The jdeleonpsn1's Podcast

In Spurscast episode 704, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses: 

• Victor Wembanyama’s first Summer League game
• The Spurs’ opening days of free agency
• Where the Spurs’ roster currently stands

Wemby's First Summer League Game

In his first NBA Summer League game Friday evening, Victor Wembanyama finished with nine points, eight rebounds, five blocks, and three assists in 27 minutes.

Wembanyama showed how he's going to have an immediate impact on the defensive end of the floor with his five blocks and the way he was able to deter shots at the rim.

Wembanyama struggled with his shot in his first game, but he showed his high basketball IQ and skillset on multiple possessions, in how he drew the attention of the defense to find open teammates, or used his ball-handling and speed to drive by defenders.

The Opening Days of Free Agency

The Spurs have re-signed Julian Champagnie to a 4-year, $12 million deal, and they've also signed Sir'Jabari Rice to a two-way contract. The Spurs will also reportedly be re-signing Tre Jones to a 2-year, $20 million deal, and Sandro Mamukelashvili to a 1-year deal.

The Spurs also acquired Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens, and two future second round picks from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three team trade with the Cavs and Miami Heat.

Lastly, the Spurs will be acquiring Reggie Bullock and a 2030 Dallas Mavericks pick swap soon once an agreed upon trade is made official.

The State of the Roster

Once all deals are finalized, the Spurs will have 17 players on the full roster. This means before opening night of the regular season, the Spurs will have to trade or waive at least two players.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In Spurscast episode 703, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss: 

• Draft night for the Spurs
• The latest news and notes
• The state of the Spurs’ roster entering free agency
• Available free agents that would fit with San Antonio

Draft Night

Last Thursday the San Antonio Spurs used the first overall pick to draft Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs then traded the 33rd pick in the second round and with the 44th pick in round two, they drafted Sidy Cissoko.

The Spurs looked at trades to move up on draft night, but they decided to stick with trading the 33rd pick in the second round.

News and Notes

• Victor Wembanyama won't be playing with the French National team in the FIBA World Cup later this summer. Wembanyama will instead prepare for his rookie season in the upcoming season beginning in October.
• According to recent reports, the Spurs had interest in free agency in trying to sign big man Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, Reid has agreed to a multiyear extension to remain in Minnesota.
• On draft night, the Spurs reportedly agreed to sign undrafted player Sir'Jabari Rice of Texas to a two-way contract.
• Regarding the Spurs' roster, Zach Collins' $7.7 million contract for next season fully guaranteed, while Spurs General Manager Brian Wright noted that Tre Jones will be entering restricted free agency this coming weekend.

State of the Roster Entering Free Agency

With Collins' contract guaranteeing, the Spurs enter free agency with 11 players under guaranteed contracts. This means they can only add four players to the full roster.

The Spurs also have limited roster space on the two-way roster, assuming Rice gets one of the two-way slots and Cissoko gets the other. 

The Spurs have multiple players entering free agency this coming weekend in Tre Jones, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Romeo Langford, Gorgui Dieng, Julian Champagnie, and Dominick Barlow.

Free Agent Discussion

At the end of the episode, over 30 free agents are discussed in how well they would fit with the Spurs and what their contract projections look like. Some of the free agents included in the discussion are: Austin Reaves, Kyle Kuzma, Fred VanVleet, Cameron Johnson, D'Angelo Russell, Max Strus, Donte DiVincenzo, Grant Williams, and more.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In Spurscast episode 702, Spurscast host Paul Garcia, Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein, and former Project Spurs writer Trevor Zickgraf discuss:  

• The latest trade rumblings about the Spurs trying to move up into the lottery
• Late first-round prospects in the event the Spurs move up in the draft
• Draft prospects at 33 and 44 in the event the Spurs don’t move their two second-round picks

Latest Trade Rumblings to Move Up

In an interview with San Antonio Spurs General Manager Brian Wright, when asked if the Spurs are looking to move Keldon Johnson or Devin Vassell via trade, Wright told San Antonio Express News Columnist Mike Finger, "no."

When asked if the Spurs would look at packaging their two-second rounds picks (33, 44) to move up or a future draft asset to move up, Wright said they'd look at those possibilities.

Tuesday Kevin O'Connor of the Ringer reported there's been trade rumblings of the Spurs trying to move up in the draft for a second lottery pick. If they do move up, the Spurs may be looking at one of the Thompson twins (Amen or Ausar), or Wembanyama's teammate in France Bilal Coulibaly.

Draft Prospects Discussed in the Episode

Lottery projected players discussed:

• Amen Thompson
• Jarace Walker
• Ausar Thompson
• Anthony Black
• Bilal Coulibaly
• Cason Wallace
• Taylor Hendricks
• Dereck Lively II
• Kobe Bufkin
• Gradey Dick
• Jalen Hood-Schifino

In the event the Spurs try to move up late in the first round, here were some draft prospects that were discussed:

• Keyonte George
• Nick Smith Jr.
• Olivier-Maxence Prosper
• Jaime Jaquez Jr.
• Brice Sensabaugh
• Dariq Whitehead
• James Nnaji

Draft Prospects discussed at 33:

• Jaime Jaquez Jr.
• Trayce Jackson-Davis
• Colby Jones
• GG Jackson
• Andre Jackson
• Marcus Sasser

Draft Prospects discussed at 44:

• Tristan Vukcevic
• Seth Lundy
• Jordan Walsh
• Terquavian Smith
• Kobe Brown
• Adama Sanogo

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In Spurscast episode 701, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses the following topics:

• Victor Wembanayama possibly being at Summer League
• The Spurs targeting starting centers this summer
• The Pacers putting the 7th pick on the trade table
• A new CBA detail regarding minimum team salary

Wemby at Summer League?

According to Marc Stein on his latest Substack newsletter, there's a chance Victor Wembanyama will be at Summer League in Las Vegas and participate with the team to some degree.

The Spurs will participate in the California Classic Summer League from July 3-5 and then in the Las Vegas portion from July 7-17.

Spurs Reportedly Targeting Starting Centers

Friday, Yahoo! Sports' Jake Fischer wrote about the Spurs targeting starting centers either by trade or in free agency this offseason to provide frontcourt depth for Wembanyama.

Some starting level centers who are 6'10" or taller discussed in this episode are Jakob Poeltl, Brook Lopez, Kristaps Porzingis, Nikola Vucevic, and Dwight Powell.

7th Pick on Trade Block from Pacers

Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report reported Friday that the Indiana Pacers are seeking a starting caliber wing in exchange for the 7th pick in the upcoming draft. While the Spurs aren't mentioned as a team with interest in the 7th pick, a lot of fans have been asking how a trade involving Keldon Johnson for the 7th pick would work.

That question is answered in the episode using the 2022-2023 timeline and the new timeline for the 2023-2024 season, that begins on July 1.

New CBA Detail Regarding Minimum Team Salary

In a recent memo sent from the NBA regarding the new CBA, teams were supposed to meet the minimum team salary by the first game of the regular season. Now according to Fischer of Yahoo! Sports, teams need to be at that mark earlier by the time training camp opens.

This applies to the Spurs because they're expected to be a team with cap space that will need to find a way (either by signing players or trading for players) to be at the $120.6 minimum team salary.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In Spurscast episode 700, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses the Spurs’ reported interest in Chris Paul and he continues to answer questions sent in from fans.

Spurs interest in Chris Paul?

According to multiple outlets like ESPN and the Athletic, the Phoenix Suns are most likely moving on from point guard Chris Paul. The Suns will try to find a trade for Paul before his contract for next season becomes fully guaranteed on June 28, and if not, they'll look to waive him and possibly see if he'll re-sign for a lower amount next season.

After these reports came out, two days later, the Ringer wrote an article that mentioned the Spurs as a team who could be interested in Paul to be a mentor for the young team while also helping the team transition quickly from a rebuilding team to a team trying to get back into the playoff picture with the addition of Victor Wembanyama.

After digging into how the Spurs can acquire Paul, the two most likely routes are for the Spurs to try to trade for him before June 28, or try to sign him in free agency if he's waived by Phoenix.

Which Spur will benefit most from Wembanyama's addition to the team?

This question was sent in from a fan on Twitter and the short answer is Devin Vassell. In the episode, the reasons why Vassell will benefit from Wemby's addition are addressed.

Can the Spurs put a trade package together for Tyrese Haliburton?

This question was sent in from a fan on Youtube and before addressing this question, it must be noted that Haliburton will likely sign a 5-year extension this coming offseason with the Indiana Pacers.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In Spurscast episode 699, Spurscast host Paul Garcia answers questions sent in about:  

• What a deal would look like if the Spurs tried to sign Fred VanVleet
• What a trade would look like if the Spurs traded for Jaylen Brown
• What an offer sheet would look like if the Spurs tried to sign Austin Reaves

Fred VanVleet

VanVleet has until June 15 to exercise or decline his $22.8 million player option with the Toronto Raptors. If VanVleet declines the player option, he'll be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Considering VanVleet turned down a 4-year, $114 million extension from the Raptors this past season, the question becomes what would a deal look like if the Spurs tried to pursue signing him in free agency?

If VanVleet were signed, how much better would the Spurs as a team be going forward?

Jaylen Brown

Brown is under contract next season with the Boston Celtics for $31.8 million. Since he made two All-Star teams and an All-NBA team, Brown is eligible to sign a 5-year, $295 million supermax extension with the Celtics this offseason.

If Brown signs the Supermax, the question about the Spurs trading for him goes out the window. However, if he doesn't sign the extension, the question becomes what would the Spurs need to do to try to trade for Brown this summer. That scenario is explored in the episode.

Austin Reaves

After a really good playoff run with the Los Angeles Lakers, Reaves enters restricted free agency in July. In the episode, an offer sheet example is used to show what a deal would look like if the Spurs pursued Reaves in free agency and examines when the Lakers would be hesitant to match an offer sheet.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In Spurscast episode 698, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein discuss:

The Spurs win NBA Draft Lottery to draft Victor Wembanyama

The Spurs’ offseason approach going forward

The Spurs’ different cap space outlooks

Spurs land number one pick to draft Victor Wembanyama

Tuesday was a memorable day for the San Antonio Spurs franchise, with the team participating in the NBA Draft Lottery and landing the number one overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Landing the first overall pick will give the Spurs the ability to draft a franchise-changing player in Victor Wembanyama of France.

For many Spurs fans, the night was a celebration similar to 1997, when the team won the draft lottery in being able to draft Hall-of-Famer Tim Duncan.

While Wembanyama is going to put the Spurs back on a path to compete for championships in the future, the team he's joining in his first year is different from the 1998 squad Duncan joined that won 56 games. In 1998, the Spurs had multiple veteran players and former All-Stars on the team. Today, the majority of the Spurs players on the current team are under the age of 24 with no established All-Stars currently on the roster.

The Spurs’ offseason approach going forward

The big question going forward is how do the Spurs approach the offseason now that they have Wembanyama. Do they use their $30-40 million in cap space to sign one or multiple free agents? Do they try to use their future picks to try to trade for a current or former All-Star who hasn't been successful with their current team?

The future is bright for San Antonio going forward, and now the front office has a lot of decisions to make about how they'll approach this offseason.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In Spurscast episode 697, Spurscast host Paul Garcia participates in a question and answer session with Project Spurs staff member Evan Townsend on Twitter Spaces. Topics discussed in the episode are: 

• Devin Vassell’s upcoming extension deadline
• Tre Jones signing an extension or going into restricted free agency
• When the Spurs can start making trades
• Keldon Johnson’s extension beginning in the new season
• A new note about the tax distribution

Devin Vassell’s upcoming extension deadline

The San Antonio Spurs will have from July 6 to the first game of the regular season to reach a contract extension agreement with Devin Vassell. If the team and Vassell fail to reach an extension agreement, Vassell will be a restricted free agent next summer.

Tre Jones signing an extension or going into restricted free agency

The Spurs have two paths they can navigate this offseason with point guard Tre Jones. San Antonio can try to reach an agreement on an extension with Jones before free agency begins by June 30, or the Spurs can tender Jones a qualifying offer this summer and he'll become a restricted free agent on July 1.

When the Spurs can start making trades

The Spurs can make trades in two different timelines. They can make trades until June 30 using the 2022-2023 team salary, or they can wait until after July 6 to make trades using the new 2023-2024 team salary.

Keldon Johnson’s extension beginning in the new season

After signing an extension last summer, Johnson's extension will begin for the next three seasons in this coming season.

A new note about the tax distribution

While the NBA won't penalize teams fully for not reaching the minimum team salary in the coming season, teams will only get a 50% tax distribution if they don't reach the minimum team salary by the end of next season according to the new CBA.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In Spurscast episode 696, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein discuss: 

• Lottery Prospects in the 1st through 7th Range
• Second Draft Prospects

Lottery Prospects in the 1st through 7th Range

On May 16, the San Antonio Spurs will take part in the NBA Draft lottery where they'll find out whether they'll be drafting anywhere from 1st overall to 7th in the first round.

Lottery prospects in the Top-7 range are Victor Wembanyama (1st) from France, Scoot Henderson (2nd) of the G-League Ignite, Brandon Miller (3rd) of Alabama, Amen Thompson (4th) of Overtime Elite, Ausar Thompson (6th) of Overtime Elite, and Jarace Walker (7th) of Houston.

Other players in the Top-7 on different mocks are Cam Whitmore of Villanova, Anthony Black of Arkansas, Taylor Hendricks of Central Florida, Nick Smith Jr. of Arkansas, and Keyonte George of Baylor.

Second Draft Prospects

On lottery night, the Spurs will also find out if they'll have the 32nd or 33rd pick in the second round, while they'll also have the 44th pick via the Toronto Raptors in the second round.

Prospects in the 32nd/33rd pick range are Trayce Jackson-Davis, Bilal Coulibaly, Colby Jones, and Andre Jackson.

Draft prospects in the 44th pick range are Nikola Durisic, Jaylen Clark, Tristan Vukcevic, and Emoni Bates.

Other draft prospects discussed in the episode are Isaiah Wong, Cason Wallace, and Amari Bailey.

The NBA Draft lottery will take place on May 16 and the 2023 NBA Draft will take place on June 22.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In Spurscast episode 695, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss: 

• The Random Drawing Between the Spurs and Rockets
• 11 Players on Guaranteed Deals
• 7 Players Entering Free Agency
• Spurs’ Cap Space Potential
• Devin Vassell Extension Watch

The Random Drawing Between the Spurs and Rockets

Monday the NBA announced the results of a random drawing between the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets for the second-worst record in the league. The Spurs and Rockets both finished with 22-60 records, so a random drawing needed to be held to decide who finished with the second-worst record for lottery purposes. The team with the second-worst record can fall no lower than the 6th pick in the lottery during a worst-case scenario. Now that the Spurs have the third-worst record, they can fall as low as the 7th pick in the lottery. The Spurs, Rockets, and Detroit Pistons have an equal 14% chance of landing the first overall pick in the May lottery.

11 Players on Guaranteed Deals

11 players have salaries with guaranteed deals next season in Keldon Johnson, Doug McDermott, Devonte' Graham, the 2023 first-round pick, Zach Collins (assuming he isn't waived), Khem Birch, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, and Charles Bassey. If these 11 players remain on the roster going into free agency on July 1, this will leave the Spurs with just four open roster spots going into free agency.

7 Players Entering Free Agency

The Spurs can have five players enter restricted free agency if they tender a qualifying offer to each player. Those five players are Romeo Langford, Tre Jones, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Dominick Barlow (for a two-way contract), and Julian Champagnie (for a two-way contract).

The Spurs will also have two players entering unrestricted free agency in Gorgui Dieng and Keita Bates-Diop.

Spurs’ Cap Space Potential

The Spurs are projected to open anywhere from $25.8 million to $36.7 million in cap space this offseason. If the Spurs use their cap space, they'll have access to the new $7.6 million room exception.

Devin Vassell Extension Watch

This offseason the Spurs will have the opportunity to extend Devin Vassell's contract before Vassell enters restricted free agency in the summer of 2024. 

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands