San Antonio Spurs: 5 Things to do the minute free agency begins

San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich, Becky Hammon
San Antonio Spurs Gregg Popovich, Becky Hammon / Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
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The period that will make or break the San Antonio Spurs' chances of returning to the NBA Playoffs is almost here. The front office didn't do much on draft night, setting the table for re-tooling to take place during free agency (I hope). At 6 p.m. ET on Monday, August 2nd, GM Brian Wright and his staff would be wise to start wheeling and dealing with all possible resources.

The San Antonio Spurs are second in the league in projected practical cap space according to Spotrac with an estimated $48 million available. Only the New York Knicks ($52 million) have more to spend this summer.

Along with cap space, the Spurs have veteran free agents in DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, and Patty Mills, any of which could potentially be involved in sign-and-trade deals if available. There has been recorded interest in all three guys. DeRozan has been linked to the Knicks, who recently cleared an additional $3 million during Thursday's NBA Draft.

Rudy Gay was recently discussed as an option for the Lakers by Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, but I have a hard time identifying him as a credible source. Meanwhile, Patty's name has been coming up in rumors surrounding the Boston Celtics for a couple of weeks.

When the clock strikes 5 p.m. San Antonio time, the front office needs to be on the phones doing everything they can to improve a roster that's on the verge of a third straight year of NBA purgatory. I turned to you on Twitter and my own ideas to outline what the Spurs need to do to have a successful summer. Let the countdown begin.

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