The San Antonio Spurs cemented their key rotation in free agency, adding Tobias Harris from the Detroit Pistons on a two-year, $31 million contract. Alongside Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant, and Harrison Barnes, the wing core is finished.
But there is still work to do.
Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper will be staggered as lead ball-handlers next season, but beyond that trio, the Spurs don’t have any options. Sure, they could re-sign Lindy Waters III or Jordan McLaughlin to round out their bench, but then their backs will be up against a wall when it comes to the frontcourt.
After totally disappearing in the postseason, the Spurs wouldn’t be remiss if they added another center behind Luke Kornet. Bismack Biyombo, Kelly Olynyk, and Mason Plumlee are all fine options, but in the very real event that Victor Wembanyama misses a game here or there, the Spurs need someone who can handle 15 meaningful minutes.
After one (lackluster) Summer League outing, the Spurs might not have to pick between shoring up the frontcourt or shoring up the backcourt. The choice has been made for them.
Second-Round Pick Shines for Spurs in Summer League
Standing at an alleged six feet, Ja’Kobi Gillespie is usually the smallest player on the court. Drafted 42nd overall out of Tennessee, he has signed a two-way contract with the Spurs.
That’s not a role he might have for very long.
The Spurs still have two roster spots open, and in his Summer League debut against the Miami Heat, Gillespie finished with ten points and eight assists. You can’t invest too much into the Summer League, but he did go 3-for-17 from the floor. Granted, in college, he averaged 18.4 points per game, so the shots should start to fall.
It was the playmaking that stood out.
With the Volunteers, he averaged a solid 5.4 assists per game but usually looked to get his own shot off. He is far from NBA stardom, but if he’s able to create for himself and others, there should be a spot on the end of the bench for him in San Antonio, not in Austin.
“I’ve always been the smallest, so I honestly don’t feel like the smallest on the court anymore when I’m playing, but it’s definitely an adjustment from college to the NBA for sure,” Gillespie said after his first Summer League game. “I’m just trying to keep learning, learning the system, learning how I can help the team win, honestly, just figuring out how to get to my spots and just get everybody involved to help the team.”
Gillespie, if his contract is converted to a standard one, would make the NBA minimum, giving the Spurs ample cap space to make a run at veteran free agents like Kevon Looney or Kevin Love.
Those are guys who can play, giving the Spurs a starting lineup of Fox, Castle, Vassell, Harris, and Wemby. Champagnie, Harper, Johnson, Kornet, Barnes, and eventually Jayden Quaintance would come off the bench.
Gillespie, a free agent center, Tarris Reed, and some other pieces would round out garbage time, with Center TBD stepping up in spot minutes as needed.
For the Spurs, they had a choice. It’s since been made for them.
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