After unexpectedly signing Summer League standout David Jones-Garcia to a two-way contract yesterday, the San Antonio Spurs are continuing to make roster moves. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the team is now bringing in Lindy Waters III on a one-year contract. While specific terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed, the Spurs still have $3.1 million left from the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception and $5.1 million available through the Bi-Annual Exception. It appears this is a standard deal, not just a training camp contract—though official clarification is still pending.
Waters, a citizen of the Kiowa Tribe and of Cherokee descent, is one of only three Native American players currently in the NBA, joining Kyrie Irving and MarJon Beauchamp, who also share Native ancestry. A native of Norman, Oklahoma, Waters played his entire college career at Oklahoma State after finishing high school locally.
After going undrafted in 2020, Waters spent time with the Enid Outlaws in The Basketball League before making the Oklahoma City Blue roster in the G League in 2021. He signed a two-way contract with the Thunder in 2022, which was upgraded to a standard NBA deal in 2023. Since then, he’s had brief stints with the Golden State Warriors and was most recently traded to the Detroit Pistons in February as part of the Jimmy Butler trade.
Though he’s been something of a journeyman, Waters has proven himself to be a reliable outside shooter. Over his career, he has knocked down 36.6% of his 579 three-point attempts, hitting better than 37% in three of his four seasons. While 156 games (3.7 attempts per game) isn’t the largest sample size, it’s significant enough to take seriously. Given the Spurs’ existing backcourt depth, Waters may not see regular minutes unless injuries occur, but he adds valuable shooting depth off the bench.
With Waters now in the fold, San Antonio has 14 main roster spots filled, meeting the league’s minimum roster requirement to start the season. The team still has one full roster slot open, along with two two-way contracts available. They also continue to hold qualifying offers for Riley Minix and Harrison Ingram.
Welcome to San Antonio, Lindy!
