Historical Alabama guard Josh Primo returned to the NBA on Thursday – for about six hours.
The Chicago Bulls signed Primo to an Exhibit 10 contract, giving the previous first-round decide a spot on the staff’s NBA coaching camp roster. However on the identical day, the Bulls introduced First had been given up.
For a participant whose NBA profession was derailed by off-court points, the in-and-out commerce may have been seen as a signing that blew up within the Bulls’ face. However that wasn’t the case.
Primo suffered a stress fracture to the navicular bone in his left ankle in April. The harm required surgical procedure and restricted Primo’s means to work on his sport this summer season.
By waiving Primo after signing him to an Exhibit 10 contract, Chicago can enable the guard to return to the court docket with its NBA Gatorade League affiliate – the Windy Metropolis Bulls.
An Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year contract, with minimal wage and never assured. If the participant just isn’t on the NBA staff’s roster, the contract features a provision that can pay him a bonus if he spends a minimum of 60 days with the staff’s NBA G League affiliate.
For Primo, the bonus may attain $77,500.
The bizarre begin to the 2024-25 season for Primo comes after his unusual dealing with by the Los Angeles Clippers through the 2023-24 marketing campaign.
The Clippers initially signed Primo to a two-way contract final offseason. As such, Primo may play with the NBA staff and its G League affiliate, the Ontario Clippers.
After buying and selling 4 gamers for guard James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers on November 1, Los Angeles signed Primo to its 15-man roster.
However after signing a two-year, $3.961 million contract which included $2.764 million in assured cash, Primo solely performed two video games for the Clippers. He performed on December 16 and March 1, totaling two factors and one rebound in 10 minutes on the court docket.
Primo spent many of the season with Ontario. In 35 G League video games, he averaged 16.3 factors, 3.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals.
THE The Clippers have given up First on August 13, the day earlier than Los Angeles’ last common season sport, after injuring his ankle, though his departure left him $1 million useless cash on the NBA staff wage cap for 2024-25.
After Primo averaged 8.1 factors and three.4 rebounds in 30 video games in his lone season at Alabama, the San Antonio Spurs chosen the 6-foot-6, 18-year-old twelfth general within the draft. the NBA 2021.
As a rookie, Primo averaged 5.8 factors, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 50 video games, together with 16 begins.
The Spurs shocked the NBA in gave up on Primo 4 video games into his second season on October 28, 2022, with out giving a purpose.
In November 2022, lawsuits have been filed in opposition to Primo and the Spurs. In saying the lawsuits, Houston legal professional Tony Buzbee alleged Primo had uncovered himself to Dr. Hillary Cauthen on a number of events whereas working for San Antonio. When Cauthen introduced the matter to the eye of NBA staff administration, she was assured the difficulty could be resolved, Buzbee stated, however as a substitute she was marginalized and, in the end, misplaced her place as marketing consultant psychologist at Spurs.
Cauthen stated As a result of San Antonio administration failed to handle the issue, different ladies needed to endure what they did.
THE the lawsuits had been resolved with out going to court docket roughly two weeks after they had been filed.
Primo now not performed basketball till signal a two-way contract with Los Angeles on September 29, 2023. The identical day Primo signed with the Clippers, the The NBA introduced he had suspended guard for 4 video games.
“The league carried out its personal investigation and consulted with related consultants,” the assertion stated. NBA stated in a press launch. “On account of the method, the league discovered that Primo engaged in inappropriate and offensive habits by exposing himself to ladies. Primo maintains that his conduct was unintentional and that the league discovered no proof that he engaged in any sexual or different misconduct past these transient revelations.
“However, this habits just isn’t according to league requirements and warrants self-discipline.”
On December 8, 2023, the Announcement from the Bexar County (Texas) District Legal professional’s Workplace the top of its prison investigation into Primo and stated he wouldn’t be charged with indecent assault because of inadequate proof.
Mark Inabinett is a sports activities reporter for Alabama Media Group. Comply with him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
