The Spurs may be loading up on star power, but the real swing factor next season could be the players who don’t usually grab the headlines. With Victor Wembanyama drawing attention, a stronger roster around him, and clearer roles taking shape, San Antonio has several guys positioned to outplay expectations.
Tobias Harris looks like the biggest beneficiary of the whole setup.
He’s been around elite talent before, but this is a different kind of offensive environment. The source of the pressure won’t just be Wembanyama, even if his gravity is massive. Stephon Castle’s playmaking, De’Aaron Fox’s ability to collapse defenses, and Dylan Harper’s downhill force all change the math for Harris.
That matters because Harris won’t have to manufacture nearly as much on his own. The looks should come to him. His job is simple enough: get to his spots and knock them down.
With his experience, he should be able to live off open shots, smart cuts, and the mismatches created by all the attention elsewhere. Sometimes the veteran who isn’t burdened with too much responsibility ends up being the most efficient player on the floor. Harris has a real chance to be that kind of guy.
Devin Vassell is in line for the kind of season where defenses keep losing track of him.
He’ll benefit from the same core attention that helps Harris, but as a starter he gets even more of the advantage of sharing the floor with Castle and Wembanyama. Both players are expected to keep climbing, and that should leave Vassell with less pressure than he’s ever had.
He already showed Spurs Nation what he can do in the playoffs. Next season, the path is there for him to build on that by cashing in on the open looks that come his way.
When talented players start developing real chemistry, it becomes a problem for everyone else. San Antonio is getting there.
Vassell’s game fits that kind of environment. He can read what his teammates are doing, react quickly, and find the right windows to cut or slide into space as an outlet.
The more comfortable the group gets with each other, the easier it becomes for him to thrive. If he makes the most of it, he’s set up for a big year.
And then there’s Tarris Reed Jr., who could end up being one of the more useful surprises on the roster.
Late-round picks usually have to fight for every minute they get, but Reed may not have to wait long. Jayden Quaintance is expected to miss the start of the season, which opens backup minutes to split with Luke Kornet. Mitch Johnson is also expected to at least test whether the former UConn standout can play alongside Vic.
Reed brings exactly what the Spurs were missing at times last season: more size, more rebounding, and more physicality in the frontcourt. He pairs that with a strong motor and a willingness to do whatever’s asked of him.
That kind of approach can win a coach over quickly. He doesn’t need to put up 15 points a night to beat expectations. If he does the dirty work, plays hard, and shows he belongs in the rotation, he’ll have done his job.
If the Spurs are going to chase a title, the stars won’t be enough on their own. The role players have to deliver too. Harris, Vassell, and Reed all have a chance to do exactly that, and if they do, Mitch Johnson could be looking at one of the deepest, most reliable rotations in the NBA.
In Other News...
Devin Vassell May Be The Spurs Most Important Sacrifice
Devin Vassell has already shown how valuable he can be to the Spurs in the version of the roster they are trying to build. Once viewed more as a primary scoring option, he has settled into a complementary 3-and-D role around Victor Wembanyama, DeAaron Fox and Stephon Castle, and that shift has given San Antonio a cleaner fit on both ends of the floor. His work in the 2026 NBA Playoffs only reinforced that point, with steady scoring and the kind of perimeter defense the Spurs need from a wing in a bigger picture.
What makes Vassell such an interesting piece is that his value may depend less on what he can do with the ball than on how fully he accepts what the Spurs ask of him. San Antonio added more depth this summer, but the teams ceiling still hinges on whether Vassell keeps embracing the role that lets the rest of the roster breathe. If he does, the Spurs have a better chance of turning talent into something much harder to stop. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Fans Suddenly Face A Stephen Curry Rumor Dilemma
The idea of Stephen Curry ending up in San Antonio has started to circulate in the kind of speculative corners that always light up when a star team slips and a big name feels suddenly less untouchable. Media chatter has helped fuel it, with hypothetical trade constructions floating around that would ask the Spurs to part with major assets if they ever wanted to chase a player of Currys stature.
For Spurs fans, the real dilemma is less about whether the rumor is real and more about what it would cost if it ever moved beyond talk. Any serious swing would almost certainly force the front office to weigh its prized young core and future draft capital, and that is where the conversation gets uncomfortable fast. The question hanging over it all is whether the Warriors situation is merely a backdrop for internet speculation or the kind of opening that could eventually make a blockbuster feel less far-fetched. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Fans Are Already Asking Too Much Of Stephon Castle
Stephon Castles first playoff run offered plenty for Spurs fans to latch onto before the Finals ever became the loudest part of the conversation. Through the first three rounds, the rookie looked far more polished than the usual postseason newcomer, scoring efficiently, setting up teammates and showing the kind of two-way poise that makes him such a natural fit next to Victor Wembanyama.
The Finals, especially Game 5, brought a tougher stretch and a reminder that young guards can get exposed on the biggest stage. Even so, it would be a mistake to let one rough series overshadow the broader picture, because Castles postseason hinted at a player who can grow into much more than a promising sidekick if the Spurs give him time to keep climbing. [Read more 🡒]