Josh Primo Released by Spurs; Guard Says He's Stepping Away to Focus on Mental Health

The San Antonio Spurs have announced that they have waived guard Josh Primo, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

"It is our hope that, in the long run, this decision will serve the best interest of both the organization and Joshua," Spurs Sports & Entertainment CEO RC Buford said.

Primo provided a statement to ESPN on the matter.

No members of the Spurs organization (including players) will be speaking further on the move at this time, per the team's remarks.

The 19-year-old Primo averaged 5.8 points on 37.4 percent shooting and 2.3 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game during his rookie season. He played in 50 games with 16 starts.

This season, the former Alabama star averaged 7.0 points on 34.6 percent shooting, 4.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds over 23.3 minutes per game.

He came off the bench for each of the Spurs' first four games but was listed as out on the injury report for San Antonio's most recent matchup, a 134-122 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday. ESPN's Tim MacMahon relayed the reason.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks, Marc J. Spears of Andscape and Alex Kennedy of BasketballNews.com provided commentary on the situation.

Marks also added notes on the waiver claim order for added insight on the potential of Primo's next destination:

The Houston Rockets finished with the worst record last year, followed by the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers to round out the top five.

The Spurs' next game will be home on Saturday versus the Chicago Bulls.