5 Reasons the Spurs landing Victor Wembanyama is only the beginning

1. Spurs can shift into win-now mode whenever they choose

The San Antonio Spurs have a boatload of cap space and almost 30 draft picks over the next five years. They can take their time and build a contender if that's their preferred route. But that's not the only path they can pursue.

If the Spurs want to help Wembanyama realize his goal of winning a ring as soon as possible, they can slam the pedal to the floor on their rebuild and cash in their picks for a superstar. And with their cap flexibility, they're more than capable of taking on almost any contract in the league.

Guys like Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal should be available if San Antonio decides to come calling. Portland and Washington are toeing the line between play-in contention and full-blown rebuilds. A package centered around a young player like Keldon Johnson and three or four first-round picks could be enough to push them over the edge.

San Antonio could call Minnesota about Karl-Anthony Towns if they want to get aggressive. The Wolves mortgaged their future to acquire Rudy Gobert last summer and may have a little buyer's remorse. The Spurs can flip that around and empty their cache of picks to bring KAT to San Antonio and build the modern version of Tim Duncan and David Robinson.

San Antonio could also look to a lower-tier star like Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby, Jordan Poole, or Mikal Bridges. Toronto and Brooklyn held off on moving their young stars at the deadline this year, but San Antonio can put together as compelling a package as anyone in the NBA. The Spurs should get involved in those discussions if the Raptors or Nets consider moving their stars.

The Spurs don't have to cash out now. They can bide their time, trust their draft and development strategy, and slowly build a title contender around Victor Wembanyama. But with their collection of young players, first-round picks, and a future superstar, they've never been better positioned to go big game hunting.

Victor Wembanyama is going to transform the future of the Spurs, but the lottery balls bouncing San Antonio's way was just the beginning. The real fun is only getting started.