Spurs are just a missing piece away from having the best roster in the NBA

The San Antonio Spurs added Tobias Harris and drafted two talented rookies to add to their depth, but they are still a backup center away from having the NBA’s best roster. Victor Wembanyama will be the starter, but San Antonio must be able to rest their superstar in the most important games. Luke Kornet struggled in the last two rounds of the playoffs. The Spurs needed to bench him, but didn’t have another option. They still need that piece.

San Antonio drafted Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr., but they can’t rely on either for playoff minutes as a rookie. Quaintance is recovering from knee surgery, and isn’t ready for a nightly rotation role. Reed Jr. has failed to stand out in the summer league and needs time to improve.

Kornet is a fine regular-season option, but the Spurs should be looking for a hybrid four/five who gives San Antonio versatility against the best teams. They can use Kornet as a bruising inside presence. They need a stretch option that can guard multiple positions to defeat the league's best.

The Spurs are one piece away from the best roster in the NBA

The Spurs depth chart is loaded with talent. De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper might be the best backcourt in the league. Wemby is already the best player on the planet. Tobias Harris filled their hole at the four. Carter Bryant will take a step forward to provide forward depth. The only missing piece is finding the answer to Wembanyama's backup against the Thunder and Knicks.

The Spurs are loaded with draft capital and could trade for any missing piece. They don’t want to part with picks because their roster will quickly get expensive, but this is the final add. San Antonio would be the favorite to topple OKC and the Knicks if they land a versatile backup big man that can make an impact in the playoffs.

The Spurs need their version of Al Horford, Mitchell Robinson, or Jaylin Williams. The player who is a change of pace from their starter and can make an impact on both ends of the floor.

The Spurs were outscored by 60 points in Kornet’s 114 minutes on the floor in the final two playoff series. Just winning some of those minutes in the NBA Finals may have flipped the series. In Games 6 and 7 against the Thunder, SA won Kornet’s 19 minutes by 14 points. The Spurs had to win both games to knock out Oklahoma City, and they did.

San Antonio lost Kornet’s minutes in every finals game. Head coach Mitch Johnson couldn’t play him more than ten minutes in any contest, which wore Wemby down even further.

The San Antonio Spurs need this counterpunch to be the best team in the world. It is their lone missing piece at this stage. They have depth and two-way impact at every other position. The Spurs still have an open roster spot and should make a trade for a backup center. Don’t count on it happening, but San Antonio is this close. Fans should be excited by that alone.

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