The San Antonio Spurs are heading into the 2026-27 season with a new kind of spotlight on them.
After falling in the 2026 NBA Finals, the Spurs now enter the year viewed as one of the league’s top contenders, no longer the surprise story some people saw them as last season. That shift in status has also brought a sharper look at the roster, and ESPN’s NBA experts have zeroed in on one area that could become a real problem: frontcourt depth.
Victor Wembanyama anchors that group, and San Antonio does have support around him in Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes, Luke Kornet, and newcomer Tobias Harris. On paper, that’s a solid top layer.
The concern starts once you look past those names. Compared with other elite teams, the Spurs’ depth up front feels thin, and if they’re serious about chasing a championship, that’s the kind of gap they’ll need to patch.
There is at least some hope that youth can help. Rookies Tarris Reed Jr. and Jayden Quaintance could factor into the rotation, though expecting them to be reliable first-year contributors is a lot to ask.
Even so, this is a team that gives young players a chance to grow into real roles, and ESPN’s Michael C. Wright flagged the issue plainly: "Outside of Wembanyama, free agent addition Tobias Harris and backup center Luke Kornet, San Antonio is relatively thin in the frontcourt," ESPN's Michael C. Wright said about the Spurs' lack of frontcourt depth, particularly in the power forward and center positions.
That makes the coming months worth watching closely. Since Wembanyama is expected to miss games at times, the Spurs will need to handle the problem either by developing internal options or by finding a smart move on the roster. If they want to stay in title position, frontcourt depth can’t be ignored.
In Other News...
Wembanyamas Opening Night Struggles Have Spurs Fans Debating One Thing
Victor Wembanyamas start to the 2026-27 season has already sparked plenty of conversation in San Antonio, and his first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder only added fuel to it. Through the opening two quarters, he had eight points without making a field goal, while the Spurs were forced to chase the game as the Thunder controlled the flow and carried an 80-70 lead midway through the third quarter.
For Spurs fans, the bigger issue has been less about one rough stretch than what it says about how the offense is functioning around him. The frustration has been obvious, with concern building over both Wembanyamas performance and the teams approach when the game starts to get away from them, and this matchup is already shaping up as an early test of how quickly San Antonio can settle in around its franchise center. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Showed Fight Against OKC But One Debate Just Got Louder
The Spurs had the kind of season opener that can leave a team feeling both encouraged and annoyed. They hung around with Oklahoma City through a game that featured multiple lead changes, physical stretches and a handful of defensive plays worth circling, even if the Thunder ultimately pulled away for a 116-104 win. The return of Jalen Williams gave Oklahoma City another layer, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jared McCain helped steady the visitors when the game tightened.
For San Antonio, the bigger takeaway may be less about the final margin and more about how sharply the matchup sharpened the conversation around Victor Wembanyama. His back-and-forth on the defensive end with Chet Holmgren produced the kind of moments that fuel a rivalry debate, and the altercation involving DeAaron Fox only added to the edge. The Spurs showed they can match intensity, but they also left with one familiar question getting louder after a night when the other side handled the biggest moments better. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Sounds Off After Spurs Let Thunder Set The Tone
The Spurs opened the season with a loss to the Thunder, and Victor Wembanyama did not hide his frustration afterward. San Antonio fell 116-104 in a game that quickly tilted toward Oklahoma City, even as Wembanyama still found ways to make his presence felt with 13 rebounds and six blocks. His shot never came around, though, as he managed just 12 points on 1-of-13 shooting in a start that left plenty of room for the Spurs to clean up.
What stood out most from Wembanyamas postgame assessment was how plainly he pointed to the issues that let the Thunder set the tone. He cited defensive miscommunication and poor closeouts, the kind of lapses that can snowball early in a season when rotations are still being sorted out. For San Antonio, the loss was more than one rough night from its franchise center - it was a reminder that the details have to sharpen up fast if the Spurs want to avoid letting opponents dictate the pace from the opening tip. [Read more 🡒]