Spurs' deserved place atop new poll destroys Brian Wright haters

In a recent article by NBA writer Sam Quinn on CBS Sports, the Spurs landed as the third-best front office in the NBA. While the ranking may come as a surprise to some, I believe this placement is most certainly deserved.

Since being hired in the summer of 2019, general manager Brian Wright has been the epitome of a great front office leader. In the wake of a dynasty in the early 2000s, Wright entered the Spurs organization and rebuilt it with haste. From a team that was sitting in the lottery, Wright has transformed the squad into one that looks to compete for titles for the next decade.

Wright has killed it in the draft

In his time as general manager, Wright has used the NBA draft to construct a lethal compliation of young talent in San Antonio. Ignoring the brutal miss of Josh Primo in 2021, Wright has landed great player after great player.

When examining the Spurs' current bench, Wright's distinct eye for prospects shines through. The Spurs have one of the deepest rosters in the entire NBA, and it is all thanks to Wright. Key role players Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell are prime examples of Wright's success in the draft.

In the past few years, Wright has been even more successful. While the selection of Victor Wembanyama was a layup, his magnum opus was securing Stephon Castle at pick four in the 2024 draft. This draft was as big of a question mark as you will find.

There were no guarantees in the pack of players, creating a tall task for general managers. With that, Wright came away with the Rookie of the Year award and a player who will be a hallmark in the Spurs organization for years to come.

Last but certainly not least, Wright endured what was the most successful draft class out of anyone in the 2025 draft. Securing future superstar Dylan Harper at pick two and utterly robbing the NBA with the selection of Carter Bryant at pick 14, Wright committed an ungodly crime this summer. While we have yet to see them hit the NBA floor, it's pretty easy to see that these guys will be studs.

The Spurs have capitalized on trades and free agency

Wright hasn't only been a draft wizard, but his consistency and adept work on the phones have been admirable. When examining the Spurs' current roster, a collection of significant moves has shaped their playoff-ready squad.

The first and most prevalent move was acquiring De'Aaron Fox at last year's trade deadline. While it was a pretty easy decision to make given his reluctance to go anywhere else, the light package Wright managed to use to pull it off makes it all the more impressive. No matter what happens with Fox in the future, trading for him completely changed the Spurs' future trajectory.

Around the edges, Wright stole away Harrison Barnes from the Kings for a bag of chips and traded away two afterthought players to acquire a soon-to-be impactful role player in Kelly Olynyk. These small yet effective moves are what make a great general manager.

Wright has been relatively quiet in free agency over recent years, but this season, he made a tactical move with Luke Kornet to fill one of the Spurs' greatest needs. Wright has been brilliant with his money and cleverly used it to keep the Spurs' books in sound shape.

From top to bottom, Wright has been a genius. His third-place ranking among all NBA general managers is well-deserved. Without him, the Spurs would not be in the place they are today.