Catastrophe may follow if disaster strikes the wrong Spurs in the playoffs

The moment Spurs Nation has been waiting for is almost here. We're two days away from the Silver and Black's reintroduction to the postseason, and with that come expectations. Not an expectation to win it all, but fans, and likely the front office, will be looking to a few guys to provide stability. Failing to do so could determine their futures with the team, depending on the severity of said failure.

Honorable mention: Keldon Johnson

After KJ's letter to the fans in the Players' Tribune, it would be tough to see his move on, but Johnson only has one more year left on his contract after the season. If he has a mediocre performance, I could see that being enough for the Spurs to extend his contract if they believed more postseason experience would help him improve in those moments.

However, an abysmal performance could suddenly thrust him into a prove-it year next season. This is a business at the end of the day, and San Antonio will do what they believe will benefit the team. That could also include trading him in the offseason or at the deadline, so they don't have another Jeremy Sochan situation. They got nothing in return for his services, and that's not how teams prefer to operate.

His $17 million contract will make him fairly easy to move, and his reputation as a popular locker room guy with infectious energy on and off the court will ensure he has plenty of suitors. Again, I believe it would take a horrendous performance from KJ for this to happen, though.

Harrison Barnes' re-signing could be at risk

Barnes has a bad playoff reputation that's followed him throughout his NBA career. He didn't always perform well at his first stop in the league with the Golden State Warriors when the postseason rolled around—though some of the criticism is overblown.

He's a champion from his time spent there. Barnes turned in some pretty bad games, but when you're playing on the sport's biggest stage, that gets magnified. In the 2015 NBA Finals that earned him a title, HB actually elevated his three-point percentage from 41% in the regular season to 42%. He was only in his third year and was being asked to guard prime LeBron James. Give him a break.

On the other hand, he didn't really show up when the Cavaliers were rising from the ashes in 2017—his final year with the team—or the one time he made the playoffs with Sacramento in 2023. The veteran wing went 2-14 and 0-8 in back-to-back games against Cleveland and shot a miserable 24% from deep in the latter series vs. his old team, the Warriors.

Barnes is in the last year of his deal, and at almost 34 years old, the Spurs may be able to get him back on a team-friendly contract. And while he has to want that first, so does San Antonio. That preference could come down to whether his postseason woes were just a few bad stretches or a continuous trend that can't be avoided.

De'Aaron Fox could have his Spurs tenure cut short

Everything about the De'Aaron Fox acquisition has gone pretty swimmingly. Some believe that San Antonio would have done things differently at last year's trade deadline had they known they'd acquire the number two overall pick. My response to that is, I guess we'll never know. But I don't believe they regret it.

I do believe that they're willing to pivot if they decide it's in their best interest, though. Fox has been everything the team has needed this year. His leadership has shown up in a major way, and his selflessness has allowed Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper to grow without him impeding the way by demanding more touches.

Now that they're in the playoffs, it's time for Fox to step to the front. He'll be called upon to help close tight games and steady the ship when they falter. Many have made one point or another about the Spurs being ahead of schedule, and one reason for that is how quickly Harper and Castle have proven their skills.

If the absolute worst happens, and Swipa delivers something atrocious to that hardwood with the stakes at their highest, I could see San Antonio starting the clock on moving him. We'd only be coming off one full year of Fox, so they could give him one more season, but if the right deal presented itself, the Silver and Black have the guards to take full control.

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