A shock went through the NBA world on Friday when the San Antonio Spurs announced that they had waived Josh Primo. Given that Primo is only 19 and was taken 12th overall in 2021, the stunning move led to speculation that more was at play and that it wasn’t simply a basketball move.
Primo released a statement to ESPN on Friday night that provided more context.
“I know that you all are surprised by today’s announcement,” the statement, which was released by Adrian Wojnarowski, said. “I’ve been seeking help to deal with previous trauma I suffered and will now take this time to focus on my mental health treatment more fully. I hope to be able to discuss these issues in the future so I can help others who have suffered in a similar way. I appreciate privacy at this time.”
Josh Primo statement to ESPN in the aftermath of his release from the Spurs tonight: pic.twitter.com/H1n3k3IIcn
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 29, 2022
The reaction to this statement was mixed.
On one hand, as should be expected, there was a strong sense of support behind Primo, with the prevailing hope being that he takes the necessary steps to improve himself.
On the other hand, while this statement explains why he’s taking time away from the Spurs, it doesn’t explain why they chose to waive him.
Even more questions if I'm gonna be honest https://t.co/a8dNBU52ab
— Ty Jäger (@TheTyJager) October 29, 2022
https://twitter.com/TheTyJager/status/1586180991785181185
I respect this young brother taking care of himself first and foremost. Rooting for him to be made whole and a full return to the sport. https://t.co/79ywNWIb8z
— C.J. Lawrence (@CJLawrenceEsq) October 29, 2022
You don't cut a recent first-round pick because he's having mental health issues. Highly likely some news is about to come out about something bad he allegedly did and this is him trying to get ahead/explain it. https://t.co/XrEDGeyN4M
— Jeff Ermann (@Jeff_Ermann) October 29, 2022
Yeah, more to it https://t.co/LLlsTvVuyf
— Carmichael Dave (@CarmichaelDave) October 29, 2022
As far as going into detail on past traumas, Primo is obviously free to do what he wants there. He can be as closed or open as he wants, revealing whatever details he chooses to reveal whenever he sees fit.
That said, he could have done all of this while still on the Spurs, even if he was away from the team indefinitely. And with that in mind, this will do little to quell the speculation about what happened.
[Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter]
