After rebuilding for the last few seasons, the San Antonio Spurs have their eye towards contention this year. Drafting a generational talent in Victor Wembanyama helps speedline that process.
The Spurs have built a nice core around their All-Star. They have dynamic guards in De’Aaron Fox, the newly-drafted Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle, the reigning rookie of the year. They also have nice supporting pieces in Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Luke Kornet.
It remains to be seen how new head coach Mitch Johnson integrates all of these pieces, specifically in the backcourt with the redundant skillsets of Fox, Harper, and Castle. The Spurs’ front office seems to have no concerns, as they inked Fox to a four-year max extension last month.
However, San Antonio needs to be careful with how they are allotting their salary cap dollars, as one Western Conference team learned the hard way.
The Spurs cannot make the same mistake the Nuggets made
The Nuggets were able to get out of the restrictions of the second-apron this offseason, but just last summer, they were dealing with the ramifications. Denver re-signed Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. to big money extensions, and because of that, they could not provide ample depth around Nikola Jokic the last two seasons.
They had to let players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, and Jeff Green walk in free agency, despite all three being crucial to their title in 2023.
The Nuggets were able to trade Porter Jr. this offseason for Cam Johnson, and that opened up their financial flexibility, but if Denver was smart with their resources, they would not have put themselves in that hole. They could potentially be looking at another championship instead of two consecutive second-round exits.
The Spurs could find themselves in a similar spot soon. They signed Fox to a big money extension. Wembanyama will be eligible to sign one next summer, and he almost certainly will. Sochan is up for an extension, Vassell is making $27 million a year, and may not start, Keldon Johnson has $34 million left on his deal, and Castle is two years away from being paid. The dollars are adding up for San Antonio.
The Spurs have to be smart with how they fill out their core
Wembanyama is not even close to his prime, but even if that’s the case, San Antonio needs to take advantage of the long runway they have. That includes being smart with the contracts they give out. Giving Fox an extension with Harper, and Castle in tow was not the smartest move, but when it comes to Vassell, Sochan, and Johnson, the Spurs won't be able to keep them all.
In the second-apron world we are now in, being smart with who you pay is important. We have seen the restrictions constrain teams like Denver, Phoenix, and Boston, causing them to drastically change their rosters. San Antonio is looking to avoid that same fate.