The San Antonio Spurs have room to make one more move in free agency, and that’s why their name keeps getting tossed around with a mix of stars and familiar faces.
LeBron James is still on their radar, though that possibility looks slimmer now that the Spurs added Tobias Harris. Other names in the mix include second-round picks Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Maliq Brown, veterans Lindy Waters and Kelly Olynyk, and even De'Mar DeRozan.
DeRozan’s resume still jumps off the page. He averaged 18.4 points on 49.7 percent shooting for the Sacramento Kings last season, and he remains one of the league’s all-time great scorers. But a return to San Antonio would not make much sense for either side.
"San Antonio showed this year that they are ready to contend," wrote NBA Analysis' Eoin Morris. "One of the biggest reasons they fell short against the New York Knicks was a lack of experience. The veteran leadership of DeRozan could be exactly what they need."
That’s the argument for bringing him back. The reality is more complicated.
DeRozan’s time with the Spurs helped extend his career in a major way. Gregg Popovich never unlocked defensive impact or outside shooting from him, but he did turn DeRozan into a strong passer and playmaker, which became a key part of the next phase of his career. That added layer helped him earn back-to-back All-Star selections with the Chicago Bulls.
The Spurs acquired DeRozan in 2018 in the trade that sent Kawhi Leonard to Toronto. DeRozan never wanted to leave the Raptors, and San Antonio was not his preferred landing spot. Still, over three seasons with the Silver and Black, he put up 21.6 points and 6.2 assists per game.
He has spoken highly of the organization since moving on, and he would clearly bring talent to a roster that already includes Harris and Julian Champagnie. But the biggest reason a reunion would appeal to him is gone now.
During his three seasons in Texas, DeRozan became close with Popovich, who later wrote the foreword to DeRozan’s memoir, "Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm." DeRozan would likely want to play for Popovich, not just for the Spurs, and that part of the relationship is over.
He remains one of the better free agents available. Even so, the cleaner fit is for DeRozan to land somewhere else.
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The part that makes this season so intriguing is not just whether Wembanyama can collect another trophy for himself, but whether he can do it while lifting the Spurs to the kind of team success that turns great players into legends. Winning MVP and a championship in the same season has been reserved for a tiny group in NBA history, and San Antonio is now close enough to that kind of conversation to make it matter. Wembanyama will still be young enough to make the achievement feel almost unfair, but the bigger question is whether the Spurs can turn promise into the sort of run that leaves no doubt. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Fans Calling For A Fox Trade Are Missing One Reality
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The problem for anyone pushing a trade is that the Spurs do not have an obvious answer waiting behind him, and they are about to be tied to the kind of money that makes deals harder to navigate. If one of the main guards misses time, the fallback options are thin, which is why moving Fox would not just be a roster change. It would force San Antonio to solve a problem it already knows how valuable he is at solving. [Read more 🡒]