Ranking the possible returns of former Spurs from "must-have to hard pass"

There have been a few players that the San Antonio Spurs let slip away too early over the years. The worst part is when you see those players doing well on their new teams. Oh, that stings.

Luckily enough for San Antonio, some ex-Spurs players are set to be free agents this off-season, prompting some consideration of re-signings. When you look deeper, a few returning players make sense back in San Antonio, while others do not.

Let's dive in and rank possible returns that would benefit the team or returns that should never happen.

Ranking from best to worst possible ex-player reunions

5. DeMar DeRozan - G

DeMar DeRozan had big shoes to fill when he came to San Antonio. He was the biggest return piece of the Kawhi Leonard trade that occurred in June of 2018. The return package also brought on a young Jakob Poetl and a 2019 draft pick (used on Keldon Johnson), but DeRozan is who everyone had eyes on the most.

Over his three seasons in the Alamo City, DeRozan averaged 21.6 points and 6.2 points per game in that span. He carried a few sub-par San Antonio teams that did not win as many games as DeRozan did in Toronto years prior. That had to have been a hard adjustment for DeRozan.

This option lands in this spot because it just would not work. Revert to DeRozan's 2023 appearance on the JJ Redick podcast. "Pop taught me so much, but the whole transition was unexpected to me. I definitely lost a lot of confidence," DeRozan said. He continues by saying, 'I wish I could have played in San Antonio the way I did this season." DeRozan was referring to his then 2022-2023 season with the Chicago Bulls, where he was an All-Star, averaging nearly 25 points a game.

DeRozan was great during his time and a solid replacement in the Leonard trade, thanks to his character and teamwork. DeRozan, a true fan favorite, did everything he could in San Antonio, and that should be enough. DeRozan does not need to return to San Antonio in any way.

Decision - Hard pass