The San Antonio Spurs have built a roster with an unusual kind of surplus, but the bigger question is whether all of it actually belongs around Victor Wembanyama.
De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle are all star-caliber point guards, the sort of players who would headline plenty of NBA teams. In San Antonio, though, they’re competing for the same space next to Wembanyama, who remains the franchise’s defining force.
That’s a luxury most teams would love to have. It may also be too crowded for the version of the Spurs that makes the most sense long term.
There’s already an expectation that San Antonio will make a move, and Fox is the name tied to that uncertainty because he doesn’t quite fit the Spurs’ long-term vision. A lineup that somehow starts all three guards with Wembanyama would look impressive on paper. It could also box in the very player the Spurs should be trying to unleash.
The cleaner path may be to let Wembanyama become more than a finisher and rim-protector. Over his three seasons, he has averaged 3.5 assists per game, and the flashes of a high-level facilitator have been there. He just hasn’t been the team’s primary playmaker yet.
That’s where the real intrigue starts.
“When I first moved to San Antonio last year and was asked who Wembanyama should model his game after, I always said Jokic,” wrote The Athletic's Jared Weiss. “He should be able to play with the ball over his head and pick offenses apart, then throw it up toward the rim when he doesn’t see a pass he likes.
That is the idealized version of Wembanyama. But he just finished Year 3, so he is far from that player today.”
Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun are widely viewed as the NBA’s top passing big men, and Jokic’s path is the one that matters most here. He didn’t arrive as the finished product; it took him four years to become a superstar and three to fully show off his passing gifts.
Wembanyama’s route would look different, though. Jokic has had to win with craft because he isn’t the best defender or athlete. Wembanyama can overwhelm opponents in ways Jokic never could, which means his passing has always been secondary to everything else he brings.
Still, if Wembanyama starts to unlock even a Jokic-lite version of that skill set, the Spurs’ roster math changes fast. At that point, the question becomes simple: why keep three other playmakers around when Wemby can be one of the best of them?
In Other News...
Spurs Two-Way Battle Comes Down To One Thing For Each Prospect
The Spurs two-way picture is already taking shape around fit as much as talent, with Maliq Brown, JaKobi Gillespie and David Jones Garcia each carrying a different kind of developmental case into the conversation about the 2026-27 roster. Brown has shown enough to stay on the radar, but the next step is making himself more of a scoring presence, while Gillespies path depends on whether his defense holds up when the athletes get bigger, faster and more relentless.
David Jones Garcia faces a different sort of adjustment, since San Antonios current roster construction points toward a role that asks for less on-ball responsibility and more value as a complementary shooter. For a two-way player, that kind of shift can be the difference between looking like a useful camp body and looking like someone the Spurs can actually plug into a real lineup, which is why the next stretch matters so much for all three. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Backcourt Debate Just Got A Lot More Complicated
A fresh trade idea has only sharpened the questions around the Spurs backcourt, where DeAaron Fox and the long-term fit of the roster have already been major talking points. Jonas Gendvilas of BasketNews floated a deal that would have Fox and Luke Kornet headed to Dallas, with Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford coming back the other way, a concept that immediately forces a look at what San Antonio values most as it tries to keep its guard rotation and frontcourt balance in order.
The debate gets trickier when the roster depth is part of the conversation, because the Spurs have not exactly been starving for size. With Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. added in the draft, the case for another backup center is not especially strong, which is why the idea of swapping pieces for a different kind of backcourt ceiling carries some appeal. Even so, San Antonio does not appear to be in a hurry to chase a major move, and that patience may be the biggest reason this kind of proposal is more of a thought exercise than a deadline blueprint. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Face A Wing Depth Decision As Philly Trade Buzz Grows
The Spurs spent the offseason keeping their core intact, and re-signing Harrison Barnes gave them another steady veteran wing in the mix. On the surface, it looked like the kind of low-drama move San Antonio likes, but Barnes has already surfaced as a possible trade chip as teams around the league look for dependable shooting and lineup flexibility.
Philadelphias new-look roster still has one obvious wrinkle, even after a flurry of high-profile additions: the perimeter shooting remains a concern. That is why Barnes keeps coming up in trade chatter tied to the 76ers, even though nothing has been finalized, and why San Antonio may have to decide whether to hold the veteran wing or treat him as a movable piece if the right deal emerges. [Read more 🡒]