The Spurs may be nearly finished shaping their offseason, but one roster question still hangs there: who gets the last spot?
With the Victor Wembanyama extension and the Jordan McLaughlin re-signing already in the books, San Antonio is basically done unless something dramatic happens on the trade front. The team is sitting just under the luxury tax, which leaves very little room to maneuver in free agency even though one standard roster opening remains.
There is, however, one narrow path to adding a 15th player without going over the tax line. The Spurs have enough flexibility to sign a player with zero years of experience, which means a rookie could still claim that final seat on the bench.
That puts Maliq Brown and Ja’Kobi Gillespie squarely in the conversation.
The two 2026 second-round picks were taken 42nd and 44th overall in June and initially landed on two-way deals. Now, either one could be in line for a standard contract if San Antonio decides to convert one of them.
It’s not hard to see why the Spurs would keep both names close. Brown and Gillespie have both flashed in Summer League, and both have shown an understanding of what they do best. More importantly, both fit needs on this roster.
Gillespie brings a skill set the Spurs can use right away. He’s undersized, but he can really shoot it and handle the ball, which gives him a real chance to grow into a backup guard role. San Antonio’s lack of creation and perimeter scoring showed up during the 2026 playoffs, especially when De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle were struggling, and Gillespie could help in those areas.
Brown offers a different kind of value. He’s a versatile defender who plays with effort and puts winning first. He looks like the kind of player fans would quickly embrace, and he could eventually develop into a trusted rotation piece in meaningful games.
For a team working under tight financial limits, the answer may already be in the building. If San Antonio decides to upgrade one of those two-way deals, Brown or Gillespie could get the kind of opportunity that changes the course of a young career - and gives the Spurs a low-cost swing with real upside.
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Now the question is how much to disturb that formula with Dylan Harper and Tobias Harris in the mix. Harper brings the kind of talent that can reshape a rotation, but there is also a case for preserving the group that already fit so well and using him to change games off the bench, while Harris offers another veteran option without forcing the Spurs to sacrifice the continuity they built around Wembanyama. [Read more 🡒]
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Sweeney pointed to a mix of mistakes and youth as part of the explanation, while also pushing back on the idea that the Spurs suddenly became a different team overnight. For a franchise that has spent years trying to move past that disappointment, hearing one of its former voices revisit the series only adds another layer to a loss that already carried plenty of what-ifs. [Read more 🡒]
Chet Holmgren Just Took Another Swipe Spurs Fans Will Notice
Chet Holmgren is keeping the old rivalry simmering, and Spurs fans know exactly why his latest social media post landed the way it did. After Spains FIFA World Cup semifinal win over France, Holmgren sent out a congratulatory message that immediately drew attention because of who sits on the other side of this long-running NBA feud: Victor Wembanyama, the French star who has been linked with Holmgren since their battles dating back to the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup.
Holmgren did not name Wembanyama, but the timing and the backdrop made the post feel like another shot in a competition that has followed both players into the league. Their matchup has only grown bigger since the Spurs and Thunder met in the 2026 Western Conference Finals, and every little social media jab now gets read through that lens. For San Antonio, it is just another reminder that this rivalry is not going anywhere anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]