Tobias Harris may not be the first name that comes to mind when you picture a Victor Wembanyama breakout, but that’s exactly where the San Antonio Spurs could find a sneaky edge. The veteran forward brings the obvious stuff: he can hit threes, work the mid-range, and punish smaller defenders in the post. The less obvious piece is the one that might matter most for Wembanyama’s MVP push.
As Spurs analyst Paul Garcia has pointed out, a huge chunk of Harris’ assists last season went to Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren. That matters because Harris has shown he can deliver lobs, even when he’s attacking closeouts. If he could set up Duren, there’s reason to believe he can do the same for Wembanyama.
That kind of passing would fit neatly into what San Antonio is building around its star. Wembanyama’s rookie year was a different world, when Tre Jones was the only player who could consistently get him the ball.
The Spurs are in a much better place now. Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Devin Vassell all give San Antonio more ways to feed him in the paint, and Harris adds another layer to that group.
The fit works because Harris can do more than stand around and wait for a catch-and-shoot look. He can stretch the floor, drive, and put the ball in the air for an alley-oop. That combination matters next to Wembanyama, because better spacing and more playmakers around him should make the offense cleaner across the board.
And Wembanyama doesn’t need to live on the block to maximize that. The source of his best offense is elsewhere: out of the post, where he can take open threes, attack closeouts, and roll hard in pick-and-roll action. That’s where he’s most dangerous, and that’s where Harris can help amplify things.
Wembanyama is already among the best catch-and-shoot centers in the league, and the space he creates pulls opposing bigs away from the rim. If defenders stay home too long, he can drive into the paint and kick to shooters like Harris.
If they scramble late, the chain reaction can leave Harris open from deep. And if Harris puts the ball on the floor, that can drag Wembanyama’s defender over just enough to open a lob window.
That’s where Harris offers something Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes do not. Pairing Wembanyama with a forward who can both shoot and create off the bounce should mean more easy baskets next season. Last year, Wembanyama averaged 25 points per game, fueled by 89 lobs and plenty more precise passes around the rim.
In Other News...
Spurs Core Debate Just Took A Surprising De'Aaron Fox Turn
The Spurs have been sorting out what their next core really looks like around Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, and De'Aaron Fox has become a more interesting part of that conversation than some expected. After a rough NBA Finals showing elsewhere prompted outside chatter about whether he should be moved, the Spurs have continued to treat Fox as more than a short-term addition, valuing what he can bring to both the present roster and what comes next.
Castle helped underline that internal view by describing the group in a way that included Fox right alongside himself and Harper, a small but telling sign of how San Antonio sees its locker room. For a team trying to build stability while layering talent around Wembanyama, the message is less about a debate and more about confidence in the players already in place, even if the public conversation keeps trying to push Fox toward the trade rumor mill. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Linked To Risky Veteran Move That Could Reshape The Backcourt
The Spurs backcourt remains one of the more intriguing parts of their roster puzzle, and a new mock trade proposal has only added to the conversation. In the scenario, San Antonio would use De'Aaron Fox and Luke Kornet as part of a deal with Dallas, with the idea being to address both teams roster and salary concerns while reshaping the Spurs guard rotation in a major way.
What makes the idea so delicate is the veteran name at the center of it. Kyrie Irving still carries obvious upside, but his injury status and contract situation make any pursuit feel far less straightforward than a normal swap, and San Antonio would have to weigh the appeal of a proven creator against the risk attached to his availability and long-term fit. For now, it remains only a speculative proposal, but it is the kind of framework that hints at how aggressively the Spurs could look to move if the right opportunity presents itself. [Read more 🡒]
De'Aaron Fox Just Reached A Defining Point With The Spurs
De'Aaron Fox arrives in San Antonio with a familiar kind of burden for a player his age and profile. The Spurs acquired him after his run in Sacramento, where he helped end a long playoff drought and reminded the league he could be the engine of a turnaround. Now 29, he is stepping into a new chapter with a franchise that is still trying to climb back into championship form, and his role is about more than putting up numbers. It is about reestablishing himself as the kind of star who can steady a team and shape its direction.
For Fox, the timing makes this a defining stretch. San Antonio did not bring him in to simply blend in with the roster and wait for the next phase of team-building. They need him to be part of the reason the Spurs can turn promise into something bigger, and his track record gives him a case for that kind of trust. The larger question now is whether this stop becomes another strong chapter in a respected career, or the stage where he ultimately proves he can drive a contender all the way to the top. [Read more 🡒]