The day the NBA’s July moratorium ended, the Spurs made a transfer. San Antonio used its cap area to facilitate a commerce that despatched DeMar DeRozan to the Kings and acquired Harrison Barnes and a 2031 unprotected decide swap for his or her troubles.
The commerce doesn’t alter the path of the rebuild and may not end in many extra wins in itself, however it does show that the Spurs’ often-beleaguered entrance workplace not solely has a plan for the long run but in addition the current.
We’ll get to what Harrison Barnes can do for the Spurs, however first let’s take a look at how they acquired him. There have been stories about San Antonio being a possible vacation spot for DeRozan, however it all the time felt extra seemingly that they’d use their instruments to facilitate sign-and-trades as a substitute of arranging them themselves. The entrance workplace carved out potential cap room by buying and selling the eighth decide and was cautious to supply Chris Paul a contract that would match into their cap area and the mid-level exception to function as both an under-the-cap group or an over-the-cap group. Because of this, that they had the chance to retain free brokers or pounce on a possibility to get fast assist or a draft asset. They pulled off the latter, securing a rotation ahead who ought to assist in the now whereas additionally getting a future swap that would repay sooner or later. Endurance and cap flexibility are the very best mates of rebuilding groups and Brian Wright is aware of it.
By now most individuals notice that the Spurs know what they’re doing with this rebuild, however most if not all their strikes have been geared towards the lengthy view. Avoiding albatross contracts and getting decide swaps is nice, however the product on the ground had not been good, even when that includes the very best prospect in a long time. This offseason’s strikes, nevertheless, present that San Antonio is prepared for part two. Getting Chris Paul, even this late in his profession, to mentor Stephon Fort and produce order to an offense that usually lacked it was an excellent transfer. However the Silver and Black nonetheless wanted one other shooter with dimension to exchange and hopefully enhance upon the duo of Cedi Osman and Doug McDermott. By getting Barnes, the entrance workplace completed that elegantly and effectively.
Barnes just isn’t going to be the distinction between the lottery and the playoffs, however he’s a fantastic match for the 2024/25 Spurs. He might slot completely subsequent to Jeremy Sochan on the ahead spots, offering useful outdoors taking pictures after connecting 39 % of his outdoors pictures in Sacramento final season. Sochan, in flip, might assist cowl up a few of the decline Barnes has skilled on the defensive finish. The duo can swap between who’s the perimeter-oriented one on offense and protection, with Barnes taking over larger forwards whereas additionally spacing the ground. The previous Warriors’ lottery decide transitioned into turning into a low-usage participant since turning into a King, so he gained’t take away many touches from others, however he can punish a mismatch. There’s quite a bit to love about his addition.
The principle concern with bringing in veterans to a younger group could be splitting the timeline, because the Spurs discovered in the course of the DeRozan period, however proper now San Antonio is in a novel place to have the ability to juggle enhancing now whereas not compromising the final word upside of its roster. Even when this group wins, say, 37 video games and lands a late lottery decide, the franchise ought to have a minimum of another 2025 choice because of the Dejounte Murray to Atlanta commerce. Different further picks would possibly convey they usually have a number of swaps that would repay, together with second-rounders that could possibly be used to get out of any contract. The Spurs didn’t waste the final two years hoping for stars to fall of their lap however as a substitute constructed safeguards in order that they might attempt to be good within the quick time period whereas retaining the power to be nice sooner or later.
Paul and now Barnes will not be the flashiest of win-now strikes, however they characterize a shift for a Spurs group that was comfortable to lose to get Victor Wembanyama and prepared to experiment to see what that they had final yr. After what was at instances a painful efficiency within the 2023/24 season, San Antonio has constructed a strong rotation with out taking over long-term contracts or sending out first-rounders. Their ceiling proper now might be the play-in, however that’s not a nasty place to be for a group that gained a mixed 44 video games within the final two seasons and nonetheless has the property to draft or purchase a star.
The Spurs are nonetheless in the course of their rebuild. The league doesn’t give out banners for good offseasons. Till San Antonio is a contender, the job gained’t be finished and the worst factor the entrance workplace might do is get complacent after making intelligent however small strikes.
Sooner or later, nevertheless, good work ought to be rewarded. A entrance workplace that had misplaced the good thing about the doubt earlier than the start of the rebuild has now greater than earned it again.
