Spurs 2025 “breakout candidate” is one of many who deserve a swift exit

Bleacher Report released an article naming potential breakout candidates for all 30 NBA teams, but they need to go back to the drawing board with this one. San Antonio has a roster full of young, promising players to choose from, and they chose Malaki Branham. If you watch every game like Spurs fans do, you would have to be trolling to make such a prediction, but here we are.

Branham has the worst net rating on the team (-14.9). With an offensive rating of 97.7 and a defensive rating of 112.6, he hasn't performed well enough to be considered a candidate for anything other than a trade. The article projects Branham's breakout timeline would be next season due to the currently clogged guard rotation, but that's not going to get better next year.

Branham is on borrowed time

San Antonio has consistently been in trade rumors for a reason. They've accumulated a trove of assets to make moves, and it's almost time to open the treasure chest. This campaign is giving the front office all the intel they need to make confident decisions on which way to go. The roster has the potential to undergo radical changes from this year's trade deadline to the summer's free agency.

When the team was hobbled early on, Branham played significant minutes. He had a chance to show the team he deserved playing time when the main guys came back. He did the opposite. He made fans ache for the return of the core, and the coaches must feel the same way because he hasn't played a meaningful minute of basketball in almost a month.

Honestly, when you look at the roster, it's hard to put a finger on who could be a true breakout candidate for the Silver and Black. So many guys are playing poorly that we don't know how many of them will be back at the start of the 2025-26 season. Jeremy Sochan is probably the safest bet since he's a hard worker, and we know he's not going anywhere.

Branham is one of several players who don't need to be on this roster next season, and some of them should be gone by the trade deadline. Zach Collins, Keldon Johnson, and Blake Wesley all come to mind. Tre Jones is in a contract year and will also probably be gone next season, but that will also depend on what deals get done and who gets moved.

Fans are anxious for an upgrade to the roster, and based on NBA chatter, there's a possibility San Antonio will make a deal by the deadline. However, the Spurs are a patient organization and likely prefer to take the entire year to evaluate most of their guys. With a possible four first-round draft picks coming, look toward the summer for the Silver and Black to show their cards.