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Walker, Metu, three 2019 draft picks will play on Spurs' Summer League team in Utah next week

The Silver & Black are one of four teams playing in Salt Lake City Summer League, which tips off Monday and ends Wednesday.

Spurs Salt Lake City Summer League schedule

(All games at Vivint Smart Home Arena)

Monday: vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 6 p.m. (NBA TV)

Tuesday: vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 6 p.m. (NBA TV)

Wednesday: vs. Utah Jazz, 8 p.m. (NBA TV)

SAN ANTONIO – Guard Lonnie Walker IV and forward Chimezie Metu, rookies on the Spurs’ 2018-19 team, and the franchise’s 2019 draft picks, Luka Samanic, Keldon Johnson and Quinndary Weatherspoon, are on the Silver and Black roster that will play in the Salt Lake City Summer League next week in Utah.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies and Utah Jazz also will play in the Summer League, which tips off Monday at Vivint Smart Arena in Salt Lake City and ends Wednesday.

The Spurs’ Summer League squad will begin practicing Thursday. Blake Ahearn, head coach of San Antonio’s G League affiliate in Austin, will coach the Summer League team in Salt Lake City.

All three of San Antonio’s draft picks said Tuesday that they are eager to get on the practice floor and start learning the Spurs’ way of doing things.

Asked what he thought about the Spurs as he came up through the college ranks, Weatherspoon said: “Just their development program, the way they develop guys. That’s one thing I believed in with San Antonio, and something I always thought they did a great job of doing.”

Walker, selected by the Spurs with the 18th overall pick in last year’s NBA draft after playing two seasons at Miami (Fla.), appeared in 17 games as a rookie, averaging 2.6 points, 1.0 rebounds and 6.9 minutes. He averaged 16.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 27.3 minutes in 29 games with the Austin Spurs.

Walker played in the Utah and Las Vegas Summer Leagues last year, averaging 11.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 26.8 minutes in six total games.

Metu, a Southern Cal alum from Nigeria, played in 29 games for the Silver and Black last year, averaging 1.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 5.0 minutes. He appeared in 26 games with the Austin Spurs, averaging 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.54 blocks and 27.3 minutes.

Metu averaged 11.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 21.4 minutes in five total games in the Utah and Las Vegas Summer Leagues last year.

Samanic, a 6-foot-11 power forward from Zagreb, Croatia, was taken by San Antonio with the 19th overall pick in last week’s draft. Only 19 years old, Samanic played the 2018-19 season with KK Olimpija, averaging 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 19.6 minutes in the Slovenian League.

Samanic also played 12 games in the FIBA Champions League, averaging 8.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 19.4 minutes. He began his pro career in Spain in 2016.

Also 19, Johnson was named Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year in his only season at Kentucky in 2018-19. He was selected by the Spurs with the No. 29 pick in the draft. The guard/forward was one of three Kentucky players selected in the first round.

Johnson averaged 13.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 30.7 minutes in all of the Wildcats’ 37 games, helping lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight. He earned All-SEC second-team honors.

Weatherspoon, a guard taken by the Spurs in the second round with the No. 49 overall pick, played four seasons at Mississippi State and completed his career as the No. 3 scorer in school history. An All-SEC selection in his final three seasons, Weatherspoon earned a spot on the first team as a senior. He averaged a career-best 18.5 points to go with 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.68 steals.

Spurs Salt Lake City Summer League roster

(Jersey number, name, position, before NBA, home country)

1 Lonnie Walker IV, guard, Miami, Fla, USA

3 Keldon Johnson, guard/forward, Kentucky, USA

7 Chimezie Metu, forward, USC, Nigeria

14 Drew Eubanks, center, Oregon State, USA

15 Quinndary Weatherspoon, guard, Mississippi State, USA

17 Josh Magette, guard, Alabama-Huntsville, USA

19 Luka Samanic, forward, KK Olimpija, Croatia 

23 Terry Larrier, forward, Connecticut, USA

24 Kenny Williams, guard, North Carolina, USA

26 Ben Moore, forward, SMU, USA

28 Darel Poirier, forward/center, Capital City Go-Go, France

30 Jordan Green, guard, Texas A&M, USA

31 Travis Bader, guard, Oakland, USA

33 Jeff Ledbetter, guard, Idaho, USA

34 Darius Morris, guard, Michigan, USA

35 Jordan Barnett, forward, Missouri, USA

41 Thomas Robinson, forward, Kansas, USA

Head coach: Blake Ahearn

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