The Spurs may have walked into training camp with one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, but Mitch Johnson seems intent on keeping that strength from turning into a headache.
At media day, the San Antonio coach was asked about a roster loaded with players who could start. His answer was simple: "I'll try to help everybody.
I'll try to win. I'll be honest with everybody."
That openness matters. Instead of forcing one rigid lineup into place, Johnson appears ready to test different combinations and let the matchups guide him. That approach could keep the usual camp tension from bubbling up between De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper, or between Julian Champagnie and Tobias Harris.
There are already signs of how flexible this could get. I fully expect Fox and Champagnie to start the first game of the regular season.
But that does not lock San Antonio into one look for long. Harris could replace Champagnie depending on the opponent, and Johnson could also go with Harper next to Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and Victor Wembanyama.
That kind of room to maneuver is exactly what makes this roster so interesting. The starting group of Fox, Castle, Vassell, Champagnie, and Wembanyama was successful last season, but the Spurs may decide not to live in that exact setup again. With seven players who can realistically be part of a starting five, mixing and matching almost feels necessary.
And it is not just about offense or size. San Antonio can change its identity from night to night.
The team can push the pace with its point guard depth, Vassell, and Wembanyama. It can also get bigger with Harris, Kornet, and Wembanyama up front, even if that particular look probably would not be a first-choice starting group.
That flexibility also helps avoid a more delicate issue: egos. Harper’s role was a talking point last season, with chatter that he was unhappy coming off the bench. If he starts some games and still logs major minutes even when he does not, that concern becomes a lot easier to manage.
There is also a longer-term benefit here. Johnson may eventually want Fox, Castle, Harper, and Wembanyama on the floor together, with Vassell, Champagnie, or Harris filling out the fifth spot. Those four did not spend much time together last season, though they were used more in the playoffs.
So even if the Spurs do not settle on one lineup right away, the process itself can serve a purpose. By rotating starting fives early, Johnson can both keep the locker room steady and help his core get more comfortable together. For a team with this much depth, that is the smart way to handle camp.
In Other News...
Wembanyama Could Unlock A Spurs Frontcourt Teams Would Hate
The Spurs have quietly built some real size behind Victor Wembanyama, adding rookie centers Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. to a frontcourt that already includes Luke Kornet. For a team trying to keep pushing the envelope around Wembanyama, the appeal is obvious: more length, more rim protection, and more ways to make life miserable for opponents at the basket.
What makes Quaintance especially interesting is the idea of pairing him with Wembanyama as part of a long-term defensive plan, even if the fit is still more theory than proof. San Antonio has not seen the two rookies on the floor together yet, and the upside comes with real questions about spacing and how the offense would function, but the possibility of a front line built to swallow up drives is exactly the kind of wrinkle teams around the league would rather not see develop. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Make Their Jayden Quaintance Priorities Clear With Recovery Plan
Jayden Quaintances first stretch in San Antonio is being shaped less by the calendar than by caution. The rookie center is working back from a right ACL injury, and the Spurs continue to frame his rehab around patience and long-term development rather than any immediate need to get him on the floor. For a team that has openly valued his defensive upside, the message has been clear: there is no reason to force the process.
The timeline reflects that approach, with no return date announced and little expectation that he will be ready for the regular-season opener. Quaintance also underwent an additional meniscus clean-up procedure in July, another reminder that this recovery is still in the careful, early stages. For now, the Spurs appear willing to let the injury answer to its own pace, betting that a slower path is the right one for a player they see as part of their future. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Backcourt Crowding Just Created A Real 2026-27 Dilemma
The Spurs are staring at a crowded backcourt picture for the 2026-27 season, and it could become one of the more interesting rotation puzzles on the roster. The idea of using De'Aaron Fox alongside Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper gives San Antonio plenty of ballhandling and pace, but it also forces the coaching staff to think carefully about how to keep all three guards involved without shortchanging the rest of the lineup.
Fox has already shown a willingness to make it work with the younger guards, which matters as the Spurs try to build continuity around a group that may need time to sort out roles. Harpers push for more minutes is only going to sharpen the conversation, and the real question now is how long San Antonio can balance development, talent and hierarchy before the depth chart starts demanding a clearer answer. [Read more 🡒]