Spurs are ahead of the curve on NBA’s most important trends

The San Antonio Spurs will soon take the floor for the first time ahead of the 2025-26 season and have plenty to prove. Led by stars Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, San Antonio could soon emerge as contenders.

That's obviously exciting, but what's more interesting is that the Spurs have built a potential contender while prioritizing youth and depth. The former is usually something that most contenders don't have.

After all, most championship-caliber teams are veteran-led. Meanwhile, the latter has historically been undervalued thanks to the NBA and its reliance on star power. Luckily, the Spurs have both youth and depth in spades.

Wembanyama is just 21 years old but could quickly emerge as a top-5 NBA player, while they also have reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and 2025 second overall pick Dylan Harper. That gives them an incredibly impressive young trio, with each players' potential being sky-high.

The Spurs are ahead of the NBA’s curve thanks to youth and depth

They also have some of the best guard depth in the NBA and a far deeper frontcourt rotation after adding Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk and bringing back Bismack Biyombo.

Considering what they started last season with, Fox, Harper, Castle, and Julian Champagnie are a far better rotation with massive upside. Fox playing like the peak version of himself and Castle having a solid sophomore jump could be enough to get the Spurs into contention.

Especially if Harper can have a positive impact off the bench. Make no mistake, the Spurs will rely on their youth to show up and show out for them to make a huge leap next season.

The Spurs' newfound depth is a potential game-changer

Beefing up their front court should be just what this team needs. When Wembanyama was off the court last season, the Spurs struggled to find an answer at center. Bringing in Kornet is a huge deal considering he is an elite rim protector, rebounder, and finisher.

He should more than hold things down when Wembanyama is out of the game and could even play alongside him. Behind them is Biyombo, who played well after Wembanyama was ruled out for the year. He'll be back as the third-string center, giving San Antonio an insurance policy if Wembanyama misses time and Kornet is forced to start.

The Spurs are stacked at power forward with Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, and Olynyk. Barnes' shooting is the perfect complement to the starting lineup, while Sochan is hopefully poised for a breakout season. Lastly, Olynyk can toggle between power forward and center and gives them another shooter who can also pass.

All told, the Spurs have a chance to contend next season, thanks in large part to their youth and depth. They will still need Wembanyama and Fox to play like stars but could thrive next season thanks to them being ahead of the NBA's curve.