It’s draft week! In an era unfamiliar to Spurs fans, San Antonio finished 33-39 in the 2020-2021 season, and a play-in loss to Memphis marked the first time in their 45 year history in the NBA the Spurs failed to make the playoffs in consecutive seasons. The Kawhi-less era in San Antonio has yet to pan out, however there is plenty of reason for optimism going forward. With a deep draft approaching, San Antonio will have the opportunity to add another key piece to the core of their future. The Spurs also have an abundance of cap space in a year that only seven other teams are projected to be under the cap. There are plenty of directions the Silver and Black will go, which should have fans excited about a young team going forward. With that being said, let’s check out a breakdown of how San Antonio is set up entering the offseason, as well as potential additions that could ease this transition.

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Key upcoming dates: 

Thurs. July 29th at 7pm- NBA Draft (currently hold the 12th and 41st picks)

Mon. August 6th at 5pm- Free Agency Negotiations begin

Cap Situation: $48.9 million in projected cap space (2nd most)

Players under contract: 9 

Derrick White (through 2025)

Dejounte Murray (through 2024)

Jakob Poeltl (through 2023)

Lonnie Walker IV (through 2022, RFA next offseason)

Luka Samanic (through 2023)

Devin Vassell (through 2024)

Keldon Johnson (through 2023)

Drew Eubanks (through 2023)

Tre Jones (through 2023)

Dead Money:

DeMarre Carroll- $1.2 million 

Unrestricted Free Agents:

DeMar DeRozan

Rudy Gay

Patty Mills

Trey Lyles

Gorgei Dieng

Potential trade assets: 

Derrick White 

Luka Samanic

Presumable untouchables:

Dejounte Murray 

Keldon Johnson

Devin Vassell

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DRAFT:

There are rumors San Antonio is looking to move into the top 10 of the draft. I would assume it would be to target a forward in the 7-9 range if there to were to be a trade. 

Jonathan Kuminga is a forward that was once thought to be a top 5 pick but has slipped a tad. He is a 6’8 forward that is a high volume scorer and has the length to defend. He was incredibly inconsistent as a shooter in the G-League (shot 24% from 3 on 5.0 attempts per game, and 62% from the free throw line), but he was only 18 playing in a developmental pro league. People love his potential but he is raw.

Jalen Johnson has been my most ideal pick for SA. A 6’8 power forward that can defend and run the floor very well. Was not a volume scorer but somewhat efficient with what he did shoot (52% from the field, 44.4% from 3 on 1.4 attempts per game). He can contribute without the ball in his hands and does not need plays drawn up to score. He does however have a limited offensive iso game. Scouts are all over the board on him. He has ranged from 8th all the way to 18th in mock drafts. He is the ideal guy to eventually take over the Power Forward spot and he will have the opportunity to compete for minutes off the bench early depending on how San Antonio treats Free Agency.

If they do not trade up and Jalen is selected before, Josh Giddey, Corey Kispert, and Alperen Sengun are all very different players but all guys who can enter the rotation with 2 years. Giddey is a taller Ricky Rubio. Led the league in assists as an 18 year old in the Australian league. Sengun was the MVP of the Turkish League at 18. He has a plethora of offensive moves and will be a big spark off the bench in a few years. He is the least NBA ready of the prospects mentioned, however. Corey Kispert was the 2nd leading scorer on a dominant Gonzaga team (18.6 PPG). He has 50-40-90 potential (shot 53-44-88 last season). He is an off ball player and doesn’t create his own shot but he has Kyle Korver-like potential as a contributor. Cameron Johnson’s early success shows that reaching on an older (22 years old) player that can shoot can still pay dividends late in the lottery. 

Free Agency: 

I personally do not expect to see DeMar or Rudy Gay back. Both will garner attention from contenders and San Antonio would be better off giving the reigns to the youth movement. It would hurt my soul to see Patty Mills go, but I would love to see him compete on a contender as well. Keeping Dejounte, Lonnie and Derrick severely limits his opportunities on the floor. A sign-and-trade should not be ruled out for any of these three but DeRozan will likely be the only one that could return any sort of value. 

Free Agent Targets: 

For the first time that I can remember, San Antonio actually has enough cap space to sign multiple impact players. They have the 2nd-most projected cap space, though this is a year where not many superstars are available as an unrestricted free agent. Kawhi can opt out, but there will not be a reunion between the two until his Jersey retirement ceremony in 8-10 years. 

Other than that, there are no superstars available. In terms of valuable young role players, there are plenty of guys San Antonio can bring in to fill voids.

1. PF John Collins (RFA) – He is the top of the food chain. He was the 2nd best player on a Hawks team that made it to the Conference Finals. Very young (23) and athletic, San Antonio could use another guy who can get a bucket on his own. They are one of the only teams that could offer him a max deal (projected 4yrs, $125 million). Atlanta has the opportunity to match, and they should, but that’s not a reason to go all out for the young Power Forward. Even paying a max salary leaves nearly $20 million on the table to use elsewhere. This is the guy to target. 

2. SG Duncan Robinson (RFA)- Full disclosure, I would be disappointed if a guy that dons the two most famous Spurs as his first and last name does not play for San Antonio at some point in his career. Nevertheless, Robinson one of the best catch and shoot players in the entire NBA. Very limited in what he does, but he is elite at his one true strength. With Tyler Herro eventually looking to take over the two guard for Miami, it seems as though Robinson could be the odd man out with Bam Adebayo soon needing a well-deserved max extension. The Spurs over the last three seasons have taken the fewest attempts in the entire NBA. While White is a capable shooter and Walker IV can occasionally get streaky, San Antonio will have zero three point threats should Patty Mills walk in free agency. Woj reported in may that Robinson could get up to $20 million a year this offseason. Even if San Antonio were to land John Collins, they will still likely have enough room to make an offer to Robinson. Of course Miami will have the opportunity to match, however the 2020 Eastern Conference champions will likely benefit more spending that money on quality veterans to keep up with the elite teams in the East rather than max out their cap with there current roster. Services for Robinson could end up a bidding war, but if you have the money to spend, go for it! 

3. PF Lauri Markkanen (RFA)- Another young Power Forward, though this RFA will likely not be returning to Chicago. He was lost in the rotation after the trade for Vucevic and eventually fell out of favor with the Bulls. That doesn’t mean he cannot rejuvenate his career elsewhere. He is a legit 7 Footer that can stretch the floor to the three point line, while also being an excellent FT shooter (84.5% for his career). The value of Markkanen could surprisingly be higher than that of Collins, due to the unlikelihood that he will command a big contract this offseason. It’s less cap restricting, but offensively provides a big that can score from anywhere on the court. He could legitimately average 16-20 PPG as a number two or three option, and will spread the floor to allow San Antonio’s young guards to run wild. Value-wise this could very well be the best under-the-radar signing the Spurs could make.

4. C Montrezl Harrell (Player Option)- Well, the Lakers deal did not pan out for the 2020 sixth man of the year. Harrell could not find his rhythm in the crowded LA front court and was out of the rotation all together come playoff time. That doesn’t mean he played bad, but it does mean that he was not in the right situation to succeed. San Antonio will likely be losing their top 2 scorers off the bench in Free Agency and will need to replace that volume with someone who can play with energy and make plays offensively. Poeltl came along nicely as a defender last season, but he has little to no offensive game in his repertoire. Harrell is the exact opposite of Poeltl. An undersized center that can clean up the glass and score when you need a bucket. A 1-2 punch between the two could see each player split minutes evenly and allow Popovich to use a hot hand approach when closing games. Harrell will need to opt out, but I would assume after a down year, he might be a player in need of a prove it deal in order to potentially earn a long term deal this time next year. 

5. PG T.J. McConnell (UFA)- Full disclosure, I absolutely love this guy. McConnell finished with career highs across the board this season, and led the league in total steals (128) coming off the bench. He’s an energizer bunny that gets others others involved (6.6 APG; 14th in NBA) while also being able to get buckets on occasion. He’s a Spursy guy that doesn’t need a play called for him to be efficient. He would instantly become San Antonio’s 2nd ball handler and would take pressure off of Derrick White, who struggled being the PG with the second unit in the games he did manage to play last season. With the elite teams likely to fight over Paul, Conley, and Lowry, McConnell is the overlooked consolation prize that ultimately might be the best fit for a team in transition such as San Antonio.