Spurs’ latest free agency move may reveal their bold master plan

The San Antonio Spurs' roster just moved one step closer to becoming complete. The Spurs re-signed guard David Jones-Garcia to a two-way contract while signaling that forward Emanuel Miller won't be brought back.

Normally two-way signings aren't that big of a deal. But that could be different for the Spurs with Jones-Garcia having shown a lot of promise last season before getting injured. Not only that, but the team's two second-round picks are both now on two-way deals.

That could be significant since it gives San Antonio the opportunity to keep talented young prospects under contract without actually having them count against their books.

Spurs just revealed their bold master plan with a free agency power move

That may not matter as much this season with the Spurs being stacked and having a nearly full roster. However, it could matter a lot after next year.

The Spurs could have two open roster spots after next season. That's assuming they move on from Harrison Barnes, Jordan McLaughlin, and Keldon Johnson.

Factor in San Antonio's 2027 first-round selection, and that's potentially two openings for Jones-Garcia, Ja'Kobe Gillespie, and/or Maliq Brown. But only if they are impressive enough to warrant being upgraded to a standard minimum contract.

The Spurs are using two-ways much like the draft-and-stash strategy

Fans probably remember San Antonio drafting and promptly stashing players overseas for several years before bringing them over. That strategy was generally overrated aside from two major hits with Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter.

Had the NBA G League been firmly established and two-way contracts been a thing, then the Spurs probably would have used it instead of the draft-and-stash approach.

The big difference is that San Antonio can keep a close eye on players' development. They can play within the Spurs system in Austin and practice and even play with the big club.

If Jones-Garcia turns heads, they can wait until later in the season and then convert him to a standard contract. Possibly signing him to a cheap multi-year deal to help offset some of their bigger contracts.

Meanwhile, Gillespie and Brown can remain on two-way contracts for another season after next. That would give San Antonio plenty of time to evaluate them and see if they'd make sense on their actual roster.

In doing so, San Antonio could quietly develop prospects without using up NBA roster spots or going into the luxury tax and aprons. The Jones-Garcia re-signing signals that strategy.

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