Spurs' most glaring needs after the first week of free agency

The San Antonio Spurs have enjoyed a solid off-season that started when they selected Stephon Castle during the 2024 NBA Draft. Afterward, while they did not make a home-run signing or trade, they made the right moves, signing Chris Paul and trading for Harrison Barnes to add veteran presence. This young roster often displayed immaturity and inexperience at the end of games last year; the two solidified veterans will benefit the Spurs greatly.

Still, there is more to be done in San Antonio and places where they can improve. Let's dive in and discuss the teams' biggest needs going into the 2024-2025 season, and provide possible solutions for each.

3. Depth At Center behind Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama is a superstar, plain and simple. But he cannot play for 48 minutes, no matter how great he continues to be. Eventually, Wembanyama must sit on the bench and trust the guys behind him to contribute without him on the floor.

After Charles Bassey was recently waived to complete the trade between Chicago, Sacramento, and San Antonio, Zach Collins is the only backup for Wembanyama. This is concerning, as Collins's inconsistency and injury history do not scream "reliability." There's a chance Bassey returns if he clears waivers but that's no guarantee and he's also had injury issues.

Collins can be a decent scorer for the Spurs, but he struggles on defense. While his block rate is middle-of-the-pack, Collins's inability to guard opposing centers well enough makes him hard to trust in games. Collins is bullied in the paint far too often. Perhaps the Spurs could use another veteran in the mix to stick behind Wembanyama, but there is limited availability around the league. Therefore, waiting until next season to add a trustworthy backup center could be a smarter move.

However, another year with the center depth that they have now could hurt the Spurs down the stretch, so San Antonio must look into adding another center in some way very soon.