Inside The Spurs

Should Spurs Sign 'Productive' Charles Bediako?

The San Antonio Spurs have a tough decision to make on whether or not to give Summer League standout Charles Bediako a two-way contract.

Matt Guzman

Should Spurs Sign 'Productive' Charles Bediako?
Should Spurs Sign 'Productive' Charles Bediako? /
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After undrafted rookie Charles Bediako's Summer League performance in Las Vegas, the San Antonio Spurs may have some competition if they hope to keep him around. 

A two-year starter at Alabama, Bediako proved to be a strong rim protector for the Crimson Tide. Last season, he and Brandon Miller made for an impressive duo, with Bediako playing low and scoring efficiently from within the arc. 

Despite the ever-popular, and seemingly necessary, trend of centers playing stretch roles, Bediako breaks the mold there, shooting a finger-countable number of shots from 3 throughout his two seasons. 

Where he made up for it, however, was his athleticism at the rim on offense, which was a big reason the Spurs showed interest in him for their summer roster. 

Despite his obvious talent, Bediako wasn't as highly touted as Miller, so he wasn't given the same treatment when it came to the draft. The 21-year-old didn't let that discourage him however, gladly joining San Antonio for both the California Classic and the Las Vegas tourney, hoping to make the most of his league opportunity.

And that he did, proving to teams across the league why he deserves a chance. 

"Bediako averaged 17.5 points, 17.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.8 blocks  for San Antonio during NBA Summer League," USA Today wrote. "He was incredibly productive when he was on the court." 

A positive performance from an un-drafted rookie is always a good sign, as the Spurs would welcome a underrated playmaker to round out their roster, though now that Bediako has shown more of what he's capable of, he may not be a shoe-in to retain.

"San Antonio still has room to offer one or more two-way contracts depending on what they decide to do with Dominick Barlow," USA Today continued. "But any team looking for a big man should have a legitimate interest in Bediako."

Barlow still remains as a question mark for San Antonio. He and Julian Champagnie had arguably the best showings out of anyone during the Summer, and one of them now has a four-year deal (Hint: It's not Barlow). 

Should Barlow end up with a two-way contract, that does lower the odds of Bediako earning one as well, but then again, it could happen. 

San Antonio will likely be monitoring his status around the league before making a decision, but if it does decide to test the waters with Bediako, he's already shown them that what he can do ... and that would be a strong addition to the Spurs' roster.

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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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