Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle are among the best young players in the NBA, but the San Antonio Spurs’ timeline is firmly built around one player and one player only: Victor Wembanyama.
At this point, it’s clear that Harper and Castle are in line with Wemby’s growth, and the Spurs should readily invest in them like they would a superstar. It’s worth noting, though, that if either of them lagged behind last season, they’d be included in trade rumors.
That’s not to say that the Spurs are eager to press their foot on the gas and go all-in. They could have made a push for a win-now player like Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, or Giannis Antetokounmpo. Instead, they sacrificed short-term success for a lengthy title window.
Considering they just made the NBA Finals and usurped the OKC Thunder as the best team in the West, being patient wasn’t much of a sacrifice. Luckily for the Spurs, Wembanyama is on the same page about team building.
Spurs and Victor Wembanyama Are Looking Ahead
With a core of Wemby, Castle, Harper, De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Tobias Harris, and Julian Champagnie, the Spurs are expected to be right back in the Finals next season.
They’re coming off a 62-win campaign, and barring injury, that’s the lowest win total they should have for the next decade. Wemby hasn’t yet hit his prime, and with an intact young core, the Spurs should be shooting for the Golden State Warriors’ 73-win record.
To his credit, Wembanyama has already taken steps towards that long-term success, refusing to let money get in the way.
“San Antonio’s surprising run to the NBA Finals never obscured its long-term vision for building a sustainable competitor around Victor Wembanyama,” wrote ESPN’s Michael Wright. “Clearly, the Frenchman views the future similarly, considering he signed a 25% max extension worth $252 million instead of the available 30% supermax escalators that would’ve rocketed the contract to $303 million. Wembanyama did it to keep San Antonio’s talented young core together for as long as possible, with added flexibility to acquire needed supporting players.”
With an added $50 million available, the Spurs should have no problem extending both Harper and Castle and maintaining a solid core of role-players.
In the modern NBA, Big Threes like the Phoenix Suns have struggled, mostly due to the lackluster supporting cast afforded to them. Wembanyama and the Spurs saw those teams come up short and promised that the same fate wouldn’t befall them.
The Spurs could have built a surefire title frontrunner this offseason. Instead, though, they’d rather be in the picture for the next decade or more. Wembanyama did his part to make it happen. Now the rest of the team has to fall in line.
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