With all but four teams left in the NBA playoffs, most teams have turned their attention to the off-season, including the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are among the most interesting teams to watch this summer. They already have an extremely talented young core headlined by Victor Wembanyama, as well as DeAaron Fox and Stephon Castle.
However, they recently found out they will be picking second overall in the 2025 NBA draft. That gives them an incredibly unique opportunity to add more talent to an already incredibly talented roster. However, there is one underrated free agent target that can help bolster their team and get them to the next step in their rebuild.
The Spurs have the Bucks to thank for the perfect target
According to NBA Draft expert and ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony, the Spurs are not expected to make a major trade before or after the draft. If the rumor is to be believed, the Spurs would opt against making a trade for a star this summer.
Instead, they will focus on building out their roster around their existing team. That could include them adding a much-needed backup center as well as more shooting.
Fortunately, they will have access to the full mid-level exception (MLE), which will allow them to use up to $15 million on one or two players to fill those roles. One player could be Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez. Lopez is one of the best three and d centers in the NBA, and while he is 37 years old, he was still an effective starter this season for the Milwaukee Bucks.
With him being an unrestricted free agent this summer and the Bucks likely to do a teardown, he could be playing elsewhere next year. Given the Spurs' need at that position, they should use some of their mid-level exception to target him.
The Spurs should sign Brook Lopez this summer
The Spurs did something similar last season when they signed Chris Paul to a one-year, $10 million deal. Paul proved to be a huge addition to the Spurs, providing them with a significant upgrade at point guard and leadership.
They technically could still bring back Paul, using his non-Bird rights, which would allow him to get a slight raise without interfering with their mid-level exception. However, Lopez should be on their radar, given that he could solve two problems and give the Spurs a terrific backup to Wembanyama.
Were that to happen, the Spurs would have a starting five consisting of De'Aaron Fox, Steph Castle, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, and Wembanyama. Additionally, Dylan Harper, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and Lopez would give them a deep 10-man rotation. Based on that, San Antonio should aggressively target Lopez this summer.