Who Is Josh Primo Signed and Waived by the Bulls? Everything to Know About the Former First-Round Pick

Josh Primo, a former lottery pick of the Spurs was recently picked up by the Chicago Bulls on a training camp deal. The Bulls signed him on an exhibit-10 contract. However, the deal only lasted 8 hours. Yes, you read that correctly. After just 8 hours in the Windy City, Josh was waived off by the Bulls. The 21-year-old is reportedly in rehab and is working on a comeback from his injury.

The Bulls knew Primo was dealing with an injury. He hurt his ankle last season and needed surgery, which he had during the offseason while rehabbing. According to reports, Josh is expected to continue his rehab with the Bulls G league affiliate the Windy City Bulls.

He was regarded as a five-star recruit, as per 247sports, during his high school days. Eventually, he went on to play well as a shooting guard for his college. Josh has not been able to live up to the expectations professionally that were set for him. We will take a closer look into his life as a player and where it went wrong.

High School Career

Josh Primo was born on December 24, 2002, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He went to Huntington Prep School, in Huntington, West Virginia. This was the first school he started playing basketball for. He then moved to Royal Crown Academic School in Scarborough, Toronto. Josh was a very good shooting guard in his high school days and was a promising player for the future. The chance soon came in as Josh reclassified to the class of 2020. He was considered a 5-star recruit and had multiple offers to choose from. He chose the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide as his home for the next few years.

College Career

After arriving in Alabama in his first year Josh Primo was the youngest player in college basketball. During the season he averaged 8.1 points and 3.4 rebounds, which were good enough to get him a spot in the All-Freshmen team of the Southeastern Conference. Following this he declared for the 2021 NBA Draft. He did this after putting on a strong performance in the NBA Draft Combine. After this, he would go on to become the 12th pick overall in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs.

Professional Career

San Antonio Spurs (2021-2023)

Josh Primo was the youngest player for the 2021 season after signing a deal with the San Antonio Spurs. He would go on to feature in 50 games for the franchise in his rookie season. He made his professional debut against Orlando Magic where he chipped three points in a 123-97 win for the Spurs. During this season he averaged 5.8 points and 2.3 rebounds.

He was waived off by the Spurs’ management according to reports, due to some off-court legal issue of indecent exposure which was later dismissed by the court due to lack of evidence.

Los Angeles Clippers (2023-24)

As a result of his waiving off due to a legal issue, Josh Primo was banned for 4 games without pay by the NBA. The Los Angeles Clippers at first signed Josh on a two-way contract which was later made a standard contract and he became part of the roster for the season. However, he went on to play only two games in the season and was later waived off yet again after just one season.

Indecent Exposure Allegations

During his time at the Spurs, Josh Primo was involved in a legal issue of indecent exposure to women. Just, a few games into the season he was waived off by the Spurs, and in a statement Spurs CEO said “It is our hope that, in the long run, this decision will serve the best interest of both the organization and Joshua.” The NBA investigation later found that “Primo engaged in inappropriate and offensive behavior by exposing himself to women.  Primo maintains that his conduct was not intentional, and the league did not find evidence that he engaged in any sexual or other misconduct apart from these brief exposures. Nevertheless, this behavior does not conform to league standards and warrants discipline.”

“I know that you all are surprised by today’s announcement,” Primo said in a statement to ESPN in 2022. “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.” District Attorney Joe Gonzales announced his office was declining charges of indecent exposure due to insufficient evidence.

Conclusion

Josh Primo’s basketball career is overshadowed by the indecent exposure case. It is not how anyone would have expected his career to turn out to be. The Chicago Bulls trying to give him a second shot at basketball. If he can turn this into a two-way contract it could prove to be instrumental for him.