After hectic fourth NBA season, guard Malachi Flynn enjoys being back at home base

In the past calendar year, the Tacoma, Wash. product has called four different NBA cities home - the latest being San Antonio after signing a free-agent deal with the Spurs two week ago

Former Bellarmine Prep and current NBA guard Malachi Flynn hosts hometown youth basketball camp at Tacoma CC. / Photo by Todd Milles

TACOMA, Wash. - Over the past year, NBA point guard Malachi Flynn's head has been in a lot of places - figuratively and literally.

He began his fourth season last September with the team that drafted him in 2020 - Toronto. But then for the first time in his career, he was traded - to the New York Knicks in late December. And five weeks later, he was dealt again, this time to Detroit.

Earlier this month, the free agent signed a non-guaranteed contract with San Antonio - all while as he was back in his offseason hometown of Tacoma where he starred in high school at Bellarmine Prep.

"It's been crazy," he said, breaking out a wide smile at the conclusion of his two-day youth basketball camp at Tacoma Community College. "Going in, I definitely would not have expected that at the start of the season. It's a business. Things happen. People move. Players move."

It was easily Flynn's most up-and-down professional campaign, playing his usual 15 minutes off the bench with the Raptors, to barely seeing the floor with the Knicks - to then erupting into a share of league history on one night with Detroit.

Against Atlanta in April, Flynn, 26, became the third player ever in the NBA to come off the bench and score 50 or more points, joining fellow Washington state product Jamal Crawford (52 points) and Nick Anderson (50). Flynn tallied 50 points on 18t-of-25 shooting in 34 minutes in the Pistons' loss.

"Good times, for sure," Flynn said.

And yet, despite his All-American pedigree at San Diego State and first-round draft status, Flynn has yet to find career traction in the NBA. He is hoping that changes in San Antonio.

When you have an opportunity, you've got to take advantage of it," Flynn said. "That is what I am trying to do right now. It is a tough league. Everyone is great. Everyone is trying to get away and stick."

With 2024 NBA training camp set for late September, Flynn spent the past couple days hosting his second annual camp with 30 high-school boys and girls from the area. It was free of charge to those teenagers and their families.

"As a kid, I wasn't really able to pay for many camps growing up," Flynn said. "We don’t want to be in a position where kids want to come to the camp and cannot afford it. We just told them it is free ... and have fun out there.

" I love the area. I'll always come back."