SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs have traded away veteran sharpshooter Bryn Forbes and are getting back Juancho Hernangomez and Denver's 2028 second-round pick in a three-team deal first reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski Tuesday night.
The Spurs confirmed the trade on Wednesday, adding that they received cash considerations from both the Nuggets and Celtics.
Forbes went undrafted and spent the first four years of his NBA career earning his spot with the Spurs, first in the G League and then in San Antonio. He won a title with the Milwaukee Bucks last season before returning to San Antonio on a one-year deal.
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"This is like my second home," Forbes said in a video released by the team when he signed. "It feels good to be back in the organization I started with, and learned a lot from, and part of what helped me grow in so many ways, not just in basketball but in life. I'm just excited to get back to it and get back to work with these guys, and try to do some good stuff."
"Bryn's been wonderful here for a long time," Gregg Popovich said in his first media availability since the trade. "Done a very good job, always been a great teammate, one of the more popular players, so, a chance to go knock down some shots for the Nuggets. We wish him well."
Forbes is just 28, but was a veteran presence for an extremely young and developing Spurs team. Forbes will now space the floor for another MVP, and his departure from San Antonio could mean more minutes for guards like Tre Jones and rookie Josh Primo.
Pop pushed back on that idea on Wednesday.
"No, Joshua's gonna stay with the G League team right now, he needs that experience," he said.
Still, it seems inevitable that the NBA's youngest rookie will get some more burn as the season progresses.
As for Hernangomez, he's a 6'9" wing who can come off the bench and provide a bit of size and spacing. The 16th pick in the 2016 draft has played about 16 minutes per game in his career, averaging 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 35% from three. He barely cracked the rotation for the Celtics this year, but the Spurs could use the sort of depth he provides.
"He's a player who's very experienced, obviously, understands how to play, he's got a high basketball IQ, willing to stick his nose in, that kind of thing," Pop said. "He's a good seasoned vet, basically."
This is a developing story.