The Spurs didn’t sit still after their impressive 2025-26 NBA season. With Sean Sweeney gone to take the Orlando Magic job, San Antonio moved quickly to reinforce the coaching staff, and the answer came in the form of a familiar heavyweight: Billy Donovan.
Donovan is stepping in as the lead assistant under head coach Mitch Johnson, giving the Spurs a veteran presence to pair with a younger coach who has already done plenty of strong work with the group. For a team that wants to keep improving in every area, it’s the kind of addition that makes immediate sense.
Donovan brings a long track record. He’s a Basketball Hall of Fame coach with success at both the college and NBA levels, including runs with the Florida Gators, the Oklahoma City Thunder and, most recently, six seasons as the head coach of the Chicago Bulls. His NBA résumé may not match what he accomplished in college, but he’s still widely regarded as one of the most trusted basketball minds in the game.
That reputation is exactly why Gregg Popovich and the rest of the staff were on board with bringing him in for the 2026-27 season and beyond.
Donovan said he was eager to get started and spoke about the early conversation that helped bring him to San Antonio.
"San Antonio had called during the Playoffs, thinking they would be losing some staff members, and I didn't really know what to think of it. When I got to talk to Mitch Johnson, the head coach whom I have respect for. I'm just hoping in some way that I can help and bring value," .
He’s walking into a situation where the roster already has talent and Johnson has spent the past season building up the group. Now Donovan joins the mix as another experienced voice, and one who figures to be especially important in Johnson’s ear as the Spurs continue shaping what comes next.
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His impact reaches beyond the Spurs, too. Wembanyama has been part of Frances international program, including the 2024 Olympics, and is now in the mix for the 2027 FIBA Mens World Cup qualifiers alongside teammate Evan Fournier. Fournier has been open about how much Wembanyamas presence means, and it is another reminder that the Spurs centerpiece is shaping more than one locker room as his rise continues. [Read more 🡒]
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What makes this first look especially interesting is that San Antonio still has two spots that feel genuinely unsettled. One centers on the lead guard role, where the team has options with different styles, and another sits at power forward, where the mix of youth and veteran presence could push the rotation in different directions. Preseason games do not settle everything, but this one could reveal which way Johnson is leaning before the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Have A Tough Backcourt Decision They Cant Avoid
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The tension is obvious: the Spurs still have faith in Fox, but they also have to decide what matters most, patience or production. If Fox does not come back quickly from the postseason and Finals struggles that raised real questions, the pressure will only grow to lean harder into Harpers rise and let him take on a bigger role. For a team trying to win sooner rather than later, this is not a depth-chart debate they can simply wait out. [Read more 🡒]