The San Antonio Spurs failed to create a splash in the offseason. They tried adding point guard Chris Paul via free agency and Kyrie Irving through a trade as a replacement for the injured Tony Parker but came up short. Chris Paul decided to join the Houston Rockets while the Cleveland Cavaliers shipped Irving to the Boston Celtics for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick and a 2020 second-round pick.
The Spurs tried to part ways with some key pieces -- LaMarcus Aldridge and Danny Green -- to create salary cap room for big-name players but there were no takers. Instead, they settled on keeping veterans Pau Gasol, Patty Mills and Manu Ginobili as support for superstar Kawhi Leonard. Aside from Aldridge, the Spurs also retained Kyle Anderson, Davis Bertans, Bryn Forbes and Dejounte Murray. The Spurs also took in new players, signing veteran small forward Rudy Gay, center Joffrey Lauvergne, Brandon Paul, Matt Costello, London Perrantes and selecting Derrick White from the 2017 NBA Draft. San Antonio lost some key players, like Dewayne Dedmon and Jonathon Simmons, who signed with the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic, respectively.
Spurs get “D” from analyst
The Spurs’ lack of big offseason moves prompted Dan Feldman of NBC Sports to give them a grade of D. According to Feldman, the signing of 37-year-old Gasol to a three-year deal worth $48 million and the 29-year-old Mills to a four-year, $50 million contract would hurt the Spurs’ salary cap flexibility in the long run. With this limitation, the Spurs cannot sign another superstar who can back up Leonard in the next two to three years. The Spurs are also tied to player options for Aldridge, Green and Gay. Aldridge is set to earn $22,347,015, Danny Green $10 million, Gay $8,826,300 and Lauvergne $1,656,092 in the final year of their respective deals with the Spurs. Not to mention, Parker is set to earn $15,453,126 in the coming season despite being sidelined with an injury.
Spurs can excel in the coming season
Despite their lack of offseason moves, Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype.com said the Spurs are expected to contend in the tough Western Conference. Sierra predicted that the Spurs could finish third in the West and second in the Southwest Division. Sierra said the Spurs’ winning culture will be key to their success, not to mention their outside shooting and defense. Last season, the Spurs led the league in three-point shooting with a 39.1 percent clip from beyond the arc. Also, the Spurs have Leonard and Green, who are both outstanding defensive players.