The San Antonio Spurs are expected to be a major player this offseason. After losing the NBA Finals, it’s clear that they need a traditional power forward to bang down low while Victor Wembanyama spaces the floor.
There are so many ways the Spurs could add one. They have the 20th pick in the NBA Draft. They have ample trade assets. And they have cap space to play with.
If anything, they’ll be spoiled for choice. Names like Aaron Gordon, John Collins, Rui Hachimura, Yaxel Lendeborg, Karim Lopez, Morez Johnson, PJ Washington, and even Kawhi Leonard have been floated already.
And that’s just players who are somewhat reasonable to add. Even more might try to force their way to San Antonio.
Everyone Wants to Be a Spur
We saw it with Kevin Durant last offseason, when he listed the Spurs as an ideal landing spot. De’Aaron Fox demanded a trade from the Kings, listing San Antonio as the only acceptable destination.
And it’s just getting started.
“The opportunity to play alongside Wembanyama, the franchise’s success, its culture and collective youth make San Antonio a preferred destination, sources said, adding that multiple big men are already trying to get to south Texas,” wrote ESPN’s Michael Wright.
Top players are seeing the same thing as the most optimistic fans: the league belongs to Wembanyama, and the best place to be is on his team.
Of course, it helps that the Spurs have plenty of cap room and could overpay a frontcourt player. There is a financial catch, but the real prize for any would-be teammates is legacy building.
Would you rather average 15 points on a bad team, or collect a fistful of rings with a smaller role?
Put differently: would you rather have a career like Ron Harper and Kurt Rambis or CJ McCollum and Lauri Markkanen? The latter put up bigger numbers, but the former got to raise banners.
For players who already got their second NBA contract, secured wealth for their families, and don’t have much individually left to prove, playing 18 quality minutes in the Silver and Black beats being the second-leading scorer on a team like Brooklyn or Washington.
The NBA is in an era of unprecedented parity, but with the Thunder and Spurs coming out of the West every year, upcoming free agents know that the real pickins’ to be competitive are quickly dwindling.
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