Spurs sign Jabari Parker & Austin Rivers.

After dealing JaVale McGee, the Spurs reached the 2-week league exception limit of having less than 14 players on the roster, at a crossroads that luckily had been anticipated by R.C. Buford & Coach Popovich. While Skal Labissiere has done well in his second stint with the Spurs, there hasn't been the same level of output by Rodions Kurucs. P.J. Tucker has had to fill in behind Labissiere as a result, juggling both backup SF & PF roles for the team. Tucker has flourished this season, regardless, but this impasse set by the league gave the Spurs the opportunity to take fliers on some talents that other teams left by the wayside after the trade deadline.

The first joining San Antonio's championship run is Jabari Parker, the #2 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, who has bounced around the league after an ACL tear cut his rookie run short with the Bucks after just two months of playing time, during which Parker earned rookie of the month honors. It wasn't long until a second ACL tear further hampered his early career. Most recently, Sacramento cut ties with Parker. It's been a while since a "Parker" suited up the silver-and-black for San Antonio, so by name alone, Jabari has his work cut out for him. A career-high night with the Bucks of 36 points not too long ago, coupled with a solid philanthropic image off the court, earned Parker a spot on the team. His scoring ability and raw talent will hopefully translate into solid backup PF minutes and possibly some time at center, as Mike Muscala hasn't done his best work since McGee's departure. The signing will also allow Tucker to fully commit to the SF spot, as Kurucs will be given more playing time behind Fournier & Tucker as the third-string 3.

After languishing in New York despite a solid work ethic and well-mannered approach, Austin Rivers found himself traded to the OKC Thunder and next on the waiver wire. Coach Doc Rivers of the 76ers spoke up for his son in the past amid a rocky career, with Austin becoming a journeyman in most recent times, unable to find a home for long in the league. "He grew up wanting to play for the Spurs, so I'm hopeful," Coach Rivers noted after hearing the Spurs had signed his boy. Rivers has playoff experience in a game 7 series, possessing ball-handling capabilities and had a career-high 41 points with 7 threes. His defensive prowess has also kept him in the league, with the Spurs hoping it stays that way. Austin will be tasked with backing up Alex Caruso, who is expected to start some games as the season winds down, with additional openings at the 2 spot given Austin's perimeter defense to lighten the load for VanVleet and KCP.

"We were digging around for more help at the 1 & 2 behind our top guys, to ensure they don't get heavy legs heading toward our playoff run. We lucked out with Austin hitting the free agent market, and with [Jabari] Parker being available, so we feel good with what we got. Plus, we kind of had to," Popovich explained, ending with a playful nod to the league rule for 14-man minimum rosters. Parker will don #22, his old high-school jersey number, with Rivers rocking #25 as he's done for most of his career.