Jameer Nelson Jr. is playing in the San Antonio Spurs’ second summer league and appears to be part of the NBA role player after spending time in the G League.
On paper at least, the San Antonio Spurs summer league team is an explosion from the past. Rashard Lewis is on the coaching staff and All-Star son Jamie Nelson Jr. lights things up for the Spurs on the court.
Throughout two games, he averages 12.5 points and 3 assists. He reached out and had no issues reaching the free throw line.
Of course, longtime fans will know that this is his second stint with the Spurs in the summer, but he has shown improvements since last season.
In college, Nelson Jr. played for George Washington’s Delaware state and TCU, and stood out as the best college player in the CAA. However, he was not drafted in 2024 and signed a contract with the Spurs.
With the Austin Spurs, Nelson averaged 11.2 points and 2.2 assists, and his shooting wanted a lot. After the G-League season, he headed north to the Canadian League, playing in 12 games for the Calgary Surge, providing 18.9 points and 4.5 assists per game.
Being a good player in Canada is far from NBA stardom, but the Spurs were able to use players like him to put pressure on the young core they built around Victor Wenbagnama.
Between De’aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, the Spurs are beyond a fair bit of high-end guard talent. It makes sense for one of those point guards to leave the bench and share the backcourt with Blake Wesley and Malaki Blanham.
Wesley and Branham were both first-round picks in 2022, but neither of them stepped into the NBA despite the opportunity. Their rookie contracts have risen this season, and they become restricted free agents.
For now, there’s no reason to think the Spurs will hold either of them, but it’s possible that Nelson Jr. is ready to sign a two-way deal and steal for a few minutes, with Juannunez, the second pick of last year, still hidden in the Spanish league.
Nelson Jr. is not a key player for the Spurs in Wenby’s era, but he was able to help the organization eliminate who is worth holding and who will succeed elsewhere.