3 Young players the Spurs must develop, 3 to give up on

Don't Develop: Tre Jones

Despite exceeding expectations as a former second-round pick, Tre Jones ranks as the most scrutinized player on the team. Jones proved that he could be a passable starter in the NBA last season, though likely not for a good team, which the Spurs hope to soon be.

However, with few other options, the Spurs opted to re-sign him to a two-year, $20 million deal. That is a cheap contract, but surprisingly short in length considering that the Spurs signed players such as Charles Bassey and Julian Champagnie to at least three-year deals.

Granted, both were much cheaper, but they tend to lock up intriguing young players for as long as possible, and they chose to keep their options open with Jones. That's smart since the Spurs could have as many as three firsts in next year's NBA draft, and they could consolidate those picks to acquire a top point guard prospect. Depending on how NBA-ready that player is, they could replace Jones in the starting lineup and push him to the bench, where he is better suited.

Or he'd give that player a year to develop before the team had to make a decision on Jones. Barring Jones becoming a good 3-point shooter, they may choose to keep him around to help run the second unit, or he might try his luck elsewhere while San Antonio looks to free agency for a replacement. As it stands now, after his contract ends, the Spurs should be ready to move on from him.