Spurs could’ve waited on the buyout, but pretty much everybody knows how 1st year players grab Spurs system - you need a year. So Lyles have a benefit of the Summer to train and the coaches to integrate his game. Pop don’t really do “on the fly.” Any buyout signings had been insurance players, not really seeing significant contribution. So Spurs has the intention to use Lyles not just an insurance. He could sub either PF/C. Or he could clean-up, depending on how hard he works. I’m rooting for the kid. 2 very good teams already gave up on him. He needs to hang on to his last opportunity with the best organization, or his career in the NBA could be very short and he’s only 23.
Lyles has been with two teams. Something went wrong in his second year both places. It shows up most in his shooting percentages, but also the fact that both teams got rid of him after the second years. Maybe it's at ude or immaturity, and he gets crossways with his coaches, I don't know. But his Per36 numbers show steady improvement in most things, except for FG%. If his shooting percentages were consistent, his stats would actually tell a pretty different story.
He's a weak rebounder for his size, but not to the point of being useless. And he's shot .380 from 3P in two different seasons. I think the whole thing comes down to whether he's willing to work and accept coaching. The Spurs are likely to ask more of him than anyone else has, just to see what he's made of. If he's smart enough to see it as an opportunity, he'll be a good pickup. If he doesn't, he'll be the first cut of the next offseason.