Prospects discussed in 4th pick range:

• Zaccharie Risacher (JL Bourg)
• Reed Sheppard (Kentucky)
• Stephon Castle (UConn)
• Matas Buzelis (G-League Ignite)

Prospects discussed in the 8th pick range:

• Cody Williams (Colorado)
• Tidjane Salaun (Cholet)
• Dalton Knecht (Tennessee)
• Devin Carter (Providence)
• Nikola Topic (Crvena Zvezda)
• Ron Holland (G-League Ignite)
• Rob Dillingham (Kentucky)

Prospects discussed in the second round range:

• Baylor Scheierman (Creighton)
• Justin Edwards (Kentucky)
• Jalen Bridges (Baylor)
• Cam Spencer (UConn)
• Cam Christie (Minnesota)
• Ryan Dunn (Virginia)
• Pelle Larsson (Arizona)

Point Guard Options (2:10)

If the Spurs plan on taking a moderate approach with their point guard situation (not trying to acquire an All-Star level point guard), they could look at adding a veteran point guard like Chris Paul or Tyus Jones, while also using the 4th or 8th pick in the draft to select a point guard like Reed Sheppard, Nikola Topic, or Rob Dillingham.

Wemby’s End of Season Awards (18:35)

Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season came to an end with a collection of end of season awards. Wemby became the first rookie to make the All-Defensive team first team. He was the unanimous winner of the Rookie of the Year award, and that also led to him being named a member of the All-Rookie first team.

Wemby was the Defensive Player of the Year runner-up behind Rudy Gobert, and he finished Top-20 in All-NBA team voting.

Two Top-10 Lottery Picks

Following the conclusion of the NBA Draft Lottery Sunday, the Spurs came away with two Top-10 lottery picks. The Spurs will have the Toronto Raptors’ pick at 8th, and then they’ll have their own pick at 4th.

Some draft prospects in the 4th through 8th range are discussed in the episode:

Ron Holland

Dalton Knecht

Nikola Topic

Rob Dillingham

Reed Sheppard

Donovan Clingan

Stephon Castle

Matas Buzelis

Cap Sheet Update 

With two first round picks, the Spurs project to be able to open up as much as $19.4 million this summer in free agency.

Wemby wins Rookie of the Year

Victor Wembanyama won the 2024 Rookie of the Year award unanimously. Wemby was also the runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year award, as a just a rookie, to fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Wemby should also be a lock to be on the first All-Defensive team when the team is announced in the near future.

The Final Two Games

The Spurs closed out their 2023-2024 regular season with an underdog win over the Denver Nuggets, and then a blowout against the Detroit Pistons.

During the Nuggets game, Victor Wembanyama had a scoring explosion in the third quarter, where he scored 17 points in a little under three minutes.

Spurs’ Position Going into Draft Lottery

By winning 22 games, the Spurs will head into the draft lottery with the 5th worst record. While the odds aren’t as good as having a bottom-3 record, Portland showed last year that just because you have the 5th worst record, you can still jump ahead into the Top-3 of the lottery.

The Spurs also have a chance of landing the Toronto Raptors’ first round pick in the lottery as well.

Role Players Discussion

Tre Jones, Keldon Johnson, Blake Wesley, and Malaki Branham’s seasons are discussed in the episode, and how each player fits on the team going forward.

The Math Game Improvement

Two of the areas where the Spurs made improvement in the math game, were closing the gap in 3-point scoring with their opponents, and free throw scoring.

Wemby, Spurs in Last 4 Games

The Spurs went 2-2 in their last four games, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans on the road, falling in double overtime to the Philadelphia 76ers, winning in Memphis, and getting blown out in Oklahoma City.

Wembanyama played in the first three games of this stretch, where he continued to put up some spectacular numbers while helping the Spurs pick up two wins. 

Wemby sat out Wednesday’s game in Oklahoma City due to injury management, but the night before in Memphis (3:55), he had a performance where he blocked seven of the eight active players on the Grizzlies roster.

Sidy Cissoko Minutes in Last 2 Games

With the injuries to multiple wing players on the Spurs’ roster, rookie Sidy Cissoko has seen a good chunk of playing time in the Spurs’ last two games.

During his last two games, Cissoko is averaging 12 points, four rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 25 minutes per night.

Some observations of his cutting off the ball, crashing the offensive glass, and his passing skills are discussed.

Lottery Race Update

In the final topic, the Spurs’ draft lottery scenarios are explored with the Spurs, Charlotte Hornets, and Portland Trail Blazers all being within range of finishing with the 3rd to 5th worst record.

The Spurs also still have a solid chance of landing the Toronto Raptors’ pick as long as it ends up in the 7th to 10th range in the lottery.

Wemby’s Surging Play in Last Three Games

In the San Antonio Spurs’ last three games, Wembanyama has had some impactful performances. He scored a career high 40 points against the New York Knicks, he almost helped the Spurs defeat the Golden State Warriors minus three rotation players, and he recorded nine blocks against the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

Season Ending Injuries for Vassell and Sochan

Earlier this week, the Spurs announced Vassell and Sochan will miss the remainder of the season due to injuries. In the episode, their progress from last season to this season is discussed and analyzed.

Wemby’s Award Chances

Finally, there’s a discussion about Wembanyama’s chances of landing on one of the All-Defensive teams, his Defensive Player of the Year candidacy, and whether or not he has a shot of making an All-NBA team.

Wemby’s All-Defensive Team Chances

How does Wembanyama compare to other all-defensive team candidates? That question is explored in detail now that the final nine games of the season are left.

2-2 in the Last Four Games

In their last four games, the Spurs are 2-2. They lost to the Memphis Grizzlies and the Phoenix Suns, but then they defeated the Suns without Wembanyama and went on to defeat the Jazz in Utah.

The Last 9 Games

Beginning Friday against the Knicks, the Spurs are wrapping up their regular season with the final nine games of their season.

The Spurs need to go 3-6 to avoid setting a franchise record for the fewest wins in a single season. If the Spurs are winning games though, they may decrease their lottery odds of landing a Top-3 pick with Charlotte and Portland getting closer in the lottery standings.

Topics from the episode:

March Madness draft prospects Bornstein discusses:

• Cody Williams (Colorado)
• Stephon Castle (UConn)
• Donovan Clingan (UConn)
• Cam Spencer (UConn)
• Tristen Newton (UConn)
• Kyle Filipowski (Duke)
• Zach Edey (Purdue)
• Trey Alexander (Creighton)
• Pelle Larson (Arizona)
• Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois)
• Reed Sheppard (Kentucky)
• Rob Dillingham (Kentucky)
• Dalton Knecht (Tennessee)

The Spurs’ last two games

Sunday the Spurs defeated the Brooklyn Nets in overtime in Austin, TX. Wembanyama had a monster game with 33 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 blocks. 

The Spurs then hosted the Dallas Mavericks Tuesday in San Antonio, and though it was a close game, Dallas ended up holding on for the win.

While Wembanyama and Luka Doncic each had a tough night shooting the ball, they both still filled the stat sheet with Wembanyama tallying 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 blocks, while Doncic finished with 18 points, 16 assists, and 10 rebounds.

Kyrie Irving on Wemby’s Defense

After the game Tuesday, Irving had some unique comments about Wembanyama’s timing on defense and how he protects the rim. From there, Irving went on to say how Wembanyama should be a strong Defensive Player of the Year candidate. 

Key questions addressed in the episode:

How many blocks has Wemby recorded and where do his blocks rank in the league? (2:54)

How has Blake Wesley carved out a role for himself? (10:40)

What are the Spurs’ chances of landing the first overall pick in the draft and will the Toronto pick end up going to San Antonio in the draft? (19:20)

Key questions addressed in the episode:

What happened in Houston?

Has Malaki Branham improved since the trade deadline?

How can the Spurs avoid the franchise record for fewest wins in a single season?

Key questions addressed in the episode:

How did the Spurs defeat the Thunder?

Has Devin Vassell’s shot selection changed now that he’s attacking more often?

What will the Spurs do with the open roster spot?

In the latest episode, Spurscast host Paul Garcia is joined by Project Spurs writer Collin Reid, where they discuss the recent Trae Young trade rumor and the Spurs through the All-Star break.

Zach Collins Contract Update (2:50)

Trae Young Trade Rumor (4:35)

Players through All-Star Break

Devin Vassell (18:00)

Keldon Johnson (20:15)

Jeremy Sochan (22:10)

Victor Wembanyama (26:40)

Malaki Branham (29:00)

Julian Champagnie (31:40)

Blake Wesley (34:40)

Dominick Barlow (37:40)

The veterans: Tre Jones, Zach Collins, Cedi Osman (41:00)

Marcus Morris Sr. Update (45:05)

Wednesday in an article from the Ringer, there was some reporting about the Spurs and Atlanta Hawks having discussions about a Trae Young trade before the NBA trade deadline expired.

In the episode, the question pondered is what would a Young to San Antonio trade look like either before July 1, or after July 1?

Last week after the Spurs acquired Marcus Morris Sr. via trade, there was reporting that he would be waived from the team. A week later, Morris remains on the team, though he’s currently listed as ‘not with team’ on each injury report. 

While Morris is still likely to be waived, the Spurs only have until March 1 to waive him so he’ll be able to sign with a playoff team.

The Spurs are 1-4 in the first half of their Rodeo Road Trip, with double digit losses to Miami, Orlando, Brooklyn, and Dallas. The Spurs’ lone win was a blowout in Toronto, where Victor Wembanyama recorded his second triple double of his career with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 blocks.

After he was struggling for a few games due to fatigue and adjusting to the grueling NBA schedule, Wembanyma has bounced back in his last three games, where he’s scored over 20 points in each contest, while shooting a higher percentage from three and scoring more of his points in the paint.

In the episode, host Paul Garcia breaks down the trade and the Spurs’ options going forward for the remainder of the season. How long will

Morris Sr. remain a Spur? What are the chances the Spurs waive Cedi Osman (4:15) or Devonte’ Graham (4:55), and might the Spurs look at adding Killian Hayes (5:45) if he clears waivers? Could Dominick Barlow’s contract be converted to a full roster spot (8:25)?

An early look ahead to the offseason is also explored to see if the Spurs might use their stockpile of draft picks to pursue a trade for Dejounte Murray (13:15), Trae Young (13:45), or look at signing Tyus Jones (14:25).

From there, the latest trade rumor is discussed regarding the Spurs' interest in Tyus Jones (9:30). Finally, looking at some potential trade deals (13:50) for Spurs veterans Doug McDermott, Cedi Osman, and Devonte’ Graham, with the NBA trade deadline approaching Thursday at 3 PM ET.

The Spurs went 2-2 in their last four games, with a loss the Oklahoma City Thunder, then a win over the Portland Trail Blazers. After defeating Portland, the Spurs had their best win of the season, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are currently first out West. However, after defeating the Timberwolves, the Spurs had a let down in falling to the Washington Wizards Monday.

Tuesday Wembanyama was named to the rookie Rising Stars roster. While this wasn’t too surprising, the game format will be interesting to watch Friday February 16, with the mini-tournament style set-up.

Lastly, the discussion shifts to evaluating Wemby's prospects of landing a spot on the All-Star team.

With Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman reportedly being made available in trade discussions, teams with trade player exceptions are discussed to see if there’s any deals out there where teams might trade for Osman or McDermott.

There’s new reporting details regarding the Dejounte Murray trade rumors, and the Spurs have reportedly made Devonte’ Graham available in trade discussions as well.

While being on a minutes restriction, Victor Wembanyama has been incredibly efficient, where he’s scored 20 or more points in 10 of his last 11 games played. The lone game where Wembanyama didn’t score over 20, he tallied his first career triple double.

The Spurs have seen a dramatic turnaround in the third quarter since starting Tre Jones at point guard. In their first 33 games, they were the worst team in the league in the third quarter, but since Jones took over, they have been the best.

Over the last week Cedi Osman and Doug McDermott have been mentioned trade rumors, and there are some updates on the Spurs’ interest in Dejounte Murray as well.

To conclude, we will examine the Spurs’ last four games. They blew out the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets, but fell to the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks. In the game against the Pistons, Victor Wembanyama recorded his first career triple-double in just 21 minutes of action.

On Tuesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the San Antonio Spurs are one of the teams with "exploratory interest" in Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.

What might a deal look like should the Spurs and Hawks look further at a deal? With the trade deadline approaching February 8, 2024, other decisions the Spurs will have to make are discussed, such as which players might the team look to trade and who are some players that would fit with the team, if the players were acquired via trade.

Despite the Spurs' recent two losses, they put up a good fight against the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers, with both games going down to the wire. On Sunday, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama faced off for the first time in an unforgettable duel.

To conclude, the Spurs have started Tre Jones at point guard in the last two games. The team narrowly lost their first two games with Jones at point, but Jones, Wembanyama, and Devin Vassell all played well in the close losses.

The Last 4 Games

The San Antonio Spurs snapped their five-game skid with a victory at Portland last Thursday, but they have since dropped their next three games against the Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, and Memphis Grizzlies.

More Injuries

In recent games, Zach Collins and Malaki Branham both sustained ankle injuries. Victor Wembanyama has also been frustrated with being on a minutes restriction due to his ankle injury. Collins is expected to be out for 2-4 weeks, while Branham is doubtful to play in Thursday’s game against Milwaukee.

Recent Roster Moves

Last week, the Spurs waived two-way player Charles Bediako due to an injury that will sideline him for 6-8 weeks. To fill the open two-way slot, the team signed Mamadi Diakite, a 6-foot-9 big man who can provide depth to the frontcourt.

On Tuesday, the Spurs applied for a Disabled Player Exception for Charles Bassey, who will be sidelined for the rest of the season due to injury. If the exception is approved, the Spurs will have $1.3 million to sign a player, trade for a player, or claim a player off waivers.

The Last 3 Games

The San Antonio Spurs have lost their last five games, including their last three against the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz. Their schedule will ease up a bit in January, with games against Portland, Detroit, Charlotte, and Washington.

Wemby’s Ankle Injury

In the pregame warm-ups prior to facing the Mavericks on Saturday, Wembanyama stepped on the foot of a ball boy and injured his ankle. As a result, Wembanyama was forced to sit out the game against the Mavericks and has been on a minutes restriction in the games he has played since.

Wembanyama is expected to play in the Spurs’ game Thursday in Portland, but he may miss the next game against the Trail Blazers on Friday night.

Another New Starting Lineup

The Spurs have made a change to their starting lineup, adding Julian Champagnie to the lineup alongside Malaki Branham, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Wembanyama.

To give the bench more balance, Keldon Johnson will now be coming off the bench to support Tre Jones, Zach Collins, Cedi Osman, and Doug McDermott.

18 Game Losing Streak Ends

The Spurs’ franchise record 18-game losing streak came to an end last week when the Spurs defeated the Anthony Davis-less Los Angeles Lakers. Since then, the Spurs have gone on to lose their next two games by double digits against New Orleans and Milwaukee.

More New Starting Five Analysis

With another game logged for the new starting five of Branham, Devin Vassell, Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and Victor Wembanyama, Reid’s analysis is provided regarding the new lineup.

Keldon Johnson and Malaki Branham Through 26 Games

The play of Johnson and Branham on both ends of the court is discussed in the final topic of the episode.

The Last Four Games (1:30)

The Spurs’ losing streak has expanded to 18 losses in a row after the team lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers in their last four games.

Through 23 games, the Spurs continue to have bottom-three record along with the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards.

Bassey Injury and Two-Way Roster Moves (7:00)

Some unfortunate news for Charles Bassey this week, after he underwent an MRI, the team announced he’ll miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Bassey suffered the injury in a G-League game over the weekend. 

Thursday the Spurs made a two-way roster move, by waiving guard Sir’Jabari Rice and signing David Duke Jr. to a two-way contract.

New Starting Lineup with Wemby at the Five (10:35)

The final topic is a deep dive on the new Spurs starting lineup of Malaki Branham, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and Wembanyama.

So far the lineup has been really good on defense through three games, however, they’ve been the complete opposite on the offensive end of the floor.

Losses Against Hawks and Pelicans

In their last two games, the San Antonio Spurs’ losing streak was pushed to 14-losses in a row after the Spurs lost a close game at home to the Atlanta Hawks, and then lost by 15 points on the road in New Orleans.

The rookie of the year race between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren is also discussed, as well as Devin Vassell being back on the Spurs’ injury report.

December Draft Talk

With the Spurs having a bottom-3 record in the league at the moment, they have a strong chance of landing a Top-5 pick in the 2024 NBA draft should San Antonio continue to struggle.

Some draft prospects discussed are Isaiah Collier, Ja’Kobe Walter, Ron Holland, Donovan Clingan, Matas Buzelis, Stephon Castle, and Justin Edwards.

0-6 in Last Six Games, Losing Streak Extended to 12

Over the last six games, the San Antonio Spurs have lost to the Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers twice, the Golden State Warriors, and Denver Nuggets. With these six losses, the Spurs’ current losing streak has been extended to 12-losses in a row.

Deep Dive on the 3PT Battle

Later in the episode, a deep dive discussion takes place regarding the Spurs and their opponents shooting from three, individual players shooting the three, and some 3-point line film observations on offense and defense.

Losing Streak Extends to Six

Since the last Spurscast episode, where the losing streak stood at three losses, the Spurs still haven’t found a way to end the streak. Last Friday San Antonio hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves and lost by 7, then they faced the Miami Heat two nights later and lost by 5, and finally, their most recent loss came on the road in Oklahoma City, where the Spurs were blown out by 36.

The Spurs are now 3-8 overall and 0-2 in the In-Season Tournament. They have a chance to end the losing streak this Friday against Sacramento or Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies.

In-Depth Look at Different Rankings

In the second segment of the episode, there’s an in-depth look at where the Spurs have been really good (7:25) on offense and defense, where they’ve been okay (11:05), and finally, where they’re bottom-10 (16:30).

The 3-Game Losing Streak

As of Wednesday evening when the episode was recorded, the Spurs are in the midst of a 3-game losing streak. They lost to the Toronto Raptors in overtime Sunday, got blown out in Indiana Monday, and then recently in New York Wednesday, lost to the Knicks by 21.

One of the early trends that’s part of the Spurs’ losses is their battles with opponents from the 3-point line. The Spurs are now 1-5 when losing the 3-point line, and in the recent losses, there has been a significant gap in how many points the Spurs are scoring from three, and how many points they’re allowing from three on defense.

Wemby’s Play in the Last 3 Games

Wembanayama’s play on both ends of the court is discussed, where even in some of these blowouts, Wembanyama

Wemby’s Trip to Phoenix

The Spurs won two surprising games Tuesday and Thursday in Phoenix. Tuesday, the Spurs made a 20-point comeback to defeat Phoenix in the final minute. Wembanyama scored 18 points and blocked four shots in the Spurs’ comeback win.

Two nights later, the Spurs were the team who opened a 27-point lead on the Suns, but Phoenix made a comeback in crunch time. In crunch time, Wembanmaya put the team on his back and led them to the close out win, by scoring 10 of his 38 points in crunch time.

Sochan’s Play in New Role

Through the first five games of the season, Jeremy Sochan is averaging 9.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2 turnovers in his new role as the Spurs’ starting point guard.

Sochan’s play on both ends of the floor is discussed in the episode, and specifically defensively, the Spurs have made him a central part of their zone defensive looks.

1-2 in First Three Games

The San Antonio Spurs opened the season last week with a close loss to the Dallas Mavericks, an overtime win over the Houston Rockets, and then finally, a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Wemby, Vassell, and Osman

Wembanyama’s first three games are discussed on both ends of the floor to begin his NBA career. Early on, Devin Vassell looks to be one of the go-to players for the team, and Cedi Osman has been a consistent player off the bench.

Early Look at the Big Lineup

(14:20) Through three games, a very small sample size, the big lineup of Jeremy Sochan at point, Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Wembanyama, and Zach Collins has struggled. However, Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich has said the plan is to give the five man unit a long run.

Preseason Wemby vs the Warriors

In the San Antonio Spurs’ preseason finale last Friday on the road against the Warriors, Wembanyama finished with 19 points, 5 blocks, and 4 rebounds.

Wembanyama’s five minute stretch where he scored and blocked consecutive shots is discussed in the episode.

The Starting Five

The Spurs will start the big five lineup of Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Wembanyama, and Zach Collins. 

While this will be the starting group to begin the season, could Tre Jones eventually find himself back as the starting point guard with Sochan perhaps shifting to the small forward spot?

Collins’ Contract Extension

The Spurs have signed Collins to a two-year, $35 million contract extension. With the extension, the Spurs can still be a cap space team next summer, with anywhere from $8 to $22 million.

Other Roster Moves

The Spurs exercised the 2024-2025 team options for Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, and Blake Wesley.

The Spurs also converted the training camp contract of Charles Bediako to a two-way contract. 

The Spurs’ roster is now set with 15 players on guaranteed deals and three players on two-way deals, as the season begins Wednesday against Dallas.

Last 3 Preseason Games

Since the last Spurscast episode was recorded, the Spurs have played three preseason games. They defeated the Miami Heat, lost to the Houston Rockets, and then defeated the Rockets two nights later.

During these preseason games, Jeremy Sochan became the team’s new starting point guard, Keldon Johnson returned from injury, Wembanyama continued to impress, and the new starting lineup was revealed.

The New Starting Lineup

After months of wondering who would be in the starting lineup, the Spurs revealed the answer to that question Wednesday against the Rockets. The Spurs started Sochan at the 1, Devin Vassell at the 2, Keldon Johnson at the 3, Wembanyama at the 4, and Zach Collins at the 5.

Off the bench, the Spurs are sticking with a 10-man rotation of having Tre Jones, Malaki Branham, Doug McDermott, Cedi Osman, and Charles Bassey complete the minutes for the second unit.

More Wemby Observations

Wemby’s play on offense and defense against the Heat and Rockets are discussed, as well as how the Spurs have had him play the 5 in some lineups during his last two games.

Point Sochan

At 6’8”, Sochan is the new starting point guard for San Antonio. He’s only been able to log three games at point, and his play at point is discussed on both ends of the floor. 

Khem Birch Waived

Facing a Saturday deadline, the Spurs waived Birch Thursday, bringing their roster to the league required 15 players on guaranteed deals for the regular season.

The Spurs must now decide whether Charles Bediako will be waived and sign in the G-League, or if he’ll get the final vacant two-way roster spot. That decision must be made by Saturday as well. 

Wemby’s First Preseason Game 

The San Antonio Spurs’ 2023-2024 preseason schedule kicked off Monday evening on the road in Oklahoma City, where the Spurs fell to the Thunder 122-121.

Wembanyama made his preseason debut with 20 points, five rebounds, two steals, and one block by playing 19 minutes in three quarters of the game.

Observations of Wembanyama’s play on offense and defense are discussed in the episode, as well as what Wembanyama and Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich had to say postgame.

Lineups in Opening Preseason Game

With Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan out due to general soreness, the Spurs started Tre Jones, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Wembanyama, and Zach Collins.

When Johnson and Sochan are healthy, it’ll be interesting to see which starting five the Spurs will begin the season with later in October.

For the second unit, the Spurs went with a quintet of Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham, Cedi Osman, Doug McDermott, and Charles Bassey.

The Spurs stuck with a 10-man rotation for the first three quarters, then in the fourth, all the other players who hadn’t played were able to get some floor time except Khem Birch (Did not play due to coach decision).

Spurs Sign Two More Players

On Tuesday, the Spurs signed Erik Stevenson and Paul Watson to training camp deals. With Stevenson and Watson on the team, the Spurs now have a full training camp roster with 21 players.

The Spurs may have signed the two players for one of three reasons: a) for more depth as the preseason goes along with four games remaining, b) to waive the players so they can join the Austin Spurs of the G-League in the future, or c) to have Stevenson and Watson compete with Charles Bediako for the last remaining two-way roster spot.

Devin Vassell’s Contract Extension

Tuesday the Spurs announced Devin Vassell had been signed to a multi-year rookie contract extension. According to ESPN, Vassell’s deal will be for 5 years, at $146 million. Vassell’s new extension begins next season where he’ll earn $29.3 million in the first year of the deal, while the Spurs will still have financial flexibility to open anywhere from $24.4 million to $37.7 million in cap space next summer.

Media Day and the First Training Camp Practice

Monday the Spurs held media day, where Head Coach Gregg Popovich answered a number of questions from the media. After Popovich’s interview session, Spurs players Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Victor Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson, and Zach Collins all spoke with the media as well. 

One of the main focal points from Popovich and the players for this coming season was to improve defensively. Last season the Spurs ranked last in defensive efficiency, and now with the addition of Wembanyama, the team is looking to be much improved on the defensive end of the floor.

With basketball heading to more positionless lineups, the Spurs will also look to have multiple players bring the ball up the floor and initiate the offense this coming season.

Tuesday after the team’s first practice, Tre Jones spoke about what Wembanyama will bring on both ends of the floor and how multiple players will create offense.

Latest Roster Moves

Over the weekend, the Spurs made a few roster moves before training camp officially began. The Spurs agreed to a contract buyout with Reggie Bullock, before he was officially waived.

The Spurs also waived Seth Millner Jr. and RaiQuan Gray. By waiving Millner Jr., the Spurs opened a two-way roster spot once more. Gray was waived so he might end up on the Austin Spurs of the G-League in the future.

The last roster move the Spurs made was signing Charles Bediako to a training camp deal. Bediako might be a player who earns the vacant two-way roster spot or he could be an addition to the Austin Spurs later in the season.

Roster Updates

Over the last two weeks, the Spurs have made a few tweaks to the roster. The Spurs filled their last open two-way roster spot by signing Seth Millner Jr. to a two-way contract, they signed Javonte McCoy to a training camp deal and then waived him, and the most recent move was signing RaiQuan Gray to a training camp deal.

Millner Jr. went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft out of Toledo. He spent some time with the Spurs on the Summer League roster back in July. Millner Jr. joins Dominick Barlow and Sir’Jabari Rice as the three players on two-way contracts for the team.

McCoy was part of the Spurs’ Summer League team as well, and since he was waived, he may end up joining the Austin Spurs in the G-League. 

Gray being on the roster brings the Spurs’ roster to the maximum limit of 21 players for the preseason. If Gray is waived, there’s a strong chance he may end up in Austin as well. 

Training Camp Begins Next Week

The Spurs will hold media day on Monday, and beginning the following day, training camp officially opens for the team. The Spurs will have six days to practice before their first preseason game takes place on Monday, October 9, at Oklahoma City.

As the Spurs progress through the preseason, they’ll still have to make two roster moves before the regular season officially tips off. The team will have to waive or trade two players before opening night of the regular season to meet NBA roster requirements.

Shooting Around Wemby

Using data from NBA.com/stats from last season, the returning Spurs players wide open three point data is examined in determining who will be some players that defenses may back off of, which means they need to increase their wide open three point percentage, and who will be some players defense won’t dare leave wide open. 

As each player is discussed, the process will be to keep in mind who may be out on the floor with Wembanyama throughout games.

Payne Waived Monday

The Spurs waived point guard Cameron Payne Monday. The Spurs acquired Payne in mid-July for a future second round pick and cash. With Payne waived, the team now has 17 players on guaranteed contracts and two players on two-way contracts.

The Spurs will need to waive or trade two players before opening night in October.

Before Wednesday concludes, something to watch is whether an opposing team claims Payne off waivers instead of allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.

Point Guard Situation

With Payne waived, the Spurs now have three point guards left on the roster in Tre Jones, Devonte’ Graham, and Blake Wesley. Since Payne got waived, does this mean the chances of Graham remaining on the team increase?

Two More Players Need to be Traded or Waived

Before opening night, the Spurs still need to trade or waive two more players on the roster. The most likely players to be traded or waived are Khem Birch, Graham, Cedi Osman, or Reggie Bullock.

Keep an eye on teams with trade player exceptions in the event one of the players mentioned above gets moved via trade.

Spurs’ Vegas Over/Under Wins

The Spurs’ over/under for wins is 29.5 wins per DraftKings.com and most betting sites. With 29.5 wins, the Spurs are projected to finish as a bottom-three team by record according to the over/under wins.

• A prediction of minutes for next season for some of the Spurs’ players
• Sandro Mamukelashvili through two FIBA World Cup games

Predicting Minutes of Core Players for Next Season

In the first topic, a minutes prediction is given for Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones, Victor Wembanyama, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, Zach Collins, and Doug McDermott for next season.

From there, the remaining minutes may be up for grabs with players who look like they'll hold onto their roster spots in Julian Champagnie, Blake Wesley, Charles Bassey, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Dominick Barlow, and Sidy Cissoko.

Players who may be traded or waived before open night are veterans Khem Birch, Devonte' Graham, Cameron Payne, Cedi Osman, and Reggie Bullock. The Spurs must trade or waive three players before opening night. 

Sandro Mamukelashvili through Two World Cup Games

Through two FIBA World Cup games, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Georgia are 1-1. Georgia defeated Cape Verde by more than 20 points, but then lost to Luka Doncic and Slovenia by 21 points.

Mamukelashvili has come off the bench in the first half of both games and then started the second half in both games. Mamukelashvili has been quite productive in his two games and displayed his versatility on both ends of the floor in being able to play at different positions.

Another Quiet Month

With September approaching, the Spurs and NBA teams still have about a month left in their offseason before training camps begin in early October for most teams.

• The Spurs’ 2023-2024 schedule
• News and notes regarding the team

Thursday the San Antonio Spurs' 2023-2024 regular schedule was released by the NBA. The Spurs begin play on October 25 against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Spurs will see an increase in nationally televised games, with 19 national TV games on the schedule. The Spurs will have 13 back-to-back sets during the 82 game schedule.

In October, the team will play four games, with two of those games being nationally televised games. The team will play the Phoenix Suns on Halloween.

In November, the Spurs will participate in the new In-Season tournament with games against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sacramento Kings, and Golden State Warriors.

December will see the Spurs play in 14 games, including a New Years Eve game against the Boston Celtics.

In January, the Spurs will play their most games of the season in a month, with 16 games in the month. The Spurs will also have a seven game home stretch in January.

The Rodeo Road Trip will resume in February, where the Spurs will go on the road for a 9-game road trip, with the All-Star break in between.

When March arrives, the Spurs will play in 15 games, with an eight game home stretch that includes two home games in Austin, Texas.

The Spurs' final seven regular season games will take place in April.

Per Positive Residual, the Spurs will have the toughest schedule in the NBA according to PR's strength of schedule model.

• The latest signings by the Spurs
• Whether or not the Spurs and Devin Vassell will agree to a contract extension
• Players most likely to get traded or waived
• Teams with trade player exceptions

The latest signings by the Spurs

Since the last Spurscast episode, the San Antonio Spurs officially re-signed Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Dominick Barlow to a two-way contract, and they signed second-round draftee Sidy Cissoko to a full roster deal.

Devin Vassell contract extension?

Between now and the first game of the regular season, the Spurs and Devin Vassell have time to see if they can come to terms on an agreement for a contract extension.

Players most likely to get traded or waived

With the Spurs needing to waive or trade three players before opening night of the regular season, veteran players Devonte' Graham, Reggie Bullock, Khem Birch, Cedi Osman, and Cameron Payne are likely on the list of players who will be traded or waived before opening night of the regular season.

Teams with trade player exceptions

The Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, and Portland Trail Blazers all have trade exceptions to acquire some of the Spurs players listed above, but the difficult task becomes finding which player would fit with those teams and would those teams want to give up a second-round pick or go into the tax to acquire one of the Spurs players.

The Indiana Pacers also have some cap space to acquire a player, but finding the best fit is difficult due to financial restrictions.

• The latest transactions by the Spurs
• Upcoming moves and decisions by the team
• Who gets waived or traded before opening night?
• Brainstorming potential starting lineups

The latest transactions by the Spurs

Since the last Spurscast episode, the San Antonio Spurs have waived Lamar Stevens, acquired Cameron Payne from the Phoenix Suns, and officially re-signed Tre Jones.

The Spurs are now over the salary cap and still have access to the $7.7 million room exception.

Upcoming moves and decisions by the team

Sandro Mamukelashvili will soon officially re-sign with the Spurs, from there the team has decisions to make on what types of deals Summer League standouts Dominick Barlow and Sidy Cissoko are going to get.

If Barlow and/or Cissoko get full roster deals instead of two-way deals, the team will be faced with a situation of needing to trade or waive a player(s) before opening night with the roster spots Barlow and/or Cissoko will fill.

Who gets waived or traded before opening night?

The Spurs currently have 17 players with guaranteed deals. Before opening night in October, the NBA requires teams to have only 15 players on guaranteed deals, meaning in the next 2.5 months the Spurs will have to either trade or waive two players.

In the episode, a list of potential players who could be traded or waived are discussed.

Brainstorming potential starting lineups

After seeing Victor Wembanyama mostly play as a forward in Summer League, there's an interesting question of what the starting lineup will be to begin the season.

Do the Spurs go with a more traditional point guard like Tre Jones, or do they go for a more versatile lineup with wings and bigs only in the lineup?

• Options with the Spurs’ remaining cap space
• Victor Wembanyama’s short Vegas run
• Other Spurs players at Summer League
• More In-season tournament details 

Options with the Spurs’ remaining cap space

With the Reggie Bullock trade now complete, the San Antonio Spurs are operating with up to $15.5 million in cap space until Tre Jones and Sandro Mamukelashvili sign their new deals.

The interesting question for now becomes what are the Spurs going to do with that cap space? Will they participate in a trade for another player? Will they try to sign any unsigned free agents, or will they just sign Jones and Mamukelashvili and shrink the cap space to $5.5 million?

Victor Wembanyama’s short Vegas run

Sunday Victor Wembanyama finished his short Summer League run with an impressive 27 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Wembanyama’s game going forward is discussed in the episode.

Other Spurs players at Summer League

Malaki Branham, Julian Champagnie, Dominick Barlow, Blake Wesley, and Sidy Cissoko are discussed in whether they’re meeting expectations, surpassing expectations, or whether any of the players have struggled at Summer League.

More In-Season tournament details

Saturday the NBA announced more details regarding the new In-Season Tournament. During Group play, the Spurs will be in Group C in the Western Conference, where they’ll play the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

From there, the rest of the schedule is discussed along with how teams will qualify for the knockout rounds and what happens to the 22 teams that don’t make the knockout rounds.

• Victor Wembanyama’s first Summer League game
• The Spurs’ opening days of free agency
• Where the Spurs’ roster currently stands

Wemby's First Summer League Game

In his first NBA Summer League game Friday evening, Victor Wembanyama finished with nine points, eight rebounds, five blocks, and three assists in 27 minutes.

Wembanyama showed how he's going to have an immediate impact on the defensive end of the floor with his five blocks and the way he was able to deter shots at the rim.

Wembanyama struggled with his shot in his first game, but he showed his high basketball IQ and skillset on multiple possessions, in how he drew the attention of the defense to find open teammates, or used his ball-handling and speed to drive by defenders.

The Opening Days of Free Agency

The Spurs have re-signed Julian Champagnie to a 4-year, $12 million deal, and they've also signed Sir'Jabari Rice to a two-way contract. The Spurs will also reportedly be re-signing Tre Jones to a 2-year, $20 million deal, and Sandro Mamukelashvili to a 1-year deal.

The Spurs also acquired Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens, and two future second round picks from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three team trade with the Cavs and Miami Heat.

Lastly, the Spurs will be acquiring Reggie Bullock and a 2030 Dallas Mavericks pick swap soon once an agreed upon trade is made official.

The State of the Roster

Once all deals are finalized, the Spurs will have 17 players on the full roster. This means before opening night of the regular season, the Spurs will have to trade or waive at least two players.

• Draft night for the Spurs
• The latest news and notes
• The state of the Spurs’ roster entering free agency
• Available free agents that would fit with San Antonio

Draft Night

Last Thursday the San Antonio Spurs used the first overall pick to draft Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs then traded the 33rd pick in the second round and with the 44th pick in round two, they drafted Sidy Cissoko.

The Spurs looked at trades to move up on draft night, but they decided to stick with trading the 33rd pick in the second round.

News and Notes

• Victor Wembanyama won't be playing with the French National team in the FIBA World Cup later this summer. Wembanyama will instead prepare for his rookie season in the upcoming season beginning in October.
• According to recent reports, the Spurs had interest in free agency in trying to sign big man Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, Reid has agreed to a multiyear extension to remain in Minnesota.
• On draft night, the Spurs reportedly agreed to sign undrafted player Sir'Jabari Rice of Texas to a two-way contract.
• Regarding the Spurs' roster, Zach Collins' $7.7 million contract for next season fully guaranteed, while Spurs General Manager Brian Wright noted that Tre Jones will be entering restricted free agency this coming weekend.

State of the Roster Entering Free Agency

With Collins' contract guaranteeing, the Spurs enter free agency with 11 players under guaranteed contracts. This means they can only add four players to the full roster.

The Spurs also have limited roster space on the two-way roster, assuming Rice gets one of the two-way slots and Cissoko gets the other. 

The Spurs have multiple players entering free agency this coming weekend in Tre Jones, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Romeo Langford, Gorgui Dieng, Julian Champagnie, and Dominick Barlow.

Free Agent Discussion

At the end of the episode, over 30 free agents are discussed in how well they would fit with the Spurs and what their contract projections look like. Some of the free agents included in the discussion are: Austin Reaves, Kyle Kuzma, Fred VanVleet, Cameron Johnson, D'Angelo Russell, Max Strus, Donte DiVincenzo, Grant Williams, and more.

• The latest trade rumblings about the Spurs trying to move up into the lottery
• Late first-round prospects in the event the Spurs move up in the draft
• Draft prospects at 33 and 44 in the event the Spurs don’t move their two second-round picks

Latest Trade Rumblings to Move Up

In an interview with San Antonio Spurs General Manager Brian Wright, when asked if the Spurs are looking to move Keldon Johnson or Devin Vassell via trade, Wright told San Antonio Express News Columnist Mike Finger, "no."

When asked if the Spurs would look at packaging their two-second rounds picks (33, 44) to move up or a future draft asset to move up, Wright said they'd look at those possibilities.

Tuesday Kevin O'Connor of the Ringer reported there's been trade rumblings of the Spurs trying to move up in the draft for a second lottery pick. If they do move up, the Spurs may be looking at one of the Thompson twins (Amen or Ausar), or Wembanyama's teammate in France Bilal Coulibaly.

Draft Prospects Discussed in the Episode

Lottery projected players discussed:

• Amen Thompson
• Jarace Walker
• Ausar Thompson
• Anthony Black
• Bilal Coulibaly
• Cason Wallace
• Taylor Hendricks
• Dereck Lively II
• Kobe Bufkin
• Gradey Dick
• Jalen Hood-Schifino

In the event the Spurs try to move up late in the first round, here were some draft prospects that were discussed:

• Keyonte George
• Nick Smith Jr.
• Olivier-Maxence Prosper
• Jaime Jaquez Jr.
• Brice Sensabaugh
• Dariq Whitehead
• James Nnaji

Draft Prospects discussed at 33:

• Jaime Jaquez Jr.
• Trayce Jackson-Davis
• Colby Jones
• GG Jackson
• Andre Jackson
• Marcus Sasser

Draft Prospects discussed at 44:

• Tristan Vukcevic
• Seth Lundy
• Jordan Walsh
• Terquavian Smith
• Kobe Brown
• Adama Sanogo

• Victor Wembanayama possibly being at Summer League
• The Spurs targeting starting centers this summer
• The Pacers putting the 7th pick on the trade table
• A new CBA detail regarding minimum team salary

Wemby at Summer League?

According to Marc Stein on his latest Substack newsletter, there's a chance Victor Wembanyama will be at Summer League in Las Vegas and participate with the team to some degree.

The Spurs will participate in the California Classic Summer League from July 3-5 and then in the Las Vegas portion from July 7-17.

Spurs Reportedly Targeting Starting Centers

Friday, Yahoo! Sports' Jake Fischer wrote about the Spurs targeting starting centers either by trade or in free agency this offseason to provide frontcourt depth for Wembanyama.

Some starting level centers who are 6'10" or taller discussed in this episode are Jakob Poeltl, Brook Lopez, Kristaps Porzingis, Nikola Vucevic, and Dwight Powell.

7th Pick on Trade Block from Pacers

Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report reported Friday that the Indiana Pacers are seeking a starting caliber wing in exchange for the 7th pick in the upcoming draft. While the Spurs aren't mentioned as a team with interest in the 7th pick, a lot of fans have been asking how a trade involving Keldon Johnson for the 7th pick would work.

That question is answered in the episode using the 2022-2023 timeline and the new timeline for the 2023-2024 season, that begins on July 1.

New CBA Detail Regarding Minimum Team Salary

In a recent memo sent from the NBA regarding the new CBA, teams were supposed to meet the minimum team salary by the first game of the regular season. Now according to Fischer of Yahoo! Sports, teams need to be at that mark earlier by the time training camp opens.

This applies to the Spurs because they're expected to be a team with cap space that will need to find a way (either by signing players or trading for players) to be at the $120.6 minimum team salary.

Spurs interest in Chris Paul?

According to multiple outlets like ESPN and the Athletic, the Phoenix Suns are most likely moving on from point guard Chris Paul. The Suns will try to find a trade for Paul before his contract for next season becomes fully guaranteed on June 28, and if not, they'll look to waive him and possibly see if he'll re-sign for a lower amount next season.

After these reports came out, two days later, the Ringer wrote an article that mentioned the Spurs as a team who could be interested in Paul to be a mentor for the young team while also helping the team transition quickly from a rebuilding team to a team trying to get back into the playoff picture with the addition of Victor Wembanyama.

After digging into how the Spurs can acquire Paul, the two most likely routes are for the Spurs to try to trade for him before June 28, or try to sign him in free agency if he's waived by Phoenix.

Which Spur will benefit most from Wembanyama's addition to the team?

This question was sent in from a fan on Twitter and the short answer is Devin Vassell. In the episode, the reasons why Vassell will benefit from Wemby's addition are addressed.

Can the Spurs put a trade package together for Tyrese Haliburton?

This question was sent in from a fan on Youtube and before addressing this question, it must be noted that Haliburton will likely sign a 5-year extension this coming offseason with the Indiana Pacers.

• What a deal would look like if the Spurs tried to sign Fred VanVleet
• What a trade would look like if the Spurs traded for Jaylen Brown
• What an offer sheet would look like if the Spurs tried to sign Austin Reaves

Fred VanVleet

VanVleet has until June 15 to exercise or decline his $22.8 million player option with the Toronto Raptors. If VanVleet declines the player option, he'll be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Considering VanVleet turned down a 4-year, $114 million extension from the Raptors this past season, the question becomes what would a deal look like if the Spurs tried to pursue signing him in free agency?

If VanVleet were signed, how much better would the Spurs as a team be going forward?

Jaylen Brown

Brown is under contract next season with the Boston Celtics for $31.8 million. Since he made two All-Star teams and an All-NBA team, Brown is eligible to sign a 5-year, $295 million supermax extension with the Celtics this offseason.

If Brown signs the Supermax, the question about the Spurs trading for him goes out the window. However, if he doesn't sign the extension, the question becomes what would the Spurs need to do to try to trade for Brown this summer. That scenario is explored in the episode.

Austin Reaves

After a really good playoff run with the Los Angeles Lakers, Reaves enters restricted free agency in July. In the episode, an offer sheet example is used to show what a deal would look like if the Spurs pursued Reaves in free agency and examines when the Lakers would be hesitant to match an offer sheet.

The Spurs win NBA Draft Lottery to draft Victor Wembanyama

The Spurs’ offseason approach going forward

The Spurs’ different cap space outlooks

Spurs land number one pick to draft Victor Wembanyama

Tuesday was a memorable day for the San Antonio Spurs franchise, with the team participating in the NBA Draft Lottery and landing the number one overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Landing the first overall pick will give the Spurs the ability to draft a franchise-changing player in Victor Wembanyama of France.

For many Spurs fans, the night was a celebration similar to 1997, when the team won the draft lottery in being able to draft Hall-of-Famer Tim Duncan.

While Wembanyama is going to put the Spurs back on a path to compete for championships in the future, the team he's joining in his first year is different from the 1998 squad Duncan joined that won 56 games. In 1998, the Spurs had multiple veteran players and former All-Stars on the team. Today, the majority of the Spurs players on the current team are under the age of 24 with no established All-Stars currently on the roster.

The Spurs’ offseason approach going forward

The big question going forward is how do the Spurs approach the offseason now that they have Wembanyama. Do they use their $30-40 million in cap space to sign one or multiple free agents? Do they try to use their future picks to try to trade for a current or former All-Star who hasn't been successful with their current team?

The future is bright for San Antonio going forward, and now the front office has a lot of decisions to make about how they'll approach this offseason.

• Devin Vassell’s upcoming extension deadline
• Tre Jones signing an extension or going into restricted free agency
• When the Spurs can start making trades
• Keldon Johnson’s extension beginning in the new season
• A new note about the tax distribution

Devin Vassell’s upcoming extension deadline

The San Antonio Spurs will have from July 6 to the first game of the regular season to reach a contract extension agreement with Devin Vassell. If the team and Vassell fail to reach an extension agreement, Vassell will be a restricted free agent next summer.

Tre Jones signing an extension or going into restricted free agency

The Spurs have two paths they can navigate this offseason with point guard Tre Jones. San Antonio can try to reach an agreement on an extension with Jones before free agency begins by June 30, or the Spurs can tender Jones a qualifying offer this summer and he'll become a restricted free agent on July 1.

When the Spurs can start making trades

The Spurs can make trades in two different timelines. They can make trades until June 30 using the 2022-2023 team salary, or they can wait until after July 6 to make trades using the new 2023-2024 team salary.

Keldon Johnson’s extension beginning in the new season

After signing an extension last summer, Johnson's extension will begin for the next three seasons in this coming season.

A new note about the tax distribution

While the NBA won't penalize teams fully for not reaching the minimum team salary in the coming season, teams will only get a 50% tax distribution if they don't reach the minimum team salary by the end of next season according to the new CBA.

• Lottery Prospects in the 1st through 7th Range
• Second Draft Prospects

Lottery Prospects in the 1st through 7th Range

On May 16, the San Antonio Spurs will take part in the NBA Draft lottery where they'll find out whether they'll be drafting anywhere from 1st overall to 7th in the first round.

Lottery prospects in the Top-7 range are Victor Wembanyama (1st) from France, Scoot Henderson (2nd) of the G-League Ignite, Brandon Miller (3rd) of Alabama, Amen Thompson (4th) of Overtime Elite, Ausar Thompson (6th) of Overtime Elite, and Jarace Walker (7th) of Houston.

Other players in the Top-7 on different mocks are Cam Whitmore of Villanova, Anthony Black of Arkansas, Taylor Hendricks of Central Florida, Nick Smith Jr. of Arkansas, and Keyonte George of Baylor.

Second Draft Prospects

On lottery night, the Spurs will also find out if they'll have the 32nd or 33rd pick in the second round, while they'll also have the 44th pick via the Toronto Raptors in the second round.

Prospects in the 32nd/33rd pick range are Trayce Jackson-Davis, Bilal Coulibaly, Colby Jones, and Andre Jackson.

Draft prospects in the 44th pick range are Nikola Durisic, Jaylen Clark, Tristan Vukcevic, and Emoni Bates.

Other draft prospects discussed in the episode are Isaiah Wong, Cason Wallace, and Amari Bailey.

The NBA Draft lottery will take place on May 16 and the 2023 NBA Draft will take place on June 22.

• The Random Drawing Between the Spurs and Rockets
• 11 Players on Guaranteed Deals
• 7 Players Entering Free Agency
• Spurs’ Cap Space Potential
• Devin Vassell Extension Watch

The Random Drawing Between the Spurs and Rockets

Monday the NBA announced the results of a random drawing between the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets for the second-worst record in the league. The Spurs and Rockets both finished with 22-60 records, so a random drawing needed to be held to decide who finished with the second-worst record for lottery purposes. The team with the second-worst record can fall no lower than the 6th pick in the lottery during a worst-case scenario. Now that the Spurs have the third-worst record, they can fall as low as the 7th pick in the lottery. The Spurs, Rockets, and Detroit Pistons have an equal 14% chance of landing the first overall pick in the May lottery.

11 Players on Guaranteed Deals

11 players have salaries with guaranteed deals next season in Keldon Johnson, Doug McDermott, Devonte' Graham, the 2023 first-round pick, Zach Collins (assuming he isn't waived), Khem Birch, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, and Charles Bassey. If these 11 players remain on the roster going into free agency on July 1, this will leave the Spurs with just four open roster spots going into free agency.

7 Players Entering Free Agency

The Spurs can have five players enter restricted free agency if they tender a qualifying offer to each player. Those five players are Romeo Langford, Tre Jones, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Dominick Barlow (for a two-way contract), and Julian Champagnie (for a two-way contract).

The Spurs will also have two players entering unrestricted free agency in Gorgui Dieng and Keita Bates-Diop.

Spurs’ Cap Space Potential

The Spurs are projected to open anywhere from $25.8 million to $36.7 million in cap space this offseason. If the Spurs use their cap space, they'll have access to the new $7.6 million room exception.

Devin Vassell Extension Watch

This offseason the Spurs will have the opportunity to extend Devin Vassell's contract before Vassell enters restricted free agency in the summer of 2024. 

• The Spurs going 22-60 in the 22-23 season
• Where the Spurs finished on offense and defense
• Initial thoughts on the end of the season

The Spurs going 22-60 in the 22-23 season

The San Antonio Spurs finished the 2022-2023 regular season with a 22-60 record. While the season wasn't a winning one to get into the playoffs, being able to finish with a bottom-3 record means the Spurs will have 14% lottery odds to land the number one overall pick in the draft lottery on May 16.

Finishing with 22 wins wasn't too much of a surprise for San Antonio when you consider Las Vegas set their over/under at 22.5. The team went in a youth direction by giving multiple young players and rookies key roles, while some veteran players on the team either got waived or were traded during the 82-game season.

Where the Spurs finished on offense and defense

The Spurs finished with the 29th-ranked offense and 30th-ranked defense. While they did struggle on offense, there were some areas where they finished in the top 10, such as pace, paint scoring, and assist percentage. The defensive end was a struggle for San Antonio, where they finished bottom 10 in multiple categories on that end of the floor.

Initial thoughts on the end of the season

In the final part of the episode, Joe and I provide a player rating score for how each player on the roster finished the season. Did the player have a surprising season, a season we kind of expected, or not quite the season we expected the player to have?

• The Spurs going 0-3 in their last 3 games
• Early details with the new CBA agreement
• Four Spurs selected to the 2023 Hall of Fame

The Spurs going 0-3 in their last 3 games

This past week the San Antonio Spurs' losing streak increased to six losses in a row with losses in their last three games at Boston, against Utah, and at Golden State. With five games left in the regular season, the Spurs have locked in a Bottom-3 record for a 14% chance at the number one pick in the NBA Draft lottery.

Early details of the new CBA agreement

Friday the NBA and the NBA Player's Association came to an agreement on a new CBA agreement that will be in place for the next seven seasons once it's fully written out. Some of the changes that will impact the Spurs immediately next season include: their ability to trade with tax teams that cross the new salary cap apron, larger trade exceptions for low-salary teams like the Spurs, a 30% increase to the room exception ( which the Spurs are projected to have this summer), a potential in-season tournament that begins in November, extensions for veterans going from 120% of their previous contract to 140% of their previous contract, and an additional two-way roster spot.

Four Spurs selected to 2023 Hall of Fame

Saturday the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the list of 2023 Hall of Fame inductees, and the list includes four current/former Spurs: Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich, former guard Tony Parker, former center Pau Gasol, and former WNBA guard and former Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon.

• The Spurs going 1-3 in their last 4 games
• Early Impressions of Sandro Mamukelashvili

The Spurs going 1-3 in their last 4 games

This past week the San Antonio Spurs made a 24-point comeback against the Atlanta Hawks, then fell in three consecutive road games by more than 15 points against the New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks, and Washington Wizards.

With eight regular-season games left, the Spurs have a 19-55 record that makes them the third-worst team in the league by the record, which would allow them to have 14% lottery odds for the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft lottery if that record holds.

To prevent injuries in the final two weeks of the season, the team is being cautious with the core rotation players, sitting multiple players every other game with injury management.

Early Impressions of Sandro Mamukelashvili

With 11 games logged in San Antonio, Mamukelashvili has shown his versatility on offense, by being able to score on drives near the rim and being able to space on offense by shooting the pick-and-pop or spot-up three-pointer.

Mamukelashvili has also displayed his ball movement ability, finding teammates on backdoor cuts for makes near the rim and in the open court with alley-oop passes. Mamukelashvili's defensive numbers don't pop off the page compared to his other Spurs teammates who play the 4 and 5.

Mamukelashvili will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and with four projected open roster spots, it's unknown if San Antonio will push to re-sign Mamukelashvili.

• The Spurs going 3-2 in their last 5 games
• Charles Bassey’s season-ending injury
• Zach Collins’ season overall

The Spurs going 3-2 in their last 5 games

The San Antonio Spurs surpassed expectations in their last 5 games, with wins over the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic, and losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, and Memphis Grizzlies. There was a chance for the Spurs to go 4-1 in their last five games, had they been able to win their two overtime games against Dallas and Memphis.

With 12 games left in the season, the Spurs have the second-worst record in the league which means 14% chance lottery odds for the number one overall pick, however, they're playing better basketball in their last 10 games, going 4-6. During their last 10 games, they have the 13th-ranked defense in the league. For the season as a whole, they still have the worst defense in the league.

Charles Bassey’s season-ending injury

Wednesday the Spurs announced Charles Bassey will miss the remainder of the season with a left knee cap injury. With Bassey out, the Spurs' frontcourt consists of Zach Collins, Jeremy Sochan, Keita Bates-Diop, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Dominick Barlow, and Gorgui Dieng.

Zach Collins’ season overall

Zach Collins has averaged 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 3.1 fouls, and 2 turnovers in 22 minutes per game. Collins has been one of the Spurs' Top-3 players more frequently since becoming the team's starting center after Jakob Poeltl was traded in early February.

Collins has shown his versatile ability on offense, where he can make the wide-open pick-and-pop or spot-up 3s, while also being able to scoring efficiently in the paint, where he's the team leader in post-up attempts. Collins also stands out compared to other bigs in the league in assist percentage.

Collins has scored 20 or more points in the last three games he's played in, with more made 3s taking place during those games.

Collins is outperforming his contract this season per ProFitX.ai.

The Spurs’ last three games

Roster moves for the team

Devonte’ Graham as a Spur

The Spurs’ last three games

The San Antonio Spurs went 1-2 in their last three games, with a win against the Indiana Pacers, and back-to-back losses against the Houston Rockets.

With 17 games left in the regular season, the Spurs have a 16-49 overall record, which is 14th out West and the third-worst record overall in the league. The Spurs have officially been eliminated from the playoffs in the Western Conference.

In having the third worst record in the league, the Spurs continue to give themselves a shot for 14% chance lottery odds for the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft lottery should they hold a bottom-3 record by the end of the season.

Roster moves for the team

Last Friday the Spurs waived Isaiah Roby and claimed Sandro Mamukelashvili off waivers and converted his contract into an NBA deal for the remainder of this season. With Mamukelashvili, the Spurs' roster remains full with 15 players on NBA deals and two players on two-way contracts.

Mamukelashvili has already played in two games since joining the team and has shown his ability to spread the floor as a big.

Devonte’ Graham as a Spur

Graham has played in 10 games since joining the Spurs via trade, and in that time, Graham has been the Spurs' third-leading scorer and he's second in assists per game. Graham is showing his high volume 3-point shooting ability, with the team seeing an increase in attempts and makes from three since Graham joined the team. Graham has also shown his ability to shoot pull-up 3s, where 55% of his outside attempts have been pull-up threes.

• The end of the franchise record 16-game losing streak
• Injury updates for the team
• Blake Wesley’s first 18 games

The end of the franchise record 16-game losing streak

The San Antonio Spurs ended their franchise-record 16-game losing streak Tuesday with an eight-point victory on the road at Utah. The Spurs also won their first game on the Rodeo Road Trip, finishing the trip 1-8 overall. Lastly, the Spurs ended their double-digit deficit losing streak. They're now 1-44 when trailing by 10 or more points in a game this season.

Injury updates for the team

There's a strong chance Devin Vassell returns to the court Thursday against the Indiana Pacers, with the team listing him as probable to play in the game. Vassell has missed the last two months of the season with a left knee injury, with his last game being on January 2.

The Spurs though might be without two of their lead playmakers, with Malaki Branham and Keldon Johnson both getting injured in the game Tuesday against Utah.

Blake Wesley’s first 18 games

Though he's only played in 18 games during his rookie season, Blake Wesley has stood out on the defensive end with his ability to anticipate and collect steals, deflect the ball from opponents, and rebound the ball on the defensive end at a high rate compared to other combo guards in the league.

With the injuries to Tre Jones and Branham, there could be a chance for Wesley to see increased minutes.

• The Spurs’ post-All-Star break loss to the Dallas Mavericks
• Injury updates regarding Devin Vassell and Malaki Branham
• The final games of the season for the Spurs, Rockets, Pistons, and Hornets

Spurs’ post-All-Star break loss to Dallas Mavericks

In their first game back from the All-Star break, the Spurs resumed their Rodeo Road Trip schedule with a Thursday game in Dallas. While the game was competitive for three quarters, the Mavericks' offense went on a quick run three minutes into the fourth quarter and Dallas' lead ballooned up to 19 points. By the end of the night, the Spurs were facing a 26-point loss.

The Spurs are now 0-7 on the rodeo road trip with two games left in Utah before heading home. The Spurs' franchise-record losing streak has continued, with the team dropping 15 games in a row.

Injury updates regarding Devin Vassell and Khem Birch

There's a chance Devin Vassell could make his return to the court next week on March 2 when the team returns to San Antonio against the Indiana Pacers. The Spurs will likely be cautious with bringing Vassell back, considering he's missed a lot of time due to the left knee procedure.

Regarding Khem Birch, he's suffering from a right knee injury and there's no timetable for when he'll return to the court with just 22 games left in the season. Birch was acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline as part of the Jakob Poeltl trade.

The final games of the season for the Spurs, Rockets, Pistons, and Hornets

The bottom four teams right now are the Rockets, Spurs, Pistons, and Hornets. When looking at the strength of schedule left and win projections, the battle for the worst record looks like it's going to come down to how the Rockets and Spurs finish the season.

• The Spurs in their last four games
• The Spurs at the All-Star Break
• Malaki Branham’s February Start
• Roster Moves

The Spurs in their last four games

The San Antonio Spurs went 0-4 in their last four games with losses on the road in Detroit, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Charlotte. The Spurs are 0-6 on their annual rodeo road trip with three games left on the trip after the All-Star break.

The Spurs at the All-Star Break

Heading into the All-Star break, the Spurs are 14-45 overall, with the second-worst record in the league when looking at lottery odds. The Spurs are on a franchise-record 14-game losing streak.

Malaki Branham’s February Start

In eight February games, rookie Malaki Branham is averaging 18.1 points while shooting 52% from the floor, 41% from three, and 71% from the free throw line, while increasing his shot volume, three-point attempts, rebounds, assists, and he's barely-seen an increase in turnovers. He's been driving the ball more and that is evident in his attempts at the rim and increased drives per game.

Roster Moves

This week the Spurs waived Stanley Johnson, then signed Charles Bassey to a new four-year deal. The Spurs also claimed Justin Champagnie off waivers to fill one of the vacant two-way roster spots after the Philadelphia 76ers waived Champagnie Tuesday. With Bassey and Champagnie on the team, the roster is full with 17 players going forward.

• Trade deadline week for the Spurs
• Where the roster stands
• The Spurs through 55 games

Trade deadline week for the Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs made three trades during trade deadline week and the Spurs ended up with one first-round pick and seven second-round picks when the trade deadline ended.

Tuesday - The Spurs acquired Dewayne Dedmon and a future second-round pick from the Miami Heat for cash considerations. The Spurs waived Dedmon on Thursday.

Thursday - The Spurs traded Jakob Poeltl to the Toronto Raptors for Khem Birch, a protected 2024 first-round pick and two future second-round picks.

The Spurs also traded Josh Richardson to New Orleans Thursday for Devonte' Graham and four future second-round picks. The reason the Spurs came away with four-second picks is because they took on Graham's contract, who had two years left on his deal.

Where the roster stands

The Spurs now have 14 players on guaranteed deals and two players on two-way deals. The Spurs have one roster spot available. The team has 27 games remaining this season while they're dealing with injuries to multiple players.

The Spurs through 55 games

The Spurs are 14-41 through 55 games with the third-worst record in the league and with the team in the middle of a 10-game losing streak. The Spurs aren't far behind from catching the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons from having a bottom-two record in the league.

 In Spurscast episode 685, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss: 

The Spurs’ last four games and 8-game losing streak

Malaki Branham’s back-to-back career high-scoring nights

The Spurs reportedly have interest in Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels

Hypothetical trades involving Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott

The Spurs’ last four games and 8-game losing streak

The San Antonio Spurs' last four losses were against the Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, and Philadelphia 76ers. With these losses, the Spurs are in the midst of their second 8-game losing streak of the season.

Through 53 games, the Spurs are 14-39 overall, with the 3rd worst record in the league, which means they would have a 14% chance lottery odds for the number one overall pick if they remain with the third-worst record by the end of the season. The Spurs begin their 9-game Rodeo Road Trip Monday on the road in Chicago.

Malaki Branham’s back-to-back career high-scoring nights

With Tre Jones getting injured, rookie Malaki Branham has had a chance to run more of the halfcourt offense in the pick-and-roll in the last two games. With getting this opportunity, Branham scored career highs with 22 points against Sacramento and then 26 points against Philadelphia on efficient shooting.

Branham has shown his 3-level scoring ability throughout the season, but with the injuries to the team, he's getting multiple opportunities to learn how to run the offense in the halfcourt as one of the lead ball handlers.

The Spurs reportedly have an interest in Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels

Monday the Athletic reported the Spurs are among a group of teams with trade interest in Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels. If the Spurs don't trade for McDaniels this coming week, they may try to pursue him in free agency this summer according to the report.

Hypothetical trades involving Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott

With the trade deadline approaching Thursday, Collin and I explore different hypothetical trade deals involving Poeltl, Richardson, and McDermott.

• Another 4-Game Losing Streak
• Trade rumors involving Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott
• Jeremy Sochan’s Shooting Improvement

Another 4-Game Losing Streak

The San Antonio Spurs are in the midst of their fourth four-game losing streak of the season, after suffering two losses to the Los Angeles Clippers, a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, and a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in their last four games.

Through 49 games, the Spurs are 14-35 overall, with the 28th-ranked offense and 30th-ranked defense. The Spurs have the fourth-worst record in the league still when looking at lottery odds for the number one overall pick.

Trade rumors involving Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott

Earlier this week Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.com provided some trade rumors surrounding Poeltl, Richardson, and McDermott.

As has been reported before, the Spurs reportedly are trying to acquire two first-round picks for Poeltl. In the event Richardson or McDermott are moved, the Spurs are likely getting back second-round picks in a potential deal.

The trade deadline is getting closer with the calendar flipping to February soon, with the date officially set for February 9,.

Jeremy Sochan’s Shooting Improvement

Prior to December 18, Sochan was shooting 41% from the free throw line according to CleaningTheGlass.com. His three-point accuracy was struggling during that period as well.

Since Sochan switched to shooting one-handed free throws, his accuracy from the charity stripe has improved to 75% since December 19. Sochan's two-handed shot from the three-point line has started to improve as well during that stretch.

• The Spurs in their last two games
• More Jakob Poeltl trade rumors
• A check-in on projected top players in the draft lottery

The Spurs in their last two games

The San Antonio Spurs went 1-1 in their last two games, with a loss to the Sacramento Kings, and then a win against the Brooklyn Nets. Keldon Johnson finished with a career-high 36 points in the win against the Nets and a career-high four steals.

Through 45 games, the Spurs have the 28th-ranked offense, 30th ranked defense, and they haven't moved in either direction in the overall standings. They're still 14th in the Western Conference standings, and they've got the 4th worst record in the league when looking toward the draft lottery.

More Jakob Poeltl trade rumors

Tuesday and Wednesday this week TheAthletic.com had two trade rumor articles that mentioned Spurs starting center Jakob Poeltl. The two known teams with interest in Poeltl are the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors per the articles.

The Spurs are asking for two first-round picks for Poeltl according to Jared Weiss of the Athletic.

A check-in on projected top players in the draft lottery

What if the Spurs don't end up with the number 1 or number 2 overall pick? If they can't draft Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson, here are some other draft prospects on different mock drafts projected in the 3-5 range:

At number 3: Amen Thompson, Brandon Miller, Nick Smith Jr.

At number 4: Amen T, Smith Jr., Miller, Cam Whitmore, Anthony Black

At number 5: Miller, Smith Jr., Whitmore, Ausar Thompson, Jarace Walker, Gradey Dick

• The Spurs going 0-3 in their last three games
• The Spurs through 43 games
• Another Jakob Poeltl trade rumor
• Tre Jones’ increased scoring

The Spurs going 0-3 in their last three games

This past week the Spurs went 0-3 with two losses on the road in Memphis and they got blown out in their attendance record setting game Friday against the Golden State Warriors.

While the Spurs were underdogs in all three games, they did push the games in Memphis into crunch time and in all three games, Tre Jones was the standout player for San Antonio.

The Spurs through 43 games

Through 43 games, the Spurs are 13-30 with the 27th ranked offense and 30th ranked defense. The team has the 4th worst record in the league when looking toward lottery projections and they're in the midst of a 4-game losing streak for a third time this season.

Another Jakob Poeltl trade rumor

Friday before the Spurs and Warriors game, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com said on ESPN that the Spurs are likely to see significant trade offers for center Jakob Poeltl with the NBA trade deadline approaching in early February.

Wojnarowski said while the Spurs wouldn't mind re-signing Poeltl for the future, if they were sent an offer they can't refuse like with the Dejounte Murray trade, they may end up moving Poeltl.

Tre Jones’ increased scoring

In the last six games Tre Jones has become close to a 20-point per game scorer for San Antonio, while he's still collecting assists with his ball movement to his teammates. With Devin Vassell out due to a left knee procedure, Jones has become more aggressive on the offensive end, adding almost five more shots per game in the last six games.

For Jones, this shows his ability to be adaptable in not just being a balanced point guard who scores and moves the ball when Vassell and Keldon Johnson are in the lineup, but also how he can be an aggressive scorer when the team needs more scoring.

• The Spurs going 2-4 in their last 6 games
• The Spurs through 40 games
• Roster moves this past week
• Trade Rumors

The Spurs going 2-4 in their last 6 games

The San Antonio Spurs went 2-4 in their last 6 games, defeating the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons, but falling to the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Knicks, and Boston Celtics.

During this stretch, the Spurs also announced Devin Vassell will undergo a left knee procedure, which will keep him on the injured list with no timetable of when he'll return.

The team will provide updates as appropriate, but Head Coach Gregg Popovich mentioned to the media he thinks Vassell could return after the All-Star break.

The Spurs through 40 games

Through 40 games, the Spurs have the 27th-ranked offense and the 30th-ranked defense. The team is 14th out West in the standings and they have the 4th worst record in the league when looking at lottery odds for June.

Roster moves this past week

The Spurs made multiple roster moves this past week with the team waiving Gorgui Dieng Thursday, then the team trading for and waiving Noah Vonleh from the Boston Celtics. Along with Vonleh, the Spurs acquired cash considerations from the Celtics and San Antonio traded a 2024 second-round pick that is protected 31-54 according to Bobby Marks of ESPN.com.

Saturday Stanley Johnson's contract is fully guaranteed for the rest of the season, which means the Spurs have 14 players on guaranteed contracts. Lastly, on Sunday, the Spurs re-signed Dieng to a 10-day contract.

The Spurs now have $27.7 million in cap space and they're $15.9 million from reaching the salary floor with the trade deadline arriving in the next month on February 9, 2023.

Trade Rumors

Saturday Eric Pincus of BleacherReport.com wrote about the latest trade rumors he's been hearing about the Spurs. Those trade rumors are discussed in the episode.

• The Spurs in their last 6 games
• The Spurs through 34 games
• Malaki Branham in his last 6 games
• Jeremy Sochan in his last 5 games
• Stanley Johnson getting rotation minutes

The Spurs in their last 6 games

The San Antonio Spurs went 2-4 in their last six games, with wins against the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz, while they suffered losses to the Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Spurs through 34 games

Through 34 games, the Spurs are 11-23 overall, with the 28th-ranked offense and 30th-ranked defense. The Spurs have the 4th worst record in the league, meaning if the lottery were held today, they'd have a 12.5% chance at the number one overall pick in the NBA draft.

Malaki Branham in his last 6 games

In his last six games, rookie Malaki Branham has been productive off the bench, averaging 12 points on seven shot attempts, with two assists, and two turnovers in 21 minutes (stats rounded).

The coaching staff has put the ball in his hands more often, having him run the backup point guard role and he's displayed his 3-level scoring ability.

With Branham playing well, could the chances increase for Josh Richardson to be traded before the February trade deadline?

Jeremy Sochan in his last 5 games

Sochan has been more aggressive on offense in his last five games, where he's averaging 14 points on 12 shot attempts, with four assists and two turnovers in 28 minutes per game (stats rounded).

Sochan has also begun to rebuild his jump shot by attempting free throws with just one hand.

Stanley Johnson getting rotation minutes

Unlike former Spurs, Jordan Hall and Alize Johnson, who mainly played in garbage time when they were on the Spurs, recent addition Stanley Johnson have been getting rotation minutes off the bench at the wing position.

In his seven games, the veteran Johnson is averaging six points on four shot attempts, with two assists, one turnover, two rebounds, one foul, one steal, and one block in 13 minutes per night (stats rounded).

Johnson has earned early minutes by being physical on defense and setting the tone on that end of the court for the team.

In Spurscast episode 679, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and the NBA Editorial Director for Fansided, Josh Paredes discuss: 

• The Spurs in their last four games
• Jakob Poeltl trade rumors
• Keldon Johnson Attacking the Paint
• Spurs signing Stanley Johnson

The Spurs in their last four games

The San Antonio Spurs were underdogs in all four of their last four games, but by the time the four games were completed, the Spurs finished with a 3-1 record. The Spurs ended their 11-game losing streak with a win over the Houston Rockets, then they went on the road and defeated the Heat in Miami, followed by a home win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Being on a 3-game win streak going into Wednesday, the Spurs were without both Jakob Poeltl and Zach Collins against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Spurs struggled defensively against Portland and their 3-game win streak was snapped.

The Spurs are now 9-19 through 28 games, with the 29th-ranked offense and 30th-ranked defense.

Jakob Poeltl Trade Rumors

With December 15 arriving Thursday, 74 players who signed free-agent deals across the NBA are eligible to be traded. This means trade rumors and activity will likely start being mentioned more frequently until the February trade deadline.

Jakob Poeltl's name came up in a recent Yahoo! Sports article. Other players to watch in trade rumors going forward are Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott.

Keldon Johnson Attacking the Paint

After struggling with his outside shot toward the end of November, Keldon Johnson has made a new decision in his shot selection by attacking more often.

Through six December games, Johnson has scored 10 or more paint points with his new emphasis on attacking the rim multiple times instead of shooting from outside first.

Spurs signing Stanley Johnson

This week the Spurs waived Alize Johnson and signed veteran Stanley Johnson.

In Spurscast episode 678, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss: 

• The Spurs in their last 3 games
• The Spurs through 24 games
• Keldon Johnson before and after mid-November
• The Spurs’ 3-point shooting

The Spurs in their last 3 games

In their last three games, the San Antonio Spurs fell on the road in Oklahoma City, then lost to the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns in the AT&T Center. 

According to Vegas, the Spurs were expected to go 0-3 in those last three games, but, in that game against the Thunder, the Spurs had their best chance to end their 11-game losing streak when they built a 17-point lead. 

The Spurs through 24 games

Through 24 games, the Spurs are 6-18, 15th out West, and with the second-worst record in the league. If they lose three games in a row, they'll have a new franchise record 14-game losing streak. The Spurs rank 29th offensively and 30th defensively through 24 games. 

Keldon Johnson before and after mid-November

Digging through the data, after November 18 is when Keldon Johnson began to struggle in multiple games. There could be a culmination of factors for why Johnson began to struggle with defenses keying in on him as a go-to player, and with multiple rotation players starting to miss games due to injury. One major factor in Johnson's drop in scoring efficiency has been his struggles from the outside. 

The Spurs’ 3-point shooting

With Johnson struggling from three and Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson being on the injured list, the Spurs have been struggling from the 3-point line as a team. Lately, they're having difficulty getting over a point per shot on their wide-open three-point attempts, and defenses have started allowing more wide-open threes for San Antonio. 

In Spurscast episode 677, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss: 

• The Spurs in their last 5 games
• The Spurs are a quarter of the way through the season
• Alize Johnson signing again with San Antonio
• Isaiah Roby off the bench

The Spurs in their last 5 games

In the midst of an eight-game losing streak, the San Antonio Spurs went 0-5 in their last five games. The Spurs had four double-digit losses to the Clippers, Lakers, and Pelicans, and a close loss to the Lakers in their most recent game.

In their final game against the Lakers Saturday, Jakob Poeltl and Jeremy Sochan both left the game early due to injuries.

The Spurs are a quarter of the way through the season

Through 21 games of the season, the Spurs have a 6-15 record, sit 14th out West, and have the fourth-worst record in the league. San Antonio's offense ranks 28th and their defense ranks 30th.

The Spurs are trying to end their 8-game losing streak, with their next chance coming Wednesday in Oklahoma City.

Alize Johnson signing again with San Antonio

Tuesday the Spurs waived guard Jordan Hall in order to sign forward Alize Johnson. Johnson was previously on the team during training camp and the preseason, but he was eventually waived before the regular season roster was set.

Johnson will provide more frontcourt depth off the bench for the team after the recent injuries to Poeltl and Sochan, as well as Keita Bates-Diop being questionable with an ankle injury for the game Wednesday against the Thunder.

Isaiah Roby off the bench

In 16 games, Isaiah Roby has averaged 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist in 13 minutes per game. In his limited minutes, Roby has shown the ability to spread the floor with his outside shooting both from the corners and the above the break three.

 Spurscast Ep. 676 Time Stamps 

00:00 - Introduction 

00:46 - The Spurs through their last 4 games. 

02:52 - Discussing the young Spurs team's inexperience.    

07:23 - Jakob Poeltl Trade Rumors 

14:29 - Jeremy Sochan's rookie start by the numbers 

25:44 - Spurs reach a settlement in the Primo lawsuit 

27:29 - End Show

Follow Paul Garcia on Twitter @PaulGarciaNBA

Follow Joe Garcia on Twitter @twoshotspodcast

On today's episode of the Spurscast, Paul Garcia is joined by NBA editorial director for Fan Sided, Josh Paredes. They will discuss the Spurs in their last two games, including Charles Bassey coming off the bench, Tre Jones running the point, and Zach Collins heading to the injury list. They will also discuss the team's most recent loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Spurs despite the losses have been playing well. The team's effort has been there and the young players are showing a lot of promise. Both Paul Garcia and Josh Paredes agree that a big reason for the loss was Ja Morant and the fact that the Spurs don't have a good roster to handle him. They also discuss how Devin Vassell stepped up and took shots without hesitation, which is something that they want to see more from him. The Spurs are currently on a five-game losing streak, but they are still working to improve their game.

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction

01:10 Spurs Loss To Denver & The Team's Losing Streak

02:33 The Team Establishing Good Habits

03:14 Recapping The Team's Loss To The Grizzlies

04:29 The Spurs played Ja Morant better than is past seasons

05:52 Where do the Spurs currently stand in the West?

06:30 Spurs injury report

08:53 Coach Pop has trimmed the rotation down

09:27 Charles Bassey off the bench

12:38 Tre Jones running the point

19:11 Ending the show

Follow Paul Garcia on Twitter @PaulGarciaNBA

Follow Josh Paredes on Twitter @Josh810

In Spurscast episode 674, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Pounding the Rock writer Bruno Passos discuss:

• The Spurs through 10 games
• The Top-10 and Bottom-10 areas for the Spurs on offense and defense
• The starters and players off the bench
• The latest in the Josh Primo legal dispute
• The Spurs’ roster at the moment

The Spurs through 10 games

Through 10 games, the San Antonio Spurs are a .500 ball club with a 5-5 record. After some early impressive wins against Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Chicago, the Spurs are facing a 3-game losing streak against Toronto, the Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver.

The Top-10 and Bottom-10 areas for the Spurs on offense and defense

The Spurs have more strengths on offense 10 games into the season compared to the defensive end of the floor.

The Spurs are Top-10 in pace, assists, floater makes, 3-point shooting, and wide-open 3-point shooting.

Turnovers, the Spurs' offense overall, the Spurs' finishing near the rim, and getting to the free-throw line are areas of concern for the team.

On defense, one of the bright spots for the team is not putting their opponents on the free-throw line.

In terms of concerns, the Spurs have multiple areas they'll have to work on this season including their overall defense, opponents' offensive rebounding percentage, and opponent shooting inside and outside.

The starters and players off the bench

The Spurs' starters Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Jakob Poeltl, Tre Jones, and Jeremy Sochan are discussed in the episode, as well as second-unit players Josh Richardson, Zach Collins, Doug McDermott, Malaki Branham, and Keita Bates-Diop.

The latest in the Josh Primo legal dispute

On Friday, October 28, the Spurs waived guard, Josh Primo. On Thursday, November 03, former Spurs licensed psychologist Dr. Hillary Cauthen, represented by attorney Tony Buzbee, announced a lawsuit against Primo and the San Antonio Spurs for Primo allegedly indecently exposing himself to Dr. Cauthen nine times in private sessions, and the lawsuit against the Spurs is because they allegedly ignored Dr. Cauthen's complaints when she notified Spurs management.

Primo's attorney William J. Briggs II responded to the allegations by saying they were false and misleading. Spurs Sports and Entertainment CEO R.C. Buford issued the following statement Thursday: “We disagree with the accuracy of facts, details, and timeline presented today. While we would like to share more information, we will allow the legal process to play out. Our organization remains committed to upholding the highest standards and will continue to live by our values and culture.”

Friday, November 04, the San Antonio Express-News reported the Bexar County Sheriff's Office has opened a preliminary investigation into the allegations.

The Spurs’ roster at the moment

With Primo waived and Blake Wesley suffering a Grade 3 left MCL sprain, the Spurs signed Jordan Hall to a non-guaranteed contract that fully guarantees on January 10, 2023. Hall was recently on a two-way contract with the Spurs during training camp and the preseason.

• The Spurs’ surprising 5-game start to the season
• The Spurs on both ends of the floor
• Analysis of the Spurs’ core rotation players
• Charles Bassey being signed to a two-way contract
• A trade rumor involving Josh Richardson

The Spurs’ surprising 5-game start to the season

The San Antonio Spurs, underdogs in every game this season, are off to a surprising 3-2 start with impressive road wins in Philadelphia and Minnesota. The Spurs finished their first road trip of the season going 3-1.

The Spurs on both ends of the floor

Through five games, the Spurs have the 11th-ranked offense and the 24th-ranked defense. A key reason for the Spurs' strong start on offense has been catching opponents off guard with their pace, their ball movement, and their 3-point shooting.

Analysis of the Spurs’ core rotation players

With All-Star Dejounte Murray now in Atlanta, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson have taken the responsibility of being the go-to players for San Antonio. The Spurs still have Jakob Poeltl as their anchor on defense and he moves the ball on offense, while Tre Jones has been steady in his new role as the starting point guard. Rookie Jeremy Sochan is showing off his defensive versatility, while his offense has been improving game by game.

Off the bench, veteran shooters Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott have been efficient in their minutes, while Josh Primo has been creating for his teammates, but struggling to score. Zach Collins rounds out the bench unit and he's been efficient with his blocks in each game.

Charles Bassey being signed to a two-way contract

Monday the Spurs waived two-way guard Jordan Hall and signed Bassey to a two-way contract.

A trade rumor involving Josh Richardson

The Los Angeles Lakers have explored early interest in Richardson according to Shams Charania of the Athletic.

In Spurscast episode 672, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses:

• The Spurs’ finalized roster to begin the regular season
• The season-opening loss to the Charlotte Hornets

The Regular Season Roster Finalized

In order to get their roster to the NBA requirement of 15 players and two two-way players by opening night, the San Antonio Spurs had to waive 3-point shooter Joe Wieskamp.

The final roster spot came down to Wieskamp and Romeo Langford during training camp and the preseason, and Langford win out the last roster spot.

By making the opening night roster, both Tre Jones and Keita Bates-Diop saw their contracts go from non-guaranteed to fully guaranteed deals.

Though their roster is set, trades are still a possibility for this season with the team having $30 million in cap space. If other teams are trying to move a player with a large contract and attaching future draft picks in a deal, the Spurs would be in the ideal position to participate in that type of trade.

Season Opening Loss to Charlotte

Wednesday the Spurs opened their season with a 27-point loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets built a 20-point lead in the first half, the Spurs got within 10 points in the third quarter, but Charlotte answered and ended up building a 35-point lead.

Keldon Johnson was the stand-out player for the Spurs with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists.

The Spurs struggled from the 3-point line while the opposite happened for Charlotte.

Though it's just one game, the opening game shows a glimpse of how young players Josh Primo, Keldon Johnson, and Devin Vassell will have more responsibility to create for themselves and others by looking at the early drive's data.

Follow Paul Garica On Twitter @PaulGarciaNBA