San Antonio Spurs: Not So ‘Free’ Agency

The San Antonio Spurs will have options in free agency, but what can be made of it?

What can be made of the San Antonio Spurs’ free agency this summer? The obvious first choice is the gap at the point guard position with Tony Parker’s quadricep injury. There are a few different directions that the Spurs could go when addressing the point guard position this offseason. With the continuous threat of the Golden State Warriors and the talent pool of point guards in the West, the Spurs can’t afford to miss out on snagging a quality point guard this offseason.

Stick with the Guys on Roster

Patty Mills showed his inability to take the reigns to the offense after a poor performance in the Western Conference Finals against Golden State. After posting 7.8 points and 3.3 assists per contest, the Australian point guard may not be the option that San Antonio hoped for. With Mills being a free agent this summer, it would not be surprising to see him walk. Dejounte Murray is another option. He could be the point guard of the future, but for now, the Spurs are not likely to trust a 20-year old with the starting role. That’s where it could be wise to turn to free agency. This year’s free agency class is loaded with point guard talent, so why not take a shot at that?

Chris Paul

The main target for teams this offseason will be Chris Paul. With KD likely to win his first ring, he will be one of the main targets among critics for superstars who have yet to win a ring. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Chris Paul is planning to give the Spurs serious consideration during free agency. Why wouldn’t he? CP3 hasn’t made it to the Conference Finals ever in his career. The Spurs are a solid option for the 32-year old if he is looking to finally win that coveted ring. The only problem between the CP3 and San Antonio connection would be the cost.

The Clippers, I'm told, take the threat of a Spurs free-agent pursuit of Chris Paul very seriously despite SA's current lack of cap space.

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) May 26, 2017

According to RealGM, the Spurs could have potentially 7 free agents this offseason and a projected $28.6 million in cap space to work with. To sign Paul, the Spurs would have to part ways with some key pieces in order to give Paul enough monetary incentive to join ship. I don’t see this happening, but after the Aldridge signing a few summers ago, the Spurs showed that they are willing to fork over some money for big name players.

Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry wants a ring…badly. According to Josh Lewenberg, Lowry wants “a ring and nothing else.” Noticing the landscape of the East over the past few season, it’s been the Cavs and then everybody else. Toronto hasn’t had much luck with it’s current roster against LeBron and company. If it’s a ring he wants, why would he stay in the Six? The Spurs have proven that, when healthy, they can compete with the super team in the Bay. Adding a player of Lowry’s caliber could give the Spurs a legit shot at reclaiming their West title.

The same problem arises when trying to sign an elite point guard like Lowry- money. The Spurs don’t have a lot of it, and it they want to sign a player of his caliber, they have to give up some pieces. Is it worth it? That remains to be seen.

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The Spurs have shown the ability to make a splash in free agency before. Why can’t it happen again? If the Silver and Black want to be a legitimate threat to Golden State, we have to snag a point guard. Mills has shown that he is more of a role player, and Dejounte Murray isn’t fully developed yet. If we want to be a threat now, finding an exceptional point guard needs to be number one on the to-do list. It may cost some big bucks, but it may all be worth it in the end.

The San Antonio Spurs will have options in free agency, but what can be made of it?

Stick with the Guys on Roster

Chris Paul

Kyle Lowry

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