The Spurs offseason showed they are not skipping steps

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The Spurs continue to build patiently on their way to #6

From Coach Gregg Popovich, to General Manager Brian Wright and the Face of the Franchise Victor Wembanyama, all Spurs fans have heard for the past 365 days is that ‘no steps will be skipped’ in building the once dynastic franchise back into an NBA powerhouse. If last offseason was about the arrival of The Alien, then this offseason was about adding astrobiologists to help grow and develop the extraterrestrial.

After a long 2023-24 season where the San Antonio Spurs saw many more losses than wins, the 5-time NBA Champions will now look to build closer to a sixth ring in franchise history. A season of development saw the “greatest prospect in the history of team sports” somehow exceed expectations and thrive in his first year in the NBA; winning Rookie of the Year and placing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Wembanyama now comes into his sophomore season as a known entity and inarguably one of the 10-15 best players in the entire league. Still, with lots to work on and a summer staring for France in a home Olympics, Wemby could easily take another leap in his development and single-handedly pull the Spurs up the standings. They took a patient approach last summer, choosing to not add many vets around him in year 1 and giving the other Spurs young players a chance to prove they belong in San Antonio for the long-term.

Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan (once he moved back to his natural position) were two players who took full advantage of the added responsibility as they flourished alongside the French phenom. Vassell and Wemby combined for a potent pick-and-roll tandem while Sochan shined as Wemby’s partner on the defensive end.

Now, over the past six weeks which included the draft and free agency, the Spurs roster has started to take shape. From new rookies, to future Hall-Of-Famers to championship winning vets, lets have a look at the moves Brian Wright and the front office have made:

NBA Draft

Stephon Castle #4
Juan Nunez #36 (Draft-and-stash, signed with Barcelona)
Harrison Ingram #48

Free Agency signings

Chris Paul — 1 year, $12 million
Sandro Mamukelashvilli — 1 year, $2.2 million (Re-sign)
Charles Bassey — 1 year, $2.2 million (Re-sign)
David Duke Jr. — Two-Way (Re-sign)

Trade Season

Harrison Barnes

Current Roster

Guards: Chris Paul, Tre Jones, Stephon Castle, Blake Wesley, Jamaree Bouyea (TW), David Duke Jr. (TW)

Wings: Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, Malaki Branham

Forwards: Jeremy Sochan, Sidy Cissoko, Harrison Ingram (TW)

Bigs: Victor Wembanyama, Zach Collins, Sandro Mamukelashvilli, Charles Bassey

The goal this summer was clearly to add adults into the room while continuing to prioritize the development of the young core. Both Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes will add experience to this locker room that it has not seen since the likes of DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge, whom many of the Spurs young players never played with.

CP3 and Barnes are still capable players on the court but are nowhere near their prime, which will allow Wemby, Vassell, Sochan, the rookie Stephon Castle and others to develop with ample opportunity, but now with the guidance of a few savvy, knowledgeable vets alongside them.

As we enter into the quiet period of the NBA calendar, where free agency has mostly dried up and training camp is yet to begin, the Silver & Black’s roster for the 2024-25 season looks set. Unlike last year, when the Spurs entered training camp with a number of roster spots up for grabs, this year the roster looks a lot more settled. They currently have all 15 guaranteed contracts and all three two-way spots filled.

In terms of their cap sheet, the Spurs sit $4.4M over the cap but a comfortable $25.8M under the luxury tax line, allowing them to make moves freely throughout the season without any sort of pressure of paying the tax. They still has access to the full Room Exception that is worth $7.9M and can use this to acquire a player(s) via free agency or trades throughout the year.