San Antonio Spurs: DeMarre Carroll addition could be better than advertised

The San Antonio Spurs’ free agency is over after inking deals with just two players. Even with DeMarre Carroll being the only outside signing, fans have plenty to be excited for.

Much like their lineup figures to be next season, the San Antonio Spurs’ steps towards conforming to the “new NBA” have been small and unassuming.

With one final roster spot to fill, a mid-level exception worth up to roughly $9.2 million, and links to numerous centers, the Spurs capped off a quiet offseason by agreeing to sign journeyman forward DeMarre Carroll to a two-year, $13 million deal.

The most surprising takeaway is that this leaves the Spurs mostly devoid of enforcement out on the interior. With names ranging from four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins to aging veterans like Tyson Chandler and Robin Lopez, the Spurs could’ve tried to do what they’ve generally always done: run the now-unorthodox two-big lineup and operate out of the post.

With Carroll now filling in the final roster spot, it likely means more time for LaMarcus Aldridge and Jakob Poeltl at the center spot, and Carroll — who spent nearly three-fourths of his Nets tenure playing the “4” position — operating along the perimeter as a floor-spacer.

In a nutshell, the Carroll signing is much more of a positive than it has been received to be. Here are a few positives the average fan might not have taken from the Carroll signing.