The San Antonio Spurs, for the most part, have had an excellent offseason. Both Harrison Barnes and Julian Champagnie were re-signed to team-friendly contracts, and they added Tobias Harris.
In the draft, they swung big, selecting the injured Jayden Quaintance. Then they traded up into the first round to nab Tarris Reed.
And, most notably, Victor Wembanyama took a $50 million pay cut on his rookie extension. That ensures that the team will have long-term financial flexibility.
Even if Quaintance struggles to get healthy, and even with De’Aaron Fox still on the team, the Spurs are considered “offseason winners.” However, one smaller move is getting some attention, and not for the right reasons.
Spurs Re-Signing Veteran Guard Met With Pushback
While it flew under the radar, the Spurs opted to re-sign Jordan McLaughlin to a one-year, $3.3 million deal.
McLaughlin came to the Spurs in the trade that landed them Fox. He has signed two budget contracts with them since. Last season, in limited action, he averaged two points and 0.9 assists per game, almost exclusively in garbage time.
McLaughlin doesn’t seem like the type of player to punch the Spurs over the top, but behind Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle, the Spurs don’t have much guard depth. McLaughlin is a perfectly capable depth piece, and in a pinch, the Spurs can rely on him to bring the ball up the court and knock down some shots.
Still, not everyone is convinced.
“The McLaughlin deal, I don’t get it because I think one of the issues they had in the playoffs was that we saw just too many old guys that weren’t going to play for them,” summed up Dave DuFour on The Athletic NBA Daily. “McLaughlin did play for them, but it was not on purpose. And I think that maybe they would want to get rid of one of those old centers that was occupying space on the end of the bench. But I at least can understand you keeping him around for another year because he was fine for him,
The “old guys” were all centers: Mason Plumlee, Bismack Biyombo, and Kelly Olynyk. Backup guards like McLaughlin and Lindy Waters III also didn’t play much, but that is to be expected in the postseason, when rotations are tighter.
The Spurs, like any NBA team, can’t have 15 starter-worthy players on the roster. They need to have depth pieces, and at the end of the bench, the pickings are slim. McLaughlin is a proven veteran. He doesn’t ask for minutes, and he has postseason experience.
For six minutes a game, that’s really all the Spurs need.
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