Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2024 offseason for all 30 NBA groups, recapping the summer season’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and extra. We’ll check out every group’s offseason strikes and contemplate what may nonetheless be coming earlier than the common season begins. Right now, we’re specializing in the San Antonio Spurs.
Free agent signings
Chris Paul: One 12 months, $10,460,000. Contains a further $1,568,999 in unlikely incentives. Signed utilizing cap room.- Charles Bassey: One 12 months, minimal wage. Re-signed utilizing minimal wage exception. Waived proper to veto commerce.
- Sandro Mamukelashvili: One 12 months, minimal wage. Re-signed utilizing minimal wage exception. Waived proper to veto commerce.
- Brandon Boston Jr.: One 12 months, minimal wage. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed utilizing minimal wage exception.
- Malachi Flynn: One 12 months, minimal wage. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed utilizing minimal wage exception.
- Nathan Mensah: One 12 months, minimal wage. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed utilizing minimal wage exception.
- Riley Minix: One 12 months, minimal wage. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed utilizing minimal wage exception.
- Jameer Nelson Jr.: One 12 months, minimal wage. Non-guaranteed (Exhibit 10). Signed utilizing minimal wage exception.
- Be aware: Nelson was subsequently waived.
Trades
- Acquired the Timberwolves’ 2031 first-round decide and the precise to swap 2030 first-round picks with the Timberwolves (top-one protected) in trade for the draft rights to Rob Dillingham (No. 8 decide).
- Acquired the draft rights to Juan Nunez (No. 36 decide) and money in trade for the draft rights to Johnny Furphy (No. 35 decide).
- Acquired money from the Hornets in trade for Devonte’ Graham and the Pelicans’ 2025 second-round decide.
- Acquired Harrison Barnes and the precise to swap 2031 first-round picks with the Kings in a three-team commerce in trade for RaiQuan Grey (two-way; to Bulls).
Draft picks
Two-way signings
Departed/unsigned free brokers
Different strikes
Wage cap scenario
- Went under the cap to make use of room.
- Now working over the cap ($140.6MM) and under the luxurious tax line ($170.8MM).
- Carrying roughly $145MM in wage.
- No onerous cap.
- Full room exception ($8MM) out there.
The offseason up to now
After incomes All-NBA votes and ending because the runner-up for the Defensive Participant of the 12 months award as a 20-year-old rookie, Victor Wembanyama is on a trajectory to turn out to be one of many league’s highest gamers sooner relatively than later. Nonetheless, the Spurs made it clear with their offseason strikes that they gained’t rush the method of constructing a contending group round him.
Relatively than going all-in on win-now items or taking an excessive long-term view by surrounding Wembanyama with a number of extra younger prospects, San Antonio cut up the distinction. The group entered June’s draft armed with a pair of picks within the high eight, however solely saved the primary of the 2, utilizing it to pick out guard Stephon Fortress fourth general after which sending the No. 8 decide to Minnesota in trade for 2 far-off draft belongings — an unprotected 2031 first-round decide and a top-one protected decide swap in 2030.
It’s a dangerous transfer, given the wide selection of outcomes for these two belongings. It’s solely attainable that the ’31 decide results in the 20s and the ’30 swap doesn’t get used in any respect.
However the logic behind the transfer is smart. The 2024 draft class wasn’t significantly loaded, in order that No. 8 decide was unlikely to provide a star; the Wolves – given their cap scenario – are a group whose long-term sustainability is price betting towards; and the Spurs don’t essentially want to wager on these picks to land within the high halves of the 2030 and 2031 drafts, since they might use them as commerce chips effectively earlier than that with a view to add gamers who will complement Wembanyama as he enters his prime.
Including two rookies to a younger roster additionally won’t have the been the perfect strategy for optimizing Wembanyama’s improvement, which was definitely a consideration for the Spurs this offseason. That’s a key cause why the group used basically all of its out there cap room to usher in a pair of veterans: Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes.
Paul, who was waived by the Warriors so they might keep away from guaranteeing his $30MM wage for 2024/25, ended up signing with San Antonio for a couple of third of that quantity. The longer term Corridor of Famer might have chosen to hitch one among any variety of groups nearer to title rivalry, however the alternative to play for head coach Gregg Popovich and alongside a younger phenom like Wembanyama made the Spurs an interesting choice.
Wembanyama spent a lot of his rookie 12 months taking part in subsequent to “level guards” like Jeremy Sochan and Malaki Branham earlier than veteran Tre Jones was ultimately reinserted into the beginning lineup. Sochan and Branham are promising younger gamers, however they’re not level guards, as final 12 months’s experimentation confirmed. Wembanyama was handiest offensively with Jones on the courtroom, and may profit tremendously from having both Jones or Paul operating the offense in his second 12 months.
Barnes gained’t essentially have the identical kind of direct impression on Wembanyama’s on-court manufacturing, however the ahead is a strong defender who ought to assist make the large man’s life a bit of simpler on that finish of the ground. Wembanyama must also reap the advantages of Barnes’ and Paul’s data and expertise — the 2 veterans have a mixed 31 NBA seasons and three Olympic gold medals beneath their belts, and Barnes has gained a championship.
Outdoors of bringing again reserve free agent facilities Charles Bassey and Sandro Mamukelashvili, the Spurs didn’t make some other strikes of word this summer season, however they’re effectively stocked with future draft picks that may put them in place to proceed including expertise to this core, both by drafting gamers or utilizing these picks as commerce items.
Up subsequent
With 15 gamers on commonplace assured contracts and no gamers eligible for contract extensions, the Spurs are unlikely to have a very lively October.
They’re solely carrying a pair of gamers on two-way offers proper now, so that they have a choice to make on who will fill the third slot. Brandon Boston, Nathan Mensah, and Riley Minix are on the roster on Exhibit 10 contracts and may very well be candidates to have these offers transformed to two-ways. Boston might be the perfect candidate of the bunch if San Antonio needs a participant able to competing for minutes — he has appeared in 105 common season video games over the previous three seasons for the Clippers.
The Spurs might additionally look outdoors the group to fill that slot, both with a present free agent or with a participant on one other group’s roster who will get waived earlier than the season begins.
It’s additionally price noting that the Spurs are one of many few groups with a ton of flexibility under the luxurious tax line, so that they’re a superb candidate to assist accommodate a commerce between two cap-strapped golf equipment, just like the Hornets are doing within the Karl-Anthony Cities blockbuster.
