Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley face an uphill battle to prove their worth to the Spurs

As San Antonio looks for reliable production in the next stage of the rebuild, upside alone might not be enough to keep the young guards safe for much longer.

After an experimental 2023/24 season, the Spurs are bringing a more practical roster into Victor Wemabanyama’s sophomore year. It’s not hard to come up with a viable 10-man rotation after a quick look at the players under guaranteed contracts, with everyone in familiar roles and positions.

Those who don’t have an obvious place, however, are now left in a precarious situation. As with every young team, there are players with a lot to prove, but some could have limited chances. Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham, who have been there from the start of the Spurs’ rebuild, could be in that group and unless something changes, their time in San Antonio might come to an end sooner than expected.

After two years, Wesley and Branham remain projects

The two guards got a chance to claim a spot as core players last season. As part of their experimentation, the Spurs tried to slot Branham at the starting point guard spot last season. The numbers (11 points, three rebounds and three assists per game in 13 starts with 36 percent outside shooting) were solid, but Branham’s defense wasn’t good, he committed untimely turnovers, hijacked a few possessions and his effort was lacking, leading to an early benching in his last outing as a starter, against the Grizzlies. He eventually played his way out of the doghouse and had some good performances, but couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity to become the reliable combo guard San Antonio needs.

With Branham losing minutes, Wesley got his chance to crack the rotation and made the most of it initially thanks to his point-of-attack defense and newfound aggression when attacking the rim. Unfortunately, the game didn’t really slow down for the athletic combo guard, who committed some unnecessary fouls and turnovers due to his intensity, and his complete lack of an outside shot led to opponents ignoring him. While useful in very specific ways and certain matchups, Welsey couldn’t show the well-rounded skill set needed to be a rotation player, as his limitations were exposed after opponents had enough time to scout him.

Both guards are still 21 years old, so it’s not surprising to see them still have serious weaknesses, but the worrisome factor is that their problems are the same as they had in college. Branham was characterized as a score-first guard with questionable court vision who didn’t play disruptive defense and had a low release on his three-point form. His main value was self-creation, but there were questions about how it would translate to the NBA. Wesley was considered a good on-ball defender who also showed promising anticipation jumping the passing lanes but was an atrocious decision-maker who couldn’t play off the ball on offense because of his terrible jumper. After two developmental years, they are essentially the same.

Third seasons are often when projects start to show progress but with Paul and Castle joining Tre Jones and Devin Vassell, minutes could be scarce for two players that at this point haven’t proved that they belong in the league. This is an issue because…

The Spurs can’t have unlimited patience if the goal is to be competitive

This summer the front office brought in Paul and drafted Castle, added young veterans Malachi Flynn and Brandon Boston Jr. to the fold on training camp deals and kept two guards on two-way contracts. The allocation of roster spots to guards suggests they might not fully trust Branham and Wesley, which would be concerning.

Normally former first-rounders in their rookie contracts wouldn’t have to worry about being waived, but there’s recent precedence for the Spurs cutting ties with a project to make room for a veteran who could contribute. Keita Bates-Diop was on a non-guaranteed deal in 2021 and outlasted Luka Samanic, selected with the 19th overall pick two years prior, on the roster for that upcoming season. It seems the decision-makers don’t hesitate to keep players they think can help but, more importantly, to part with the ones they think can’t, no matter their contract status or previous pedigree.

Now, it would be shocking to see either former first-round pick waived for guys who don’t represent a significant upgrade, especially on a team that is still in the middle of a rebuild. There were special circumstances that justified Samanic’s short stint in San Antonio that don’t apply to Wesley and Branham, and the Spurs have traditionally kept players on rookie deals until they expire, even if they spend a lot of time in Austin. But they will go into the season with the room mid-level exception to add someone if needed and they will have at least two first-round picks in the upcoming draft. If a guard gets injured and the Silver and Black are in the play-in hunt, will the front office trust Branham and Wesley to step up or look for a proven option? Losing youth during a rebuild would normally be unwise, but with a steady supply of future first-rounders, it’s justifiable if the idea is to speed up the return to relevance.

The Spurs have stated that they won’t skip steps, which means both Branham and Wesley should be safe for now. They are younger than several players who were drafted in the 2024 draft and Paul is not a long-term answer for obvious reasons. But the circumstances can change and the guards could be the ones who suffer if they do.

Not everyone is going to make it to the next good team and that’s fine

Wesley and Branham were good picks. Branham has already logged over 3,000 minutes wearing Silver and Black and Wesley has shown flashes of defensive potential and practical uses for his elite physical tools. They could have long NBA careers if they put it all together. But it might not happen in San Antonio if the Spurs have, as it seems, moved away from prioritizing development and toward putting together a competitive team.

Rebuilds are tricky because every draft pick is a potential franchise savior and letting go can be hard, but the reality is some of the players who have been around in recent years won’t be a part of the next great Spurs team. Branham and Wesley will likely have at least one more chance to make a case to make themselves part of the core, but if they can’t deliver, parting ways sooner than expected could be inevitable.