Setting way too early expectations for the Spurs next season

The San Antonio Spurs again find themselves out of playoff contention for a fifth straight season. That likely has fans looking forward to what is sure to be an eventful summer and, hopefully, a more exciting 2024–25 season.

Setting expectations for next season is obviously tough without making some educated guesses about their off-season. The Spurs will probably have a top-3 pick as well as the seventh or eighth pick in the 2024 NBA Draft via the Toronto Raptors. They are currently mocked to pick Nikola Topic and Matas Buzelis with those selections, so let's presume that they will pick both.

Topic is considered to be one of, if not the best, playmakers in the NBA Draft, but the Spurs need more of a win-now player at point guard to pair with Victor Wembanyama. As a result, they could and should go hard after Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young.

Trading several first-round picks, as well as Keldon Johnson and Zach Collins, for Young would not only upgrade the point guard position but also allow them to move on from two increasingly polarizing players. But would those offseason changes be enough to get the Spurs back to the playoffs?

What to expect from a reloaded Spurs next season.

Based on the aforementioned changes, the Spurs could absolutely be a playoff team. A starting lineup that includes Young, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Wembanyama would be quite the combination.

Young would be a major upgrade over Tre Jones as both a shooter and overall scorer, as well as a passer. That would make him a worthy co-star for Wembanyama since he could consistently get him the ball while also drawing attention away from him. His arrival would also push Vassell down in the team's pecking order, making him the team's third option, a role that he is more suited for.

Speaking of suited for, Jones is more suited to running the bench unit, and the Spurs may need him too with a potentially significantly younger bench minus Johnson, Collins, and adding two teenagers. Still, better high-end talent with Young and Wembanyama having a full offseason to improve would be more than enough to get San Antonio back in playoff contention.

Ultimately, the Spurs are likely to add a couple of lottery selections to their roster and potentially make a big off-season trade to help bolster the team. With a revamped crew and an improved Wembanyama, the Spurs should be a playoff team, ending a five-year drought.