Spurs can drastically raise upside with an impactful free agency decision

The offseason rumors are heating up for the Spurs, with recent reports indicating that they're interested in Rui Hachimura and John Collins. Obviously, they can't sign both guys (although that would be fun), so it'll come down to which player is more affordable and makes more sense for their roster. As far as the latter, John Collins provides more to San Antonio with his all-around skillset.

This isn't to suggest that Rui wouldn't be valuable to them at all. He's one of the NBA's premier long-range shooters, draining at least 40% of his looks in his last three seasons. He also holds the record in career three-point percentage. Adding him could turn the Spurs into one of the league's most lethal long-range shooting teams.

But Collins checks more boxes for them. He's extremely versatile, offering a blend of efficient scoring, rebounding, and defensive upside. San Antonio's ceiling would be a bit higher with him on the roster instead of Hachimura.

Collins is a better all-around player than Hachimura

I love the idea of Rui Hachimura's fit in the Spurs' offense. With his knack for spacing the floor, he'd help open up driving lanes for their backcourt and make life easier for Victor Wembanyama to find pockets to score in.

While John Collins isn't as good a shooter, he's still respectable in that area. He made at least 37% of his looks in his last three seasons. So passing on Hachimura for Collins doesn't mean they're completely missing out on an additional three-point shooting weapon.

He's a more attractive player because of what he can do in tandem with his floor spacing ability. He's a far superior rebounder who competes on the offensive and defensive boards, which could be a huge difference-maker in the playoffs. When motivated, his athleticism and mobility make him an intriguing defensive threat who can cover a lot of ground and challenge opponents at the rim.

The struggle with Hachimura is that he doesn't provide as much all-around play as John Collins. He's not a better rebounder and doesn't have the same defensive upside. Now, is Collins dominant on that end? No, but I'd imagine in the Spurs' system, he'd be a larger threat than Rui.

Collins allows the Spurs to experiment with lineups a lot more

The Spurs were already extremely versatile last season, and John Collins could add to that. In some lineups, he can operate as a floor spacer, positioning himself on the wings or deep corner. With his rebounding prowess and ability to finish above the rim, he can also function as a small-ball center.

Rui doesn't give you that. While he may be serviceable at both forward positions with his shooting accuracy and size, he lacks the athleticism to excel in those other areas that Collins can. Next season, the Spurs would love to have more of that around Victor Wembanyama to alleviate some pressure off of him.

I don't doubt that Hachimura could be a dangerous weapon for the Spurs if they decide to swing his way and sign him this offseason. You don't come across shooters like him too often. But versatility is the name of the game for San Antonio next season if they want to keep their foot on the competition in the West. John Collins gives them their best shot at that.

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