David Jones-Garcia turned heads with his performance in Summer League and San Antonio wants a closer look. The 23-year-old guard-forward will sign a two-way contract with the Spurs, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Jones-Garcia excelled in the G League for the Mexico City Capitanes last season but went into Summer League play as a relative unknown. His stellar performances on both the California Classic and the Las Vegas Summer League changed that. The Dominican scorer averaged 22 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists on fantastic shooting efficiency for the Spurs, enough to get the attention of Euroleague giant Olympiakos. The Greek squad reportedly made him a significant offer that Jones-Garcia declined, hoping to stay close to the NBA. He’s getting his wish, as he will sign a two-way deal that should allow him to continue to grow without having to go overseas, which should improve his chances of securing a full spot in the future.
The Spurs have a logjam at guard, so it was fair to question whether they would pursue a 6’5” player, no matter how impressive he was in exhibition games. In the end, it seems they valued talent over fit. Their decision was likely made easier by Jones-Garcia’s willingness to take a two-way deal, which will make him affordable and give the Silver and Black the flexibility to keep two full roster spots open while adding a deadly scorer who can spend time in Austin to continue to develop, but can also get minutes with the big team. If he excels, or if playing time opens up due to injury or trades, the Spurs will have his rights and could give him a regular contract. The signing is a no-brainer from the franchise’s side.
In the past, San Antonio was known for finding talent others overlooked, especially at guard, with Patty Mills, Gary Neal, and Bryn Forbes seemingly coming out of nowhere to provide scoring. Jones-Garcia will hopefully join that group eventually. He’ll likely struggle to get playing time immediately, as there’s a lot of competition for the guard and small forward minutes in the Spurs’ roster, but his shooting and budding playmaking talent could help him find a spot in the rotation.
The Spurs now have two regular roster spots open and two two-way spots left.