Before the start of the season, the San Antonio Spurs were expected to, perhaps, compete for a spot in the playoffs.
They lacked shooting, were inexperienced and their prized rookie, Dylan Harper, was just 19 years old, so surely he was not ready to contribute alongside Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
As we now know, this all turned out to be inaccurate.
Harper, who ended up averaging over 18 points per game in the NBA Finals, is a budding star, and the Spurs won 62 games during the regular season. They should be much more dangerous next year, when everyone has improved over an offseason with added experience.
Even if it means sacrificing De’Aaron Fox this summer, the pathway for Harper to reach stardom must be cleared. The sooner he and Castle can begin to share the backcourt together, the better.
Harper’s the real deal, and there is absolutely no way the Spurs can justify having him come off the bench next season.
This season also underlined how the Spurs’ primary trio is set. Wembanyama, Castle, and Harper will feature as the league’s next big 3, and what’s scary about that is how the Spurs can still go out this summer and get a fourth huge piece on the trade market, if they so choose.
As of right now, the most important thing for this team will be to learn how to maintain leads and finish games — something they struggled with all year.
2025-26 finish
Record: 62-20, second in the Western Conference. Lost to the New York Knicks in five games in the NBA Finals.
Highlight of the season
Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Wembanyama cemented himself as superhuman, putting up 41 points and 24 rebounds in an all-time classic — a double-overtime Spurs win.
Players signed for next season
De’Aaron Fox
Devin Vassell
Keldon Johnson
Victor Wembanyama
Dylan Harper
Luke Kornet
Stephon Castle
Carter Bryant
Key free agents
Julian Champagnie (Team option)
Harrison Barnes (UFA)
Projected salary
$150,468,566
Draft picks
Nos. 20, 35, 42 & 44
Draft focus: It would behoove the Spurs to trade up, if possible, for a big, physical power forward who can play center. Michigan’s Morez Johnson Jr. would be a strong get. He’s already built like an NBA player, and his defense is expected to be Day 1-ready.
The Spurs will likely improve via trades this offseason. They don’t have raw cap space, but can move deals around to get their guys. Perhaps they extend Champagnie, which would then make it even more of a necessity to use the trade market to improve.
Needs and goals
The Spurs need more offense, more frontcourt size and more wing-big depth. Adding a few genuine big men who can play both power forward and center would be a solid play, and if they have the luxury of pivoting off Fox for a real two-way small forward, that should be explored as well. The goal remains the same: win a title.
Read the full article here