With the draft over and free agency running dry, we can paint a good picture of how the Spurs roster will look in the 2025-26 season. Great strides were made, yet there is still much to be desired.
Spurs fans have one goal on their mind: winning the Larry O'Brien. However, that desire may not be obtainable at this moment. The Spurs are certainly headed in the right direction, but they have yet to complete a roster ready and able to win an NBA championship.
Drafting Harper was a must but creates a headache
I am not here to say that drafting Rutgers superstar Dylan Harper was a mistake, but regardless of how you shape it, there is a massive log jam at guard. Without any trades or major moves, it appears this issue will not be going away.
There is loads of talent on this roster; that cannot be denied. But the puzzle isn't exactly coming together. There are way too many guards on this team, and general manager Brian Wright has yet to address it. The combination of De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper will eventually play itself out, but what lies beyond them is a question mark.
Head coach Mitch Johnson will have a difficult time finding room for the collection of backup guards on this roster. Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and Julian Champagnie have all done enough to earn playing time, but where do they fit in?
Figuring out how the trio of Fox, Castle, and Harper will mesh is already a tall task; adding another tandem of role players will make it even more difficult. Not to mention, the Spurs' second rookie, Carter Bryant, needs a home in the rotation as well.
How long will it take to figure out how all these players can viably fit in the Spurs rotation? There are only so many minutes to go around. If the Spurs want to win now, they need to figure out how all these pieces will come together. Yet this roster construction has made that extremely difficult.
The Spurs still need perimeter shooting
Even with the Spurs' breadth of talent, they still lack an adequate number of perimeter shooters.
In the modern NBA, shooting is a must; you should know this. The most successful teams will have at least three above-average shooters in the starting lineup and plenty of depth. Right now, the Spurs do not have that.
Wembanyama may be the Spurs' best shooter. When your seven-footer is your best shooter, that is a problem. Behind him, there isn't much else to get excited about. While Fox, Castle, and Harper can all improve in that category, they need to prove it before we can feel comfortable. Lastly, Bryant is projected to be an above-average shooter, but as mentioned, this needs to be proven.
In free agency, the Spurs had the opportunity to address this issue, but instead acquired a non-shooting big man. While it was a vital pickup, the void beyond the arc remains. There were a multitude of players available for the Spurs that would greatly benefit them in this regard, but they came out empty-handed.
Wright must take action to address this issue, or else the Spurs will fall behind the rest by playoff time.