Chris Paul is not expected to return to the San Antonio Spurs in free agency, but there are three better fits that the Spurs can target this offseason.
In their final offseason, the San Antonio Spurs went outside and got both Chris Paul’s mentor and point guard to Victor Wenbagnarama. He was 39 and didn’t fit the Spurs timeline, but he averaged 8.8 points and 7.4 assists while starting all the games.
Midway through the season, the Spurs traded for the Dearon Fox, and Steffon Castle broke out as the rookie of the year. Plus, the Spurs are expected to draft Dylan Harper into second place overall, with no space left in Paul’s backcourt.
As a result, God is not expected to return to the spur. However, his veteran leadership and experience is invaluable to a younger team, and the Spurs should ask to add another veteran next to Harrison Burns for leadership in the locker room.
Paul certainly fits the bill, but there are three free agents in the courts who also meet the necessary status.
The Spurs desperately need a backup centre, as evidenced by their struggle without Wenbanyama in court last season.
Free agent Brooke Lopez is the best option and he has the championship experience the Spurs desperately needs.
As floor space and shot blocker, he was theoretically able to share the floor with Wenby in an oversized lineup, but his main role is to lead the second unit and provide much-needed rim protection.
The Spurs can remain younger and older with Derrick Queen, Maxim Raynaud, or another backup, but having a proven veteran past his prime certainly has the advantage.
Lopez has many suitors, including the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Spurs can provide just as much playing time and a little more money.
Lopez averaged 13 points, five rebounds and 1.9 blocks while shooting 37.3% from deep last season.
The Spurs appear to have an elite, young backcourt rotation, but Bruce Brown will slot from the ball and act as a secondary facilitator both from the bench and the starter, especially when drafting Harper.
The ultimate “glue man”, he managed to play the role of Josh Hart Wright of the Spurs. Since winning the title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, he has hit the league and played for the Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans.
He’s not a scorer for volume, but he can pass, rebound, defend, and not a bad combination from the bench next to the defense and Julien Champaney, especially if a true point guard remains on the floor.
After winning the Brown title, the $45 million deal with the Pacers is a massive overpayment, and his next deal isn’t much of a favour, solidifying him within the Spurs budget.
Brown averaged 8.3 points, four rebounds and two assists, shooting 33.3% from deep on two teams last season.
Except for trade, the San Antonio Spurs will perform the spinning of the wings of Harrison Burns, Devin Vassel, Keldon Johnson and Julian Champaney. All of these players serve shooters, if not solid, but Burns was the only one who shot over 38% from Deep last season.
In the modern NBA, there’s nothing like too much shooting. Luke Kennard will bring a explosion of reliability to his younger roster.
He’s more experienced than Lopez and isn’t a champion like Brown, but he’s led the league twice with a 3-point percent, third and third-highest from Deep with a career mark of 43.8%.
He’s not a great defender, but that’s not a big concern as Wenbanyama and Jeremy So-chan are behind him. Stopping at the Piston, Clippers and Grizzly, he’ll look at everything a bit and sign another value for the Spurs.
Of all three players listed, Kennard’s on-court influence may be most obvious, but his lack of playoff experience means he’s the least in the locker room, putting a big load on freshman head coach Mitch Johnson’s plate.
Kennard averaged 8.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists, shooting 43.3% from last season’s deep.