Lakers’ failures are giving Spurs fans even more reason to celebrate

With the first day of NBA free agency now in the books, it's clear that the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs couldn't be farther apart. The Los Angeles Lakers had a rough day of free agency with the news that star LeBron James doesn't intend to return to L.A. next season.

That is all the more important considering he was their last piece of their 2020 championship team. That makes Austin Reaves the longest-tenured Laker with five seasons under his belt.

LeBron's leaving officially ends an era for Los Angeles and highlights the stark disparity between the Lakers and Spurs.

San Antonio values continuity and has two players who have been on the Spurs since 2020, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell. Johnson is set to return for his eighth season, while Vassell will enter his seventh year with the team.

The Spurs value continuity; the Lakers don't

The Lakers have become something of a turnstile when it comes to their rosters recently. They tend to sign players to one-year contracts, leading to a lot of roster turnover.

The Spurs, on the other hand, tend to lock players up to cheap, long-term deals. That means more roster continuity, which, dating back to the big three era, has been crucial to their success.

Expect it to be a key part of this team's process going forward. After all, the Spurs probably aren't letting Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper leave anytime soon. The same could be said for Julian Champagnie, who was just re-signed on a three-year deal after having already spent three seasons in San Antonio.

The Spurs' process is more sustainable than the Lakers'

So where does that leave both teams? Well, the Spurs are clearly better than the Lakers at the moment. Sure, they have Luka Doncic and Reaves, but their constant roster rebuilds probably hurt more than they help.

It also puts insane pressure on their GM to rebuild their roster year after year, hoping to make a better team. That results in the Lakers having to build chemistry over the course of the season and hoping they gel well enough to contend.

San Antonio doesn't have that guessing game. We know how well Castle plays alongside Wembanyama, helping to set him up for easy shots. Those shots will only get easier the more they play alongside one another. The same can be said for other mainstays, highlighting the big difference between the Lakers and Spurs.

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