The San Antonio Spurs' roster has quietly undergone a major change. In the last two weeks, they added second overall pick Dylan Harper and 14th pick Carter Bryant, as well as Luke Kornet, Kelly Olynyk, and Jordan McLaughlin.
That's after saying goodbye to Sandro Mamukelashvili, Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, and Chris Paul. The Spurs roster has gotten noticeably older in recent years, with the team prioritizing more veterans to surround their young core.
That was clearly done with the goal of making the playoffs next season, and their roster is certainly much better than this time last season. They didn't have De'Aaron Fox, who played 17 games with the Spurs after being acquired before last season's trade deadline.
He will have a full training camp and will have plenty of time to recover from off-season hand surgery, hopefully allowing him to hit the ground running next season. The Spurs have a lot riding on him and their new additions, with them having playoff aspirations and eventually championship aspirations.
A healthy Fox and Victor Wembanyama, who should be much improved, alone could help carry the Spurs to the playoffs. That being said, who will start, and what will the depth chart look like? Let's take a look.
San Antonio Spurs projected starting lineup and depth chart
De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, and Victor Wembanyama
Point Guard:
1. De'Aaron Fox
2. Dylan Harper
3. Jordan McLaughlin
Shooting Guard:
1. Stephon Castle
2. Julian Champagnie
Small Forward:
1. Devin Vassell
2. Carter Bryant
3. Keldon Johnson
Power Forward:
1. Harrison Barnes
2. Jeremy Sochan
3. Kelly Olynyk
Center:
1. Victor Wembanyama
2. Luke Kornet
With two more roster spots, the Spurs could round out their roster by signing small forward Rilley Minix to a standard contract. He is currently on a two-way deal but is an elite shooter with good size, making him a good candidate for a main roster spot.
They could also bring back Bismack Biyombo to give them a third true center behind Wembanyama and Kornet. Adding Minix and another big would help to shore up their two biggest weaknesses, which are shooting and a lack of depth behind Wembanyama.
All told, the Spurs have dramatically improved their roster by adding top young talent and replacing underperforming prospects with veterans. With a nice blend of young talent and experience, the Spurs should be far better next season.