The San Antonio Spurs are having a surprisingly strong offseason. San Antonio finished second-to-bottom in the Western Conference last season, going 22-60. This was despite Rookie of the Year winner and 2023 first overall choice Victor Wembanyama exceeding his lofty expectations. Despite another dismal season, several of their top players improved, notably Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan.
As the Spurs continue to rebuild, they have made some significant changes this summer that have steered the club in the right direction. First, they selected Stephon Castle in the 2024 NBA draft. By picking Castle, they gained one of the finest defenders in the class while also identifying their future point guard. In free agency, they signed Chris Paul, an experienced point guard who will be able to teach Castle and the rest of the squad while also coaching on the court. In addition to DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio acquired Harrison Barnes from the Sacramento Kings as part of a sign-and-trade agreement. Barnes, a past champion, adds another experienced player to one of the NBA’s youngest teams
Keldon Johnson appears to be the odd one out among the Spurs’ prior first-round choices who remain on the roster. Johnson was selected 29th overall by San Antonio in the 2019 NBA Draft, and he has spent the most of his career as the Spurs’ starting forward. This changed last season, however. Last season, Johnson started only 27 games for the Spurs before being benched in favor of Julian Champagnie. Johnson was still a strong option off the bench, averaging 15.7 points per game and playing excellent defense, but he did not mesh well with Wembanyama.
The Spurs are similarly stuck at the forward position. This is because they traded for Barnes while already having Johnson, Sochan, Champagnie, Sidy Cissoko, and Harrison Ingram on the roster. Johnson might get even less minutes next season as the Spurs try to give their second-round choice from last season, Cissoko, more playing time. With Johnson presumably seeking to start, San Antonio may be better off trading the 24-year-old before the start of next season.
While Johnson played the fewest minutes on the floor since his second season in the NBA last year, he remained a viable option off the bench. He is only 24 years old and can play either forward position owing to his 6-5 stature. Johnson still has three seasons left on his deal, which will pay him $19.0 million next season and $17.5 million in both 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.
With a reasonable deal, there should be teams interested in bringing Johnson in, either as part of a transaction that nets the Spurs another star or just as a trade for extra draft money. He is a consistent scorer and excellent defender who should continue to improve his outside shooting. If another team is searching for a young forward, contact the Spurs before next season’s trade deadline.
Zach Collins, another Spur, may be on his way out of San Antonio. Collins struggled to shoot past season, having his lowest field goal and three-point percentages since joining the Spurs in the 2021 summer. He also didn’t fit well next to Wembanyama when Gregg Popovich tried to play both of them in the frontcourt with Sochan at point guard. Collins was eventually benched after starting 29 games. Collins played in 69 games last season, which was his second-highest total in his career. He has had injury issues throughout his six-year career, but he has played 60 or more games in consecutive seasons with San Antonio.
Collins is the Spurs’ lone backup center after the team gave up the rights to Charles Bassey and Sandro Mamukelashvili in order to trade for Barnes. That implies that if the Spurs deal him, it will most likely be to get another center. Collins is still only 26 years old and should pique the curiosity of teams throughout the league.
The former 10th overall selection is a consistent scorer who can play as a 6-11 center or power forward. He has demonstrated a reasonable ability to make three-pointers. Collins is not the finest defender, but he can add a defensive spark in specific scenarios. He still has two seasons left on his deal, which will pay him a total of $34.7 million. While the Spurs may consider trading Collins, they should not anticipate a huge return if they do it alone, given his extensive injury history. He is still worth the risk for a competitive club, particularly one that has to add another big man to its rotation.
With the additions of Castle and Paul this summer, Blake Wesley might be another player on the way out of San Antonio. The 25th selection in the 2022 NBA Draft has not gotten much playing time in his first two seasons in the league. He has appeared in 98 games over the course of two seasons, averaging 15.8 minutes per game. With two new guards joining the squad and Malaki Branham being the more favorable of the Spurs’ 2022 first-round choices, Wesley is unlikely to get much playing time next season.
Wesley is still only 21 years old, but with the extra guard depth, the Spurs may have to trade him before next season. He is a decent scorer who still has to improve his three-point shooting. Wesley is primarily recognized for his defense. Wesley was one of the Spurs’ greatest defenders in his limited playing time last season. Regardless, he should get even less playing time next season.
Because of his age and contract, he should pique the curiosity of other teams. He has two years remaining on his rookie contract, which includes a team option for both seasons. Wesley still has a lot of promise, but he needs more playing time than he is getting in San Antonio to grow into a stronger player.
Despite the fact that the Spurs are still rebuilding, they have made progress this offseason. They picked Castle and added two seasoned players, Paul and Barnes, which could lead to more wins for the squad next season. San Antonio is looking to return to their winning ways, and they do have some components that they may sell before next season’s trade deadline to get another star or more future draft capital.
