Training camp is about to open, and with it comes the first real chance to see how Mitch Johnson plans to sort through a crowded Spurs roster. San Antonio brought back most of the group after its unexpected run to the NBA Finals, but a few lineup calls are still hanging in the air. Preseason won’t settle everything, but it should start to show which way Johnson is leaning.
The first big question is the backcourt: who runs the offense, De’Aaron Fox or Stephon Castle? The answer looked simple when Fox missed the first two weeks of the 2025-26 campaign, with Castle handling the playmaking duties.
What made things more interesting was that Castle stayed in that role even after Fox returned. Fox has always been the lead ball handler for his teams, and that remains his best fit.
There’s also a straightforward explanation for why things may have unfolded that way. Fox spent the preceding offseason rehabbing a hamstring strain, which meant he didn’t get the same chance to build chemistry with the team. That should be different now that he’s healthy and able to put in that work.
Castle, meanwhile, may be the player who benefits most if the role shifts again. He thrived as an off-ball guard in college, and plenty of people still see that as his natural spot.
If he slides back there, it could open the door to the kind of breakout season fans have been waiting for. He’s already made strides as a passer, and shooting is the next step.
For Fox, a return to his usual job could help him rediscover his best form. It could work out cleanly for both of them.
The frontcourt is where things get even murkier. The Spurs have a choice to make between Julian Champagnie and Tobias Harris, and the difference is about more than just who starts.
Champagnie gives San Antonio its best spacing, while Harris brings a level of offensive versatility that Champagnie doesn’t. There’s also the matter of continuity.
The Spurs already know what they’re getting from Champagnie, and Victor Wembanyama, Castle, Fox, and Devin Vassell are familiar with his game. Adding Harris would mean everyone learning each other’s preferences on the fly.
Then there’s another battle worth watching: Keldon Johnson versus Carter Bryant. Johnson is the veteran, the team’s longest-tenured player, and he’s heading into a contract year.
Bryant is the younger option, and the one with the more versatile skill set and elite defensive upside. A lot of fans want Bryant to get more minutes, but that call belongs to Johnson on the sideline, not the crowd.
October 8, when the Atlanta Hawks visit San Antonio, should offer the first real hint. It’s only one preseason game, but it will tell us who gets the first call to the scorer’s table and who logs the heavier minutes. That may be the clearest early sign yet of where last season’s Coach of the Year finalist is headed.
In Other News...
Victor Wembanyama Is Fueling Bigger Belief Around The Spurs Future
Victor Wembanyama is heading into his fourth NBA season with the Spurs, and the belief around San Antonio keeps growing with him. After leading the team to the NBA Finals last season, he has already changed the way the franchise is talked about, not just for what he does on the floor but for the standard he seems to set every day.
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 🡒]
Spurs Have A Tough Backcourt Decision They Cant Avoid
San Antonios guard rotation suddenly has a lot more weight on it than it did a year ago. With DeAaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper all in the mix, the Spurs are facing the kind of backcourt squeeze that can shape not just the starting lineup, but the way the whole roster is built around Victor Wembanyama. Fox remains an important piece because of his contract and what he can still bring when he is right, while Castles development and Harpers strong rookie season have only tightened the competition for minutes.
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 🡒]
Wembanyama Gives The Spurs A Defensive Edge The NBA May Copy
Victor Wembanyamas defense has already changed the way opponents attack the rim, but the Spurs are getting more than just deterrence when he steps into the paint. His blocks do not just erase possessions, they often keep the ball live, which gives San Antonio a chance to turn a stop into an immediate transition opportunity instead of a dead-ball reset. In a league where blocked shots so often end with the ball sailing out of bounds, that extra split-second of control has become part of what makes him so unusual.
The bigger question is whether that style catches on beyond San Antonio. If rim protectors around the NBA start valuing not only the block itself but also what happens next, Wembanyamas impact could reach past the Spurs and into how defenses are taught and built. It is one thing to have a rare talent who can do it naturally. It is another for the rest of the league to figure out how to copy the edge he is already creating. [Read more 🡒]