Spurs shown the perfect Harrison Barnes replacement hiding in plain sight

The San Antonio Spurs have a contending team on their hands -- and also need to be thinking long-term as they steward Victor Wembanyama's growth into the league's best player. That means replacing veterans as they move on or age out of the Spurs' core.

First up? Harrison Barnes. And the ideal replacement would be Alex Karaban, currently balling out for the University of Connecticut Huskies.

The Spurs organization loves Harrison Barnes, and rightfully so. He is a veteran who has won a title and knows what it takes to win in the playoffs, a valuable asset to any up-and-coming team. He is a man of integrity and values who is a trusted voice in the locker room. And he's no slouch on the court, either, averaging 10.2 points and shooting 38.2 percent from deep.

The Spurs will need to replace Harrison Barnes

He is getting older, however, and will turn 34 years old during the playoffs. One of the quiet subplots of the season has been who Mitch Johnson will start at power forward in the postseason; does he lean on Barnes, whose impact is not on the same level as years past, or does he go smaller with Julian Champagnie at the 4? Or bigger, starting Luke Kornet and sliding Victor Wembanyama to power forward?

It would be nice if the Spurs had more depth at the 4 to match their depth in the backcourt. They could end up securing their long-term option on the trade market, whether that's a massive swing like Giannis Antetokounmpo or a lower-level one like a Michael Porter Jr. or Miles Bridges.

They could also look to the NBA Draft to find such a player. And if they can find him in the second round, all the better -- he will cost the team less and make it possible to address the position in multiple ways.

Enter Alex Karaban into the conversation.

Alex Karaban would be an ideal solution

The UConn Huskies have been one of college basketball's best teams over the last four years, winning two titles and being a perennial fixture at the top of the sport. This is not news to the Spurs, who drafted Stephon Castle in 2024 fresh off his run to a championship with the Huskies.

This season, the Huskies were a Top-5 team most of the year and made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed. They have an ensemble cast led by redshirt senior Alex Karaban, a former teammate of Castle's who has two national titles under his belt. He just carried UConn into the Sweet 16 with a monster performance.

Playing another blue-blood program in UCLA, Karaban put up a career-best 27 points, one game after dropping 22 points in the first round. The senior forward hit four 3-pointers, grabbed five rebounds and hit big shot after big shot right when the Huskies needed him. The vocal leader for UConn, his competitive fire and versatile offensive game make him an alluring choice in the second round of the NBA Draft.

Karaban projects as a superb role player

Karaban is not an elite athlete, and that will prevent him from being a defensive difference-maker in the NBA. What he brings on offense can help any team, however, and playing on a team with Castle, Carter Bryant and Wembanyama makes it possible for his gifts to shine through.

An accurate and high-volume shooter, Karaban could replace the exact role that Barnes has filled, spacing the court and firing away from the corners. His feel for the game is tremendous, and playing for Hurley will have only prepared him to play in a pro-style system.

He is projected to go in the early parts of the second round of this year's draft, and the Spurs should take a long look at selecting another member of the Huskies fraternity to join their roster. His shooting and basketball IQ could make the perfect role player to plug into the rotation.