Inside The Spurs

Spurs Starter, Monday, September 9, 2024: Did Cedi Osman Favor Job Security Over Opportunity?

Your daily briefing on what's going on with the San Antonio Spurs, including news, draft & more.

Matt Guzman

Dec 13, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Cedi Osman (16) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers guard Max Christie (10) in the first half at the Frost Bank Center.
Dec 13, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Cedi Osman (16) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers guard Max Christie (10) in the first half at the Frost Bank Center. / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
In this story:

Happy Monday, Por Vida fans! Welcome to your afternoon Spurs Starter.

Three weeks remain until the beginning of training camp for the San Antonio Spurs. As such, 21 players will suit up looking to secure their spots on the final 18-man roster (15 full-time and three two-way players) and while many of them are familiar, some will be first-time Spurs.

Others won't be joining the festivities at all — Cedi Osman included.

READ MORE: Harrison Barnes' Experience A Likely Boon For Young Spurs

Last season, Osman played in 72 games, averaging 6.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on near 40 percent shooting from 3-point land. He played his role well — that was, a bench plug with scoring capabilities — especially being one of the more experienced players San Antonio had, but ultimately wasn't invited back after his Cleveland Cavaliers contract expired.

San Antonio Spurs forward Cedi Osman (16) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) during the second half.
Dec 15, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Cedi Osman (16) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

So, with no place to call home, Osman ultimately signed overseas with Greek club Panathinaikos.

He's far from the only NBA veteran to make the jump from the United States to a foreign club, but what made his situation stand out was an apparent invite to join the Los Angeles Lakers for their training camp. Osman reportedly turned down said offer, citing a lack of job security.

Without a guarantee that he'd make the Lakers' regular-season roster, the Turkish forward made the decision to favor security over opportunity. Perhaps his status as one of LeBron James' favorites wasn't enough — but now, he's set to make an impact elsewhere.

On to the headlines:

THE NEWS

1. READ: WHAT CEDI OSMAN'S DEPARTURE MEANS FOR SPURS

Former San Antonio Spurs forward Cedi Osman has signed with Greek club Panathinaikos, putting a halt to his seven-year NBA career.

Read the full story at the link above.

2. WATCH: WHY BLAKE WESLEY COULD BE DUE FOR MUCH-IMPROVED SEASON

San Antonio Spurs point guard Blake Wesley has shown flashes of high potential during his time with the Spurs, but he certainly does have more to prove.

Watch the latest episode of The San Antonio Minute to dive deeper:

3. LOOK: SAN ANTONIO SPURS' FUTURE DRAFT PICKS

Can't keep up with what draft picks the San Antonio Spurs have over the next few years? We've got you covered.

Check out the full list at the link above.

THE DRAFT

Now that the 2024 NBA Draft is over, you can check out the newest Spurs and what they might bring to the team next season and down the road. Below are the some stories about the rookies selected:

Round 1, Pick No. 4: Stephon Castle

Round 2, Pick No. 36: Juan Núñez

Round 2, Pick No. 48: Harrison Ingram

THE SCHEDULE

There are 43 days until opening night of the 2024-25 NBA season, but the San Antonio Spurs have more to look forward to prior to that. The regular season schedule will be released at 2 p.m. Central, but the entire preseason schedule, the NBA Cup slate and the Christmas Day schedule has.

Below is a list of dates and start times (all in CST) for all relevant Spurs games:

San Antonio Spurs Preseason

Oct. 7: Home vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (Tipoff 7 p.m.)
Oct. 9: Home vs. Orlando Magic (Tipoff 7 p.m.)
Oct. 12: Home vs. Utah Jazz (Tipoff 7 p.m.)

Oct. 15: Away at Miami Heat (Tipoff 6:30 p.m.)
Oct. 17: Away at Houston Rockets (Tipoff 7 p.m.)

San Antonio Spurs Regular Season Schedule

Oct. 24: Season Opener at Dallas Mavericks
Oct. 26: Home opener vs. Houston Rockets

Nov. 15: Group Play Begins vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Dec. 10: NBA Cup Knockout Rounds Begin
Dec. 25: MSG Christmas at New York Knicks

Dec. 31: New Year's vs. LA Clippers

Jan. 23-25: Paris Games vs. Indiana Pacers

Feb. 3: Rodeo Road Trip Begins at Memphis Grizzlies

Feb. 14-16: All-Star Break

Feb. 20: Spurs Get Moody vs. Phoenix Suns
Feb. 21: Spurs Get Moody vs. Detroit Pistons

March 21: Longest Home Stand Ends vs. Philadelphia 76ers

April 6: Final Road Trip Begins at Portland Trail Blazers
April 13: Final Home Game vs. Toronto Raptors

AROUND THE NBA

Catch up on some of the league-wide headlines below:

Also, be sure to follow along with Spurs On SI's NBA tracker, with more detailed breakdowns of major league news and updates.

THE CLOSER

Check out our homepage for more news and follow us on the platforms below. Thank you for tuning in and enjoy the rest of your Monday.

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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