San Antonio Spurs: Franz Wagner adds needed playmaking edge

Adding Franz Wagner to the San Antonio Spurs roster would help improve his teammates

Franz Wagner's fit in San Antonio will be an interesting one. He's best suited to play the power forward in the NBA, but he could flourish as a bigger-than-average wing in the league as well. Supplying crafty playmaking and sound defensive impact as his most impactful contributions, Wagner is a few refinements away from looking like a polished starter in the NBA.

He doesn't necessarily scream All-Star trajectory, but rather a player who fits into an established system and contributes as a high-end role player within his first two to three seasons. If he finds his shot in the NBA, he's a surefire two-way starting forward in the NBA, with upside akin to the likes of Joe Ingles, Nicolas Batum, Otto Porter Jr. and others.

Envisioning a lineup featuring Derrick White, Devin Vassell, and Jakob Poeltl, Wagner would slide in well in year one at either forward spot. If his outside shot develops well in the NBA, San Antonio is looking at a guy who will make his teammates better when he's on the floor, who fits the timeline of this young group, and who won't necessarily command a plethora of touches to do so.

In San Antonio, they currently have some major question marks at forward in the near future. Their two leading players in usage percentage are likely walking this offseason in Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan, who both play at the forward spot. The Spurs currently have two forwards signed to their active roster going into next season, making it an understandable position of need.

With fans and media members clamoring for the Spurs to give their young players consistent minutes and an uptick in touches, adding a guy like Wagner could create a match made in heaven. He doesn't need the ball to contribute, he's more of a threat to distribute than to barrel his way into traffic when he does have the ball, and he would be an instantaneous upgrade on the defensive end.

Adding a player like Wagner doesn't guarantee you a 10-year starter at the position immediately, but being that he's only 19 years old, there's still a significant amount of time for him to grow into such a starting-caliber player. Coupling Franz Wagner with the Spurs’ developmental staff would surely create a strong foundation for success within the franchise and could serve as yet another underrated addition to the Spurs’ increasingly young roster.