Spunky San Antonio Spurs: Not Contenders, Yet
The San Antonio Spurs are still in the process of rebuilding, but with a promising future ahead. Once a dominant force in the NBA with five championships in the 2000s and 2010s, the Spurs haven’t seen the playoffs since the 2018-19 season.
Fortunately for San Antonio, luck has been on their side. In the 2023 NBA Draft, they secured the No. 1 pick and selected Victor Wembanyama, widely regarded as the most exciting prospect since LeBron James. Fast forward to the 2025 Draft, and they moved up to snag the No. 2 overall pick, Dylan Harper. In between, they picked Steph Castle at No. 4 in 2024, who went on to win Rookie of the Year. 
Harper’s standout Summer League performances set him on a path for a potential third consecutive Rookie of the Year award for the Spurs—if it weren’t for Cooper Flagg in Dallas, who might win the award by simply showing up for games.
Along with their draft picks, the Spurs made a major move at the 2025 trade deadline by acquiring De’Aaron Fox from the Sacramento Kings. The hope is that Fox will form a strong duo with Wembanyama, but the two have only shared the court for five games before Wembanyama was shut down for the season. As a result, it’s tough to evaluate their on-court chemistry fully.
This offseason also saw the Spurs make another significant change, hiring Mitch Johnson as head coach after he filled in for the second half of last season. This marks the first time since Gregg Popovich’s hiring in 1996 that San Antonio has had a new head coach.
Are the Spurs contenders? Not yet.
The Spurs are poised to improve significantly from their 34-48 record last year. They are expected to return to the playoffs, with at least a chance at the play-in tournament. Wembanyama is an exceptional talent, Fox is an All-Star caliber player, and their supporting cast, though young, shows a lot of promise. Notable contributors include rookie Carter Bryant, who’s a defensive standout, and a mix of talented players like Dylan Harper, Steph Castle, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Jeremy Sochan.
However, while their roster is promising, the Spurs are still a step behind the top teams in the Western Conference. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Los Angeles Lakers all have more established rosters with more immediate championship potential.
The Spurs’ focus shouldn’t be on competing for an NBA championship this season. While many are eager to crown Wembanyama as a future Hall of Famer, the reality is the team still needs to figure out its crowded backcourt and ensure their role players fit around their star center. The Spurs need to make strategic moves to find complementary pieces that maximize Wembanyama’s unique skill set.
The best-case scenario for San Antonio this season would be a top-six seed in the Western Conference, with the play-in tournament as their floor if they stay healthy. That would be a solid achievement, but the larger goal is still a few years down the road.
There is plenty of reason for optimism in San Antonio. The team has valuable future assets, a young and talented roster with potential All-Star caliber players, and a promising head coach who learned under one of the greatest coaches in NBA history. But this season is more about building the foundation for future success than contending for a title right away.
No Comment! Be the first one.