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

As the San Antonio Spurs tank through the rest of the season, they have an important question going into the offseason: Who should they re-sign, and who should they let go?

San Antonio has seven players on expiring contracts this summer. Those names include Tre Jones, Romeo Langford, Keita Bates-Diop, Gorgui Dieng, Isaiah Roby, Dominick Barlow, and Julian Champagnie.

Let's dive in and see who the Spurs should bring back next season as they look to get themselves back into contention.

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.

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.

The Bigs

When looking at San Antonio's upcoming free agent bigs, there are two players in dramatically different places in their careers. On one side, we have a veteran center in Gorgui Dieng. On the other, we have an undrafted two-way rookie in Dominick Barlow.

Gorgui Dieng: Resign

Gorgui Dieng has been a reoccurring character for San Antonio. The Spurs signed, traded, and signed the seasoned center multiple times in the past two seasons. This year, the front office brought Dieng back as a veteran presence for younger players in the locker room.

With Dieng at the bottom of the depth chart and his career winding down, it only makes sense for the Spurs to let him go this offseason. Younger players are emerging, and roster spots are necessary to retain that talent. While Dieng has been a positive presence off the court and on the sidelines, San Antonio must focus on their future.

Dominick Barlow: Re-Sign

Dominick Barlow is one of the two-way contract signees seeing significant minutes with San Antonio. Being on a two-way contract means Barlow will enter restricted free agency this summer. Despite going undrafted after spending one season with Overtime Elite, Brian Wright immediately signed the 19-year-old forward after the draft.

Barlow has spent most of his rookie season in Austin, where he flourished. The 6'9" big man averaged 15.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks on 54.2% in 29.1 minutes per game. The teenager showed unique fluidity and surprisingly light feet for his size.

With the recent departure of Poeltl, Popovich gifted Barlow with significant minutes where he's shown some encouraging flashes. While he's still a bit raw on both ends, the Spurs might've found another two-way success.

Either another two-way deal or a standard contract would work to retain Barlow's services in San Antonio as he continues to develop.