrison Ingram signed to two-way contracts, meaning they have room for one more player. Currently, Riley Minix is the favorite to get the last spot after a stellar preseason.

Before the regular season kicks off, here are three players the Spurs could cut before the deadline. Keep in mind that only two players need to be waived.

1. Brandon Boston Jr.

The Spurs signed Brandon Boston Jr. in August after he spent the first three seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Clippers. Originally compared to Brandon Ingram, his development never panned out, partially because the Clippers opted to bury him in the depth chart behind Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Terance Mann, Normal Powell, and other forwards.

In his first three NBA seasons, Boston Jr. only played 12.9 minutes per game and averaged 6.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.4 steals. He shot 31.3 percent from three, which was a big reason why the Clippers didn't re-sign him.

In the first three preseason games, he has not played much for the Spurs and has averaged 2.3 points and shot 33.3 percent from deep. If he could find a stable outside shot in the preseason, the Spurs would have likely converted him to a standard deal, but the lack of production has him included as a possible candidate to be waived.

2. Malachi Flynn

Malachi Flynn is best known for his 50-point showing last season against the Atlanta Hawks as a member of the Detroit Pistons. He has the potential to be a high-end microwave scorer off the bench, but much like Boston Jr., he hasn't been given many minutes this preseason.

In limited play, he has averaged 4.3 points in the preseason, although he has made half of his shots from deep. However, he is 26 years old, so the Spurs will likely favor a younger player to get one of the final roster spots. He is a career 33.4 percent shooter from deep but has had relatively successful stints as a bench player for Detroit, the New York Knicks, and Toronto Raptors.

He has played in six playoff games, although he failed to record a single point. Still, he has been a part of a winning team and played a significant role in the regular season, which might give him a boost in Gregg Popovich's eyes.

“He's a tough nut," said Popovich. "He shoots the heck out of the ball, he takes no prisoners, and he works very hard.”

There is no doubt Flynn could provide an injection into the offense off the bench for the Spurs, but he could be the odd man out on a team looking to get younger.

3. Malaki Branham

In 2022, the Spurs drafted Jeremy Sochan, Blake Wesley, and Malaki Branham in the first round. Sochan has emerged as a legitimate starter and has been a key piece since being drafted. Branham and Wesley, on the other hand, have been linked at the hip and heavily scrutinized throughout their often slow development.

In the postseason, Wesley has emerged as a rotation player, finding success as an on-ball defender and secondary playmaker. His shot has struggled, but the rest of his game appears to have taken a significant leap from his first two seasons. Branham, on the other hand, still seems to be lagging behind.

Branham was seen wearing street clothes during the Spurs' 126-120 preseason win over the Utah Jazz, which sent social media into a frenzy, as fans fixated on him receiving a DNP. However, everyone usually takes a turn sitting out in the preseason, and that game was likely just Branham's turn.

In two games, he has been underwhelming, averaging just 11.5 points on inefficient shooting. Unlike Boston Jr. and Flynn, Branham has played plenty of minutes in the preseason.

Branham would be the most surprising cut the Spurs could make out of the three, but it seems like he has hit his ceiling already, and the on-court results he's given in his short career have been underwhelming, and the lack of improvement is alarming, especially when compared to Wesley's recent development.

Related: 3 Overreactions to the San Antonio Spurs Preseason Games

The Spurs, as usual, are playing things close to the chest. Popovich and Brian Wright have not hinted at any potential roster decisions, and the best fans and the media can do is offer predictions.