The Spurs are expected to give Dylan Harper a much larger share of the offense this season, and that means the minutes have to come from somewhere. For now, the plan isn’t to move De’Aaron Fox. San Antonio is expected to keep its guard group intact and sort out the rotation from within.
That setup points to a much different minute distribution than last season. Fox led the team at 31 minutes per game, Stephon Castle was right behind him at 30, and Harper sat at 22.6. Those numbers are likely to move closer together, with Harper taking on a role that sounds like a bench assignment on paper but is expected to carry starter-level run.
"I think there's a world where you put Harper, Castle, and Fox at about even in minutes," predicted Sports Illustrated's Matt Guzman. "Maybe you take a couple of minutes off Fox and Castle, and you give them both to Harper."
The ripple effect lands on Keldon Johnson. He isn’t a point guard, but he was the Spurs’ most-used reserve last season, and that makes him one of the clearest candidates to lose ground. San Antonio has to open up time for Harper somehow, and Johnson’s place in the rotation is suddenly less secure.
That’s only getting tougher with Tobias Harris joining the mix and Carter Bryant expected to rise. Johnson could find himself squeezed out on the wing even though he won Sixth Man of the Year.
"But I would expect Harrison Barnes to be one of those guys that gets fewer minutes, as well as Keldon Johnson," Guzman added. "I do think that if you're giving Harper more minutes, if you're giving Carter Bryant more minutes, you're going to start chipping away at Keldon Johnson, who obviously struggled a lot, especially offensively in the playoffs as well."
Johnson remains the longest-tenured player on the roster and a popular voice in the locker room, but his contract situation adds another layer. He’ll make $17 million this season, and in restricted free agency next summer, any team interested in him, including the Spurs, is likely to come in with a lower number.
A pay cut seems inevitable. What isn’t settled is what Johnson wants his Spurs story to be: the veteran who stayed through the rebuild and won a title in a reduced role, or the guy who found a bigger opportunity somewhere else.
That part is up to him.
In Other News...
Kyrie Irving Could Force An Early Mavericks Decision
The Mavericks are still weighing their roster as the new season nears, and Kyrie Irving remains one of the biggest questions hanging over the group. Dallas turned away trade interest in him over the offseason, but the chatter has not gone away, especially with other teams watching closely to see whether the situation shifts once the games begin.
For the Spurs, any opening around Irving naturally draws attention because the idea has been tied to a point-guard need and a larger fit conversation around their young core. It is the kind of possibility that could reshape the market quickly if Dallas decides it needs to act early, and it leaves San Antonio as one of the teams worth monitoring if the Mavericks change course. [Read more 🡒]
Tobias Harris Just Put Keldon Johnson's Spurs Future In Doubt
Tobias Harris arrival gives the Spurs another experienced frontcourt option, and that naturally changes the shape of the rotation around Keldon Johnson. San Antonio clearly wanted more size and steadiness at power forward, which means Johnsons path to minutes is no longer as clean as it once was, even with his well-known durability and energy still making him a useful piece.
For Johnson, the challenge now is less about whether he belongs and more about where he fits. The Spurs can still count on his effort and availability, but the veteran addition puts more pressure on every possession and every lineup decision, especially as the team continues sorting out who belongs where in a crowded wing mix. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Face A Costly Reality Around Wembanyama's Young Core
The Spurs are entering the kind of roster-building phase that gets tricky fast once promising young talent starts moving from hope to paperwork. With Victor Wembanyama already at the center of the franchise, San Antonio also has to think about how to keep the rest of its young core together without boxing itself in financially, especially as rookie deals start lining up for extension decisions.
Utahs recent deal with Keyonte George offers one possible template for how a team can reward a young guard and still map out its future, and the Spurs will be watching that market closely as they weigh their own negotiations. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are the names that make the long-term picture exciting, but keeping that group intact may require some uncomfortable roster maneuvering elsewhere to preserve the flexibility San Antonio will need. [Read more 🡒]