San Antonio Spurs: 5 Best and Worst Free Agents in Team History

Bruce Bowen, right, was a key free agent that helped the San Antonio Spurs win three of their four NBA Titles. (Photo Credit: jmtimages, Flickr.com)

The San Antonio Spurs weren’t always known for their winning ways. Though not known for a linage of championships, they’ve always had prestigious players in their lineup. Winning championships began in 1999, though the franchise has been in the NBA since 1976, when they came over as part of the NBA-ABA merger. Guys like George Gervin and David Robinson became the faces of the Spurs franchise. That honor currently belongs to team captain Tim Duncan.

Many players were signed to the Spurs, some who made their impact and others who didn’t live up to the hype. Let’s analyze the five best and worst free agents in Spurs history.

The criteria for these lists are about free agents who signed San Antonio, not for those who re-signed after their Spurs contract was up. Don’t expect Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker on these lists. However, these lists still feature notable and memorable faces.

5 Best Free Agents

Bruce Bowen, SF

The Spurs acquired Bowen in 2001. It was a nice deal that turned into quite the steal. Bowen was never an offensive weapon, as his highest scoring average was 8.2 points per game in 2004-05. Defense is a different story.

Bowen had the task of guarding the NBA’s best and didn’t falter or disappoint the franchise. He made the NBA All-Defensive team seven times in eight seasons as a San Antonio Spur. He also developed a reputation as an ironman, playing all 82 games in five of his eight Spur seasons. Bowen had his No. 12 jersey retired and rightfully so. Without Bowen’s defense, the Spurs might not have won their last three championships.

Avery Johnson, PG

Johnson was a journeyman who hopped from the Seattle Supersonics to the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors. He’s better known for his playing days as a San Antonio Spur.

Johnson had two stints with the Spurs. His first stint in 1991 lasted the calendar year, as they waived him in December. His second stint from 1994-2001 featured Johnson as an important factor bringing in the Spurs’ first NBA title. His best scoring year was 1994-95, when he averaged 13.4 points and 8.2 assists per game.

Johnson had the task of leading the twin towers of Duncan and Robinson into battle. He did so effortlessly.

Stephen Jackson, SG/SF

Jackson may be known for his temper, but he was a pretty good player before his role in the infamous brawl in Detroit eight years ago. San Antonio signed Jackson from the New Jersey Nets in 2001, where he played for three years.

Jackson’s best season came with the Spurs in 2003. He scored 11.8 points per game while shooting 43 percent from the field. He started 58 out of the 80 games he played that year and was a part of the 2003 championship team. Jackson would return in a trade with the Spurs before he was released April 12.

Robert Horry, PF

Horry lived up to his “big shot” reputation while on the Los Angeles Lakers. Horry signed with the Spurs after the Spurs’ 2003 championship victory. He would help bring them two more to their trophy case.

Horry was the power forward who could throw it down and shoot from behind the arc. He shot 38 percent in his first year with the Spurs. In Game 4 of the 2005 NBA Finals, Horry shot 21 fourth quarter points to win that game. But his claim to fame was his game-winning shot against the Detroit Pistons in Game 5 of the 2005 NBA Finals. Horry also was a part of the championship team in 2007, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Horry holds the record for the most three-pointers made in the NBA Finals with 53, eclipsing Michael Jordan’s record of 42. If that doesn’t put him among the best Spurs signings, I don’t know what will.

Dominique Wilkins, F

Believe it or not, Wilkins was a Spur. Signing with San Antonio on Oct. 4, 1996, Wilkins proved he still had game at 37 years old.

The human highlight reel scored 18.2 points per game in his only season there. He shot 41.7 percent from the field and averaged nearly 31 minutes a game in 63 games. Wilkins even started 26 of those games. Considering the Spurs got a declining player near the end of his career, they lucked out.   They took a chance going against the odds. They could have done a lot worse.

5 Worst Free Agents

Moses Malone, C

On Aug. 10, 1994, Malone signed with the Spurs for one more year at the decline of his career.  Was it a good idea? Maybe not.

Malone played 17 games in his only season with the Spurs. He averaged 2.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, hardly measuring up to his career totals of 20.3 points and 12.3 rebounds. It might have been a nice idea since after all Malone was a great player in his prime. But unfortunately, Malone’s decline showed that it wasn’t worth the Spurs’ time.

Devin Brown, SG

Brown was a guard who was in and out of the Spurs roster, let alone rotation. The Spurs signed and waived him twice, and for good reasons too.

Brown’s first season saw him score 1.7 points a game, but he did finish on the 2005 championship team. Brown barely contributed though, scoring 7.4 a game while shooting 42.3 percent. He was released for the second time and signed with the Utah Jazz. Despite showing his talent elsewhere, San Antonio never procured good qualities of Devin Brown.

T.J. Ford, PG

The Spurs signed the point guard in December of the 2011-12 season. Ford didn’t last long.

After 14 games, Ford was traded to the Golden State Warriors on March 15, 2012. He was waived three days later. Ford only averaged 3.6 points and 3.2 assists. He didn’t contribute and barely saw playing time. It’s extremely disappointing when Ford was entering his prime and couldn’t perform among the Spurs, who are the cream of the crop in the West.

Antonio McDyess, here with Tony Parker, didn’t live up to the San Antonio Spurs’ expectations despite having a few good moments. (Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com)

Antonio McDyess, PF

The San Antonio Spurs loved signing veterans past their prime or near the end of their careers. Antonio McDyess fits the bill here.

The Spurs signed the 35-year-old McDyess in 2009 and McDyess’ production was declining at that point in his career. After two years, McDyess averaged 5.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in his only two seasons. He served as a decent backup for them, but it wasn’t enough.

San Antonio released McDyess after the 2010-11 campaign, and McDyess never played in the NBA again.

Andrew Gaze, G

It was one of those signings where fans must have had one question in their minds. What were they thinking?

Gaze, the Australian from Seton Hall, signed with the San Antonio Spurs in the middle of the 1999 season. He only played 19 games, averaging 1.1 points per game and that’s the only good stat on his resume for the Spurs. He didn’t return after and never played in the NBA again. Poor Andrew Gaze never had a chance. The San Antonio Spurs should have known better. Yeah right; what were they thinking?