The San Antonio Spurs didn’t walk away with the NBA Cup trophy Tuesday night, but if recent history tells us anything, that loss might just be the start of something much bigger.
Look back just two years: the Indiana Pacers fell short in the inaugural NBA Cup final in 2023. A year later, they were in the NBA Finals.
Same story with the Oklahoma City Thunder, who lost the 2024 Cup final and then made a deep playoff run that ended on the league’s biggest stage. Neither of those teams cashed in on the $500,000 per player prize from the Cup, but what they did get was invaluable-high-pressure experience in a playoff-style environment, the kind that tends to pay off when the stakes get even higher in May and June.
The NBA Cup: A Glimpse Into the Future
What’s becoming clear is that the NBA Cup is more than just a midseason distraction-it’s becoming a proving ground for teams on the rise. The pattern is hard to ignore: the Pacers, Thunder, and now the Spurs all share a familiar blueprint. Each team featured a young, emerging star surrounded by a roster built on recent lottery picks and promising prospects.
Take the 2024 Thunder, for example. Even without Chet Holmgren-who was sidelined during the Cup-they showed they could hang with the league’s best.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was in the thick of his MVP-level season, and Jalen Williams was on the verge of a breakout. Add in savvy offseason additions like Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, and you had a team that wasn’t just talented-they were dangerous.
The year before, it was the Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton was electric in the Cup’s knockout rounds, averaging 26.5 points per game and proving he could lead a team under pressure.
Aaron Nesmith stepped up in a big way, earning a permanent spot in the starting lineup shortly after the tournament. That Cup run gave Indiana the confidence-and perhaps the urgency-to swing big.
One month later, they traded for All-Star Pascal Siakam. Eighteen months later, they were in the Finals.
Wembanyama and the Spurs Are Next in Line
Now, it’s San Antonio’s turn. Victor Wembanyama is already showing flashes of superstardom, and his 22-point performance in just 21 minutes during the Cup semifinal win over OKC was another reminder of just how special he can be.
He’s not alone, either. The Spurs are loaded with top-end young talent: Stephen Castle and Dylan Harper, both top-four picks in the last two drafts, are already making an impact.
And then there’s De’Aaron Fox, a proven All-Star guard who gives this young group a steady, explosive presence in the backcourt.
This is a team with a foundation-and now, with this Cup run, they’ve got a taste of what it feels like to play under the bright lights. That matters.
But the Cup final also exposed something the Spurs will need to address. When opponents have time to scout and scheme specifically for them-as the Knicks did with a two-day break before the final-they’re beatable.
It’s not unlike what happened against the Warriors back in November, when Golden State took them down in back-to-back games. Of course, it took some Steph Curry magic to seal those wins, but the point stands: this young Spurs team is still learning how to adjust when the game slows down and the spotlight intensifies.
What Comes Next?
No, this doesn’t mean we should pencil the Spurs into the 2027 NBA Finals just yet. But it does suggest they’re closer than many might have thought. And if the trend continues-if Cup heartbreak really is a precursor to a Finals breakthrough-then San Antonio may be next in line.
The Spurs front office now has a clearer picture of what this group can do, and what it still needs. Don’t be surprised if they explore a major move this summer to accelerate the timeline.
They’ve already proven they can hang with the defending champs in a one-off game. The next step is figuring out how to do it in a seven-game series.
The loss stings, sure. But for a young team with a generational talent in the middle and a roster full of upside, this might just be the spark that lights the fire.