Fredette waived as run with Spurs short-lived
SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs have waived former No. 10 overall pick Jimmer Fredette ahead of their regular-season opener next week, the team announced Wednesday.
Signed in July to a partially guaranteed deal worth $500,000 to come to training camp, Fredette sat out of the Spurs’ last two preseason games. He played a total of 26 minutes in exhibition contests, scoring four points.
“So far, there’s been some good things, some bad things [over my career],” Fredette told ESPN.com on Oct. 1. “But I think I’ve progressed and learned how to be a pro. I think I’ve continually gotten better as a basketball player. You’ve just got to keep your confidence high. You can’t let anything bad that happens get you down. You’ve just got to continue to stay strong, stay mentally tough and know that when you do get an opportunity, you have to be prepared for it. You never know when that can come.”
Fredette’s ability as a defender appears to have made him a liability, as the Spurs have stressed defense throughout the preseason.
Fredette was competing with Ray McCallum and Rasual Butler for a spot on the final roster. He was among four players cut Wednesday, as teams must trim their rosters to 15 players ahead of the regular season. San Antonio also let go of Youssou Ndoye, Keifer Sykes and Deshaun Thomas.
Drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2011, Fredette continues to struggle to carve out a niche in the NBA, having spent time with the New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls and Spurs after more than two seasons with the Kings.
When the Spurs signed Fredette, the club was looking to find an extra shooter at a bargain to fill out the roster after spending the bulk of its financial flexibility this summer to lure prized free-agent acquisition LaMarcus Aldridge.
As a senior at BYU in 2010-11, Fredette led Division I in scoring with 28.9 points per game.
“There are times when you’re like, ‘Dang, man, this is not the way that I pictured it as a kid or growing up.’ But I think that’s all a part of the growing process as a pro,” Fredette said Oct. 1. “It’s not necessarily that you’re not good enough to be out there, you know what I mean? Sometimes, there are other circumstances. So you’ve just got to stay mentally prepared, know that you can play, and when you get out there be able to compete.”
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