Updated projected starting lineup, depth chart after Chris Paul signing

The signing of Chris Paul has led to increased hope that the San Antonio Spurs will be able to compete this season. His arrival will also dramatically alter the team's rotation, considering they are less likely to tank or give minutes to young players who haven't earned playing time.

That leads to questions about what the Spurs starting lineup will look like next season with Paul in the mix. Will they bring him off the bench like the Golden State Warriors did to close last season, or will he start and play limited minutes? What about the other players in the starting lineup? How will his arrival impact coach Gregg Popovich's rotation decisions? Let's find out! 

Point guards: Chris Paul, Tre Jones, Blake Wesley, Devonte Graham.

Even after signing Paul, there was a bit of a question about whether he would start or whether Tre Jones would. Now, we know that it will be Paul, but we'll assume that it will be in limited minutes. Paul could start and average around 24 minutes a game, giving him a chance to play mostly with the starters while not overusing the 39-year-old point guard.

Jones will still play a big role, with Paul likely to have rest games and him having a tendency to miss a few weeks during the season with various injuries. That is his best role and would give the Spurs competent play-making for all 48 minutes. Lastly, Blake Wesley will still garner playing time with his defense but will have to make the most of his limited playing time.

Shooting guard: Devin Vassell, Malaki Branham, David Duke Jr (TW).

Joining Paul in the backcourt is Devin Vassell, who will be an underrated beneficiary of his signing considering that Vassell has a tendency to take tough shots. With Paul starting and running the offensive, Vassell will likely play more off-ball, and he could thrive.

Paul running pick and roll with Wembanyama should dramatically improve the team's offense with Paul being able to get to his mid-range jumper, which he is terrific at. Meanwhile, Wembanyama can either pop out to three or sprint to the rim.

Either will draw attention from Vassell, who can take advantage by burying open threes, which will help his efficiency and hopefully lead to his scoring making another big leap in his fifth season. As for Malaki Branham, he will need to show and prove in his third season. While he has tendency to play better in the second half of the year, he will have to play that way over an entire season.

Small forwards: Keldon Johnson, Stephon Castle, Julian Champagnie, Sidy Cissoko, Harrison Ingram.

Small forward is likely the Spurs' deepest position, but fourth-overall pick Stephon Castle will possibly get the start here at small forward given his size and ability to defend wings. There may be some shooting issues involved with starting him, but replacing Jones with Paul gives the Spurs more spacing.

Moreover, Wembanyama should get better looks from the outside, increasing his efficiency and giving the Spurs at least three shooters, with Castle hopefully able to find ways to contribute on that end of the floor.

Keldon Johnson could continue to come off the bench and help lead the second unit while also giving him more opportunities to score. Rounding out the rotation are Julian Champagnie, Sidy Cissoko, and rookie Harrison Ingram, giving the Spurs plenty of depth and versatility.

Power forward: Jeremy Sochan, Sandro Mamukelashvili, RaiQuan Gray (TW).

Although there have been rumors that the Spurs may trade for Brook Lopez, we'll list Jeremy Sochan as the starting power forward for now. His starting the season at the four should lead to him having a better start to the year after spending the early part of last season at point guard.

Having a skilled passer handle those responsibilities should free him up to focus on defense while also helping him to get easy baskets off of cuts. Still, in his third season, his biggest goal should be improving his shooting. He made strides on that end last season, but for him to live up to his full potential, he'll have to shoot above league average.

After being retained, Sandro Mamukelashvili seems like the perfect option at backup power forward given his shooting, passing ability, and basketball IQ. His ability to run the floor, score off cuts, and rebound should make him a great backup for the Spurs next season.

Center: Victor Wembanyama, Zach Collins, Charles Bassey.

Last but not least is Wembanyama, who is the big winner of the Paul signing, with Paul being the perfect player to get him the ball. After all, he has a history of playing with athletic big men such as Tyson Chandler, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and Deandre Ayton.

He should be able to get Wembanyama several easy buckets a game, which coupled with him getting stronger and better in the offseason should lead to him making a big leap in his second season. That happening would get the Spurs closer to the playoffs and set themselves up for success going forward.

Backing him up is Zach Collins, who was demoted last season but played better coming off the bench. His post-scoring should be more helpful there, and hopefully, his 3-point shooting will recover, giving the Spurs two 6'10 players in the second unit that can space the floor.

Lastly, there is Charles Bassey, who is on a non-guaranteed contract but should be back barring a trade. He played well as a backup before having a second straight season-ending injury. Keeping him around makes sense, especially if the Spurs use Collins' big contract to try and make a big trade since Bassey has a cheap contract and is a capable center.