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

The Wings

The Spurs have two wings in their mid-20s entering unrestricted free agency this summer. Gregg Popovich has cycled Keita Bates-Diop and Isaiah Roby in and out of the rotation throughout the season, and both have been working to earn their next contact. But who deserves to become a mainstay in San Antonio?

Keita Bates-Diop: Re-Sign

Keita Bates-Diop is having a career season in his third year with San Antonio. The former Ohio State Buckeye is averaging 8.1 points per game while shooting 35.6% from three, both career bests. He's also shooting 49.3 from the field and recording 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.

Bates-Diop has been a steady presence for a team full of young players. That reliability has made the Spurs' bench one of the best second units in the league. The Spurs lead the NBA in bench points and assists, and Bates-Diop has played a pivotal role in that performance.

The wing position is one of the weaker areas for San Antonio, as a lack of size was painfully apparent against teams like Cleveland, who dominated inside the paint. Keeping Bates-Diop will provide depth on the wing until the Spurs can improve the position with draft picks or free agents.

While he isn't the dominant force he was at Ohio State, Keita Bates-Diop is a serviceable rotation player, and the Spurs should reward him with a new contract.

Isaiah Roby: Resign

Isaiah Roby joined San Antonio after they claimed him off waivers. The former second-round pick spent three seasons in Oklahoma City before the Thunder released him to solve their roster crunch. Since joining the Spurs, he's struggled to find consistent minutes.

Only averaging 4.1 points in 11.3 minutes per game, Roby hasn't broken into the rotation when the team is healthy. While he has made two starts, those only came because injuries left the Spurs shorthanded.

Roby has been a streaky three-point shooter despite shooting 44.4% from deep in OKC last year. This season, he's shooting a subpar 30% on 1.4 attempts per game. That number isn't going to cut it.

Roby has some promise in his game, but he's already 25 years old and has only regressed this season. The Spurs could better utilize that roster spot with a younger player like Dominick Barlow. It might be time to try something new.