De'Aaron Fox vs. Dylan Harper and 4 other Spurs training camp battles to watch

The San Antonio Spurs made a surprise run to the NBA Finals last season but weren't satisfied. They improved their roster this summer by signing Tobias Harris and drafting two skilled big men. San Antonio finally has a true power forward and is ready to maximize Victor Wembanyama.

The added depth has players fighting for roles and minutes. Training camp will give head coach Mitch Johnson and his staff time to experiment and figure things out. The Spurs are just $2.1 million under the luxury tax line and don’t want to pay it this season. Wemby’s extension kicks in next year, and their roster will quickly get expensive. Dodging the tax for one more year fends off the repeater for a bit.

The Spurs begin training camp with media day on September 28. They have three weeks of practice and five preseason games before their October 20th season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Coach Johnson and his staff have plenty to figure out, and fans should be monitoring these training camp battles closely.

5. Final roster spot battle

Taelon Peter vs. RJ Davis vs. Jon Elmore vs. Malik Williams

The Spurs only have 14 players under guaranteed contracts entering training camp. They can sign a 15th player before opening night, but want to stay under the luxury tax. San Antonio could sign someone to start the year and trade to get under the tax line at the deadline. They have four players on training camp deals, and each will be hungry to earn a roster spot.

The Spurs' most likely move would be to convert a two-way contract and bring one of these four onto a two-way deal. Davis Jones-Garcia, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, and Maliq Brown are hungry to be converted. San Antonio may slow-play this into the regular season to make the finances work.

All seven of these players will look to impress. The four on non-guaranteed deals are fighting to stick with the organization. Taelon Peter is a former second-round draft pick who figures to have the early edge. These players will all be looking to shine, and fans should keep an eye on all seven to see who is standing out.

4. Backup big man minutes

Luke Kornet vs. Tarris Reed Jr. vs. Carter Bryant

Kornet is a strong rebounder and rim protector, but he became a problem in the playoffs. The Spurs were outscored by 60 points in his 114 minutes on the floor in the conference finals and NBA Finals. Coach Johnson stuck with him, but the front office clearly recognized the issue.

They drafted Tarris Reed Jr. and Jayden Quaintance in the first round to have depth behind Wemby. Quaintance had knee surgery this summer and is unlikely to be a factor as a rookie. Reed Jr. is already 23 years old and wants to quickly leap into the rotation.

The Spurs could also go small in the second unit with Carter Bryant playing the five. The addition of Tobias Harris will make it difficult to find forward minutes for Bryant. Playing him at the five could be the easiest path.

Kornet will have to earn this spot during training camp. There will be multiple players looking to overtake him, but San Antonio needs the big man to lock down the minutes behind Wemby.

3. Reserve forward minutes

Keldon Johnson vs. Harrison Barnes vs. Carter Bryant

The Spurs’ depth makes this battle for a spot in the nightly. If coach Johnson plays a ten-man rotation, only two of these three are in. Wemby, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, Harris, Devin Vassell, and Julian Champagnie are all playing when healthy. The Spurs need a backup five to make eight. Unless that is one of these men, there are just two spots left for these three.

The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has a significant edge. Johnson should play 20 to 25 minutes a night, but the addition of Tobias Harris will change the dynamics. Both players can get buckets, so coach Johnson will have work to do to maximize the lineups they play together.

The Spurs re-signed Harrison Barnes to a one-year, $8 million contract this summer. It was a bit surprising, as it appeared San Antonio was going in a different direction in the playoffs. Barnes averaged more regular season minutes per game than Johnson and Bryant in the 2025-26 campaign. Coach Johnson likely sticks with the veteran for the final rotation spot.

Bryant has to outshine one of these two to be in the nightly rotation at his more natural position. That won’t be an easy task, but the former lottery pick has significant room to grow. This battle is worth watching as Bryant should be ascending as Barnes declines.

2. Starting forwards

Devin Vassell vs. Julian Champagnie vs. Tobias Harris

The Spurs have multiple starting spots that could be up for grabs entering training camp. Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle will start. The other three spots have five worthy players battling it out.

Tobias Harris has started every NBA game he’s played in for nine straight years. The last time he came off the bench was April of 2017. Wemby was 13 years old. Harris is a starter and key contributor, but the Spurs have two returning starters that just made significant impacts on the Western Conference champions.

Vassell and Champagnie are starting-caliber players. So is Harris. The Spurs can only open the games with five on the floor. San Antonio has arguably the best top seven in the NBA. It won’t be easy for coach Johnson to narrow it down to five.

The starting point guard choice may determine who opens the game at forward. Castle and Fox are below-average shooters, so they may opt for the superior shooting from Vassell and Champagnie. If Harper leaps into the opening group, the Spurs may opt for Harris’ size and versatility. This will be a battle worth watching. All three will get significant minutes, but only two can start.

1. Starting point guard

Dylan Harper vs. De’Aaron Fox

This is the battle that has been debated since the NBA Finals. Fox is on a max contract and is a two-time All-Star in his prime. He is an unquestioned starter on almost any other team, but the Spurs have the second overall draft pick in 2025. Harper just made a massive impact on a team that reached the NBA Finals as a rookie.

The Spurs will try the three guard lineup for spurts, but coach Johnson has to decide between Fox and Harper in most cases. Harper is a better shooter with a higher upside. Fox is already a star and an elite playmaker. Coach Johnson has a tough decision to make every night on who he goes with. Both are elite options that other teams would love to have.

Harper raises the Spurs' ceiling and should take over. San Antonio is trying to build a dynasty. The 20-year-old is Wemby’s co-star for the next 15 years. The Spurs need to embrace that, even if benching Fox is painful.

This will be a battle throughout the season. Fox must play with Wemby’s co-star to keep the gig. Harper is coming. Expect flashes of brilliance from both. If Harper is a superstar already, coach Johnson might not have a choice but to hand him the keys on opening night.

The San Antonio Spurs have their sights set on winning a championship. They just got close and got deeper this summer. Training camp features a bunch of interesting battles around Wemby. Watch this space and see who steps up before opening night.

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