Spurs are nearly out of time to decide if their title window is real

The San Antonio Spurs have a question that needs a definitive answer ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline. Though Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell have turned heads in 2025-26, years of question marks can't simply be dismissed when a title window appears to be opening.

Difficult as it may be, the Spurs need to reopen potentially dated conversations about how Johnson and Vassell fit as they explore the trade market and decide if they can win with the current personnel.

San Antonio has a tremendous guard rotation with Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper, as well as an elite interior led by Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet. The quality along the wings has been questioned in the past, however, as consistency has been less than guaranteed.

With this in mind, there's at least some reason to believe the Spurs should pursue a trade for a more consistent option to plug in alongside the core players.

Johnson and Vassell are homegrown talents, which plays some part in making a case for staying the course. The line between true contenders and talented dreamers is razor thin, however, and the need for excellence along the wings is becoming a minimum standard in the modern NBA.

With the trade deadline fast approaching, the Spurs now face a make or break decision about whether their wing depth is sufficient for the purpose of having a legitimate title window.

Can Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell realistically help Spurs win a title?

Johnson and Vassell have silenced a great deal of criticism in 2025-26. Johnson is shooting 41.0 percent from beyond the arc and Vassell has checked in at 37.9 percent. There's more to the discussion than shooting, but they deserve credit nevertheless for their efficiency.

Cushioned by the fact that neither Johnson nor Vassell will be asked to shoulder a heavier burden than Castle, Fox, or Wembanyama, their situational execution could do the trick.

If the Spurs aren't absolute in their confidence that Johnson and Vassell can deliver, however, a trade must at least be explored. High-level wings have become a vital element of almost all championship teams in recent years, and Wembanyama's unique profile doesn't guarantee that the Spurs can be an exception.

Depending on who's available ahead of the trade deadline, it may thus make sense for San Antonio to pursue a player whose fit they're more confident in.

Perhaps there's a legitimately elite perimeter defender whom the Spurs can bring in to take pressure off of Castle and even Wembanyama. There may also be a player whose game is similar to Johnson's or Vassell's, but who has proven more reliable in the past.

One way or another, the Spurs must proceed with absolute confidence, as their decision at the trade deadline will make or break their legitimacy as a contender.