It seems like we’ve stated this each offseason of the Victor Wembanyama period, however this summer season is an enormous one for the San Antonio Spurs. After the midseason De’Aaron Fox commerce, the Spurs have made a transparent step towards competition. With two lottery picks and loads of commerce property, San Antonio has an actual alternative to show this roster into one able to making the playoffs subsequent season. They’ve some large choices forward of them to take action.
The choices they make this summer season might lay the groundwork for what the Spurs appear to be for years to come back. Contract extensions loom giant, a brand new core participant or two might be added within the draft, and this summer season looks like it might be headlined by a couple of NBA stars hitting the commerce market. These are the most important choices San Antonio has to make this offseason.
De’Aaron Fox and Jeremy Sochan’s contract extensions
Two of the Spurs’ key gamers are extension-eligible this offseason. The newly acquired Fox might ink a 4-year, $229 million contract extension. Fox has expressed curiosity in re-upping with the Spurs, and it’s unlikely San Antonio would have pulled the set off on a commerce with out the intention to signal him long-term. The query is, will it’s a max extension?
A number of NBA stars have taken lower than the max to provide their groups long-term monetary flexibility. Giannis Antetokounmpo did it in 2023 by not ready for the supermax, Jalen Brunson took much less for the Knicks, and the Clippers obtained Kawhi Leonard on a reduction extension. Fox is a franchise-changing participant and a really perfect operating mate for Wembanyama, however is he a max participant in a league stuffed with groups hamstrung by the second wage cap apron? Signing him to a max contract will financially limit the Spurs in the long term.
In the meantime, Jeremy Sochan is eligible for the rookie-scale extension this summer season. The previous Ninth-overall choose is coming off a season the place he shot a career-high 53.5% from the sector on a gentle food plan of photographs across the rim, averaging 11.4 factors and 6.5 rebounds whereas enjoying good protection. He seemed like an improved participant regardless of enjoying an inconsistent function and solely showing in 54 video games because of nagging accidents.
Sochan has good chemistry with Wembanyama, and discovering good wing defenders is difficult to come back by. Nonetheless, his lack of taking pictures clogs the paint when he’s on the ground, which is lower than excellent for a group constructing round Wemby, Fox, and Stephon Fortress. Which will harm him in contract negotiations. Devin Vassell signed a rookie-scale extension that earns him $27 million a yr. You might inform me Sochan’s deal nets him anyplace from $15-$20M per yr, and I wouldn’t be stunned.
If Sochan and the Spurs don’t conform to an extension, he’ll develop into a restricted free agent in the summertime of 2026. Whether or not or not he indicators an extension this summer season might point out how San Antonio feels about his match with the group long run.
Who would be the head coach?
In a really perfect world, Gregg Popovich can be fully wholesome and return to the helm of the Spurs. After one other well being scare this week, that appears to be much less and fewer possible. There’s a main query mark on the head coach place for San Antonio.
Mitch Johnson was put in a troublesome place as performing head coach to complete the season. He handled an imperfect roster and a handful of premature accidents. It’s fairly laborious to guage whether or not or not he’s a great NBA head coach. That stated, there are a LOT of stable coaches on the open market.
Mike Malone, Taylor Jenkins, and Mike Budenholzer all have Spurs lineage. Two of them have received NBA championships as a head coach, and Jenkins was top-of-the-line expertise builders within the league with the Memphis Grizzlies. If the Spurs have a gap this summer season, they are going to possible be essentially the most engaging job within the NBA with Wembanyama main the way in which.
The NBA Draft
The Spurs have carried out fairly nicely for themselves within the draft just lately. Wembanyama was a no brainer at number-one, Stephon Fortress will possible be the rookie of the yr, and so they’ve developed stable function gamers like Sochan and Vassell. San Antonio can have the possibility to seize two extra younger gamers in a proficient 2025 draft class.
San Antonio holds a 6% probability at touchdown the number-one choose and a 26.3% probability at a top-four choice. They’ll most probably choose eighth total, and in addition personal the Atlanta Hawks’ choose, which is slated to be 14th (3.4% probability at top-4, .7% probability at primary).
The 2025 Draft is top-heavy. The primary 4 gamers chosen all have All-Star upside. It falls off a bit after that. Nonetheless, the Spurs might seize a long-term starter with both of their first-round alternatives. Or, they might determine to bundle these picks and purchase a participant through commerce, making a step towards contending proper now.
They might use extra shooters, large males, and gamers able to scoring off the bench. Within the 8-15 vary, the Spurs might seize gamers like Kon Knueppel, Rasheer Fleming, Liam McNeeley, Derik Queen, Khaman Maluach, Collin Murray-Boyles, or Asa Newell – all gamers that might fill a necessity.
Huge recreation searching
The motion of big-time expertise will possible outline this offseason. The Milwaukee Bucks might be headed for a first-round exit. The Phoenix Suns are a large number. The Atlanta Hawks missed the playoffs after shedding two Play-In video games. There’s a probability superstars like Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Trae Younger are on the commerce market. The Spurs have the property and contracts to make an enormous splash.
San Antonio’s involvement within the star commerce market is probably going the most important indicator of how the group feels concerning the present roster. A Durant commerce makes some sense in the event that they suppose they’re able to go on a playoff run proper now. The large three of Wembanyama, Fox, and one other star can be one of many extra thrilling collections of expertise within the league.
A blockbuster commerce would possible price them future draft property and possibly one or two items of the long-term core. It could appear Fortress is off the desk, so Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Sochan are the group’s finest commerce property. San Antonio’s entrance workplace might want to determine whether or not it needs to mortgage a few of their long-term items for a shorter-term improve.
