The San Antonio Spurs, after losing the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks, are already looking ahead to next season. Armed with the 20th pick in the NBA Draft, the Spurs are expected to add some win-now talent that fits their timeline, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll find a stud that late.
With Kelly Olynyk and Harrison Barnes off the books, the Spurs will have some money to spend this summer in free agency. Armed to the teeth with draft picks, the Spurs could pull off a trade, although it seems much more feasible that they will land a missing piece in free agency.
While there is a path for the Spurs to land LeBron James, it seems more feasible that they would target a different Los Angeles Lakers forward.
Spurs Linked to Rui Hachimura in Offseason Rumor
The Spurs are a well-rounded team, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t have areas where they need to improve.
3-point shooting and rebounding, especially when Victor Wembanyama is drawn out to the perimeter, are clear weaknesses that the Spurs must address. Outside of Wembanyama, the starting lineup lacks size, and adding a big body down low is a top priority.
Enter Rui Hachimura, an unrestricted free agent who just averaged 11.5 points per game on 44.3 percent shooting from deep. Granted, he only averaged 3.3 rebounds per game, but LeBron James and Luka Doncic both tend to crash the defensive boards, padding their stats.
Hachimura made $18.3 million this season in Los Angeles, and the Spurs should be able to make him a competitive offer.
“You are in terrific shape financially,” explained ESPN’s Bobby Marks. “You’re at $161000,000, luxury tax is $201,000,000. Look where you are apron-wise. You’re gonna be able to go out and use your non-tax mid-level exception. Hello, Rui Hachimura. That would be the guy I would want to target out there. Kind of a stretch forward that maybe can complement Victor. You can go a little bit bigger in size.”
Standing at 6-8 and weighing in at 230 pounds, Hachimura can hold his own down low on either end of the floor, allowing Wembanyama to roam the floor. On offense, should Julian Champagnie or Devin Vassell be relegated to the bench, Hachimura’s presence makes sure the Spurs don’t lose any of their shooting.
While he’s not the flashiest free agent name, he’s affordable and fits an area of need. Assuming the San Antonio Spurs don’t hit a home run in the draft, he’s not a bad consolation prize in the slightest.
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