Resign or Re-sign: Assessing Which Spurs Should Be Back Next Season

The Guards

The Spurs have two guards entering free agency this summer: Tre Jones and Romeo Langford. Both are entering restricted free agency, meaning San Antonio will have the right to match any contract offer from another team. While the draft could ultimately guide which direction they take, let's assume Scoot Henderson doesn't end up in San Antonio.

Tre Jones: Re-Sign

This decision is a no-brainer. You re-sign Tre Jones and keep him along for the ride. Jones has been a solid guard for San Antonio. His ability to run the point has been crucial to ensuring the offense clicks. Although he lost his pick-and-roll partner in Jakob Poeltl, Jones could be amazing alongside a player like Victor Wembanyama. Jones has averaged 6.3 assists per game this season. That ranks 17th in the league.

Even though he's considered undersized at 6'1", Jones has shown he can maintain a defensive presence. The former ACC Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 1.3 steals per game this season, which is also 17th in the NBA.

Despite being a second-round pick, Tre Jones has displayed value as a player who will always find a roster spot throughout the league. Thus, it would be in San Antonio's best interest to re-sign the 23-year-old for the long haul. Even if a Scoot Henderson arrives in San Antonio, Jones would be considered one of the best backup point guards in the league. 

Romeo Langford: Resign

Romeo Langford found his way to San Antonio in the Derrick White deal during the 2022 trade deadline as an accessory to Josh Richardson and a first-round pick that would become Blake Wesley. Langford is a scrappy guard, but health issues have plagued him with the Spurs.

Langford was known for his laundry list of injuries in Boston, only playing in 94 games in two and half seasons. Those same issues have continued in San Antonio. He only played in four games for the Spurs last season, and Romeo has only appeared in 32 games this season. An adductor strain is the latest setback that has kept him on the sidelines since January 23, and there's still no timetable for his return.

Another factor adding to his predicament is the guard position is once again experiencing a logjam. A plethora of younger guards occupy the roster, leaving rotation minutes thin. While Langford has earned a role when healthy, he has rarely been off the injury report. Since Langford has been out, rookie Malaki Branham has emerged as the next talented prospect on this young Spurs team. You have to imagine that Branham's emergence, plus the focus on developing Blake Wesley, will leave the 23-year-old Langford on the bench.

While the Spurs might keep Langford, it's more likely that he'll find himself elsewhere in the league come next season.