What happened to Charles Bassey? Exploring more about his injury amid Spurs’ Disabled Player Exception plea

In the 2021 NBA draft, Charles Bassey was selected as the 53rd pick by the Philadelphia 76ers before joining the San Antonio Spurs next year. On Tuesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Spurs "have applied for a Disabled Player Exception" on Bassey. This rule will allow them to sign a replacement player upon being given "additional spending flexibility," as per the NBA.

With that said, what happened to Charles Bassey? On Dec. 12, 2023, the San Antonio Spurs announced that the Nigerian would be sidelined for the rest of the 2023-24 season with a torn left anterior cruciate ligament. The Spurs center was playing in his second season in San Antonio.

In the 19 games he played this season, Charles Bassey averaged 3.3 points (72.5% shooting) and 4.0 rebounds under 10.8 minutes per game. His numbers saw a dip compared to his stats from the previous season. In 2022-23, he put up 5.7 points (64.4% shooting, including 37.5% from 3-point range) and 5.5 rebounds per game.

According to ESPN's Andrew Lopez, Bassey originally joined the Spurs with a two-way contract before landing a standard deal in February 2023.

Moreover, Spotrac reported that a DPE for Bassey amounts to $1.3 million. Front Office Show's Keith Smith also mentioned that the DPE "can be used through March 10" if granted.

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When did Charles Bassey get injured this season?

According to Lopez, Charles Bassey was playing with the San Antonio Spurs' G-League affiliate team, the Austin Spurs, when he suffered the ACL injury on Dec. 10, 2023.

During that game, he dropped 30 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and four blocks in 30 minutes of playing time.

Considering the team's injury concerns, acquiring another player to step up in Bassey's absence could bode well for the San Antonio Spurs. According to Ken 5's Jeff Garcia, Zach Collins will be out for two to four weeks with a sprained right ankle. Before his injury, the Spurs forward put up 12.9 points (49.5% shooting, including 31.2% from 3-point range) and 6.0 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, the Spurs' medical staff are taking a cautious approach when it comes to Victor Wembanyama's playing time. The Spurs could use a backup big man on the court to manage Wembanyama's minutes better.

As of now, the Spurs are 15th (5-27 record) in the Western Conference standings with a .156 winning percentage. The Spurs could use that DPE to acquire a decent backup center to finish this season.