Coming into the 2024 offseason, the San Antonio Spurs have been trying so as to add veteran expertise that may shoot, cross and defend. On the primary day of free company, they signed Chris Paul to an $11 million, 1-year deal. Over the weekend, the Spurs made a commerce to accumulate a veteran swingman, Harrison Barnes, and a 2031 unprotected choose swap from the Sacramento Kings. In simply two strikes, San Antonio addressed holes of their roster and surrounded Victor Wembanyama and the remainder of the younger core with veteran management.
There may be nonetheless loads of work to be accomplished to make these strikes work financially. In response to Spotrac, the Spurs are $26.5 million over the wage cap with the reported contracts of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes ($19.8M). In response to Paul Garcia, author of The Spot Up Shot, San Antonio should surrender the cap holds of Cedi Osman and Dominick Barlow to open up $21.1 million in cap house, permitting them high take up Barnes’ wage. They’d then have $1.2 million in caps house to signal Paul, which in case you’re dangerous at math like me, shouldn’t be greater than the $11 million contract he agreed to.
If the Spurs pull the qualifying affords from Sandro Mamukelashvili and David Duke Jr., whereas additionally waiving Julian Champagnie and Charles Bassey from their non-guaranteed contracts, they’ll open $10.2 million in cap house to signal Paul. As a way to get to the $11 million quantity, San Antonio would seemingly want to maneuver Blake Wesley or Malaki Branham with out receiving any contracts within the potential deal.
Okay, that’s rather a lot to digest. To place it in easy phrases, San Antonio must clear the books to make the Barnes and Paul offers work. Which suggests they’ll seemingly must rescind affords to again of the rotation gamers and waive non-guaranteed offers. That doesn’t imply we received’t see Champagnie, Mamu and Bassey on the Spurs subsequent season.
If the Spurs clear the cap house for his or her two new veterans, they’ll nonetheless have the $7.9 million mid-level exception they’ll use to signal a participant whereas going over the wage cap. So San Antonio might waive Champagnie, who began 59 video games and shot 36.5% from deep final season, and signal him utilizing the mid-level exception. They will additionally use veteran minimal offers to fill out the roster whereas going over the cap. The Spurs will be capable of use the second-round choose exception to signal Harrison Ingram to a deal as effectively.
If the Spurs clear cap house and signal Paul, Barnes and Ingram, they’ll have 13 gamers on the roster. An NBA roster can legally match 15 gamers on the group, plus three two-way contract slots (presently stuffed by Jamaree Bouyea and RaiQuan Grey). With the mid-level exception and roster spots to fill, the Spurs nonetheless have strikes to make this summer season.
They will additionally nonetheless make a splashy commerce. As a result of Barnes contract will probably be absorbed into the Spurs cap room, there aren’t any restrictions on buying and selling him. In different phrases, if San Antonio remains to be in on Utah Jazz ahead, Lauri Markkanen, they’ll commerce Barnes’ contract to the Jazz to match cash. Insert eyeball emoji.
If Spurs normal supervisor, Brian Wright isn’t in a position to work out a take care of the Jazz, Barnes will make for a key addition to the group. He and Paul will seemingly begin immediately, supplementing Wembanyama, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan within the beginning 5. Tre Jones can comfortably transfer right into a bench position the place he’ll be part of Keldon Johnson and Zach Collins. It’s onerous to think about that the Spurs first-round choose, Stephon Citadel, received’t play a task as effectively. With no further strikes, a transparent (and competent) nine-man rotation has emerged for San Antonio. That bench unit might seemingly use one other shooter with some dimension to protect greater wings. Champagnie coming again on the mid-level might assist fill that position, or the Spurs might look to exterior free brokers to accumulate one other veteran.
Trying ahead, the Spurs draft cache has solely gotten bigger this offseason. Wright concurrently acquired two veterans who can enhance the Spurs present possibilities at successful, whereas buying an unprotected first rounder and two unprotected choose swaps. All he had to surrender was Devonte’ Graham, the eighth choose within the draft and a 2025 second spherical choose. The Spurs now have 13 first spherical picks and three choose swaps (together with the very best of three groups in 2031) within the subsequent 6 drafts.
So much has modified for San Antonio in the previous few weeks. Nonetheless, there are extra strikes that may be made earlier than the ultimate roster takes form. Backside line, the Spurs bought higher this summer season whereas sustaining the belongings vital to accumulate top-level expertise down the highway.
