The Spurscast

Thursday the trade deadline came and went with the San Antonio Spurs trading veteran Doug McDermott to Indiana (0:38), while reportedly acquiring Marcus Morris Sr., a future second round pick, and cash from the Pacers.

In the episode, host Paul Garcia breaks down the trade and the Spurs’ options going forward for the remainder of the season. How long will

Morris Sr. remain a Spur? What are the chances the Spurs waive Cedi Osman (4:15) or Devonte’ Graham (4:55), and might the Spurs look at adding Killian Hayes (5:45) if he clears waivers? Could Dominick Barlow’s contract be converted to a full roster spot (8:25)?

An early look ahead to the offseason is also explored to see if the Spurs might use their stockpile of draft picks to pursue a trade for Dejounte Murray (13:15), Trae Young (13:45), or look at signing Tyus Jones (14:25).

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In the latest episode of the Spurscast, it’s trade deadline week. Host Paul Garcia reviews the San Antonio Spurs’ last three games (2:00), Victor Wembanyama being named the Western Conference rookie of the month for January (5:30), and the Spurs’ upcoming Rodeo Road Trip (7:55).

From there, the latest trade rumor is discussed regarding the Spurs' interest in Tyus Jones (9:30). Finally, looking at some potential trade deals (13:50) for Spurs veterans Doug McDermott, Cedi Osman, and Devonte’ Graham, with the NBA trade deadline approaching Thursday at 3 PM ET.

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In the latest episode, host Paul Garcia is joined by Project Spurs writer Collin Reid, where they discuss the Spurs in their last four games (0:43), Victor Wembanyama being named to the Rising Stars team (13:00), and Wemby’s chances of making the All-Star team (16:15).

The Spurs went 2-2 in their last four games, with a loss the Oklahoma City Thunder, then a win over the Portland Trail Blazers. After defeating Portland, the Spurs had their best win of the season, defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are currently first out West. However, after defeating the Timberwolves, the Spurs had a let down in falling to the Washington Wizards Monday.

Tuesday Wembanyama was named to the rookie Rising Stars roster. While this wasn’t too surprising, the game format will be interesting to watch Friday February 16, with the mini-tournament style set-up.

Lastly, the discussion shifts to evaluating Wemby's prospects of landing a spot on the All-Star team.

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In the latest episode, host Paul Garcia is joined by Project Spurs writer Collin Reid, where they discuss teams with trade player exceptions (1:40), the latest trade rumors involving Dejounte Murray (10:40), and Victor Wembanyama’s efficient scoring while on a minutes restriction (17:20).

With Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman reportedly being made available in trade discussions, teams with trade player exceptions are discussed to see if there’s any deals out there where teams might trade for Osman or McDermott.

There’s new reporting details regarding the Dejounte Murray trade rumors, and the Spurs have reportedly made Devonte’ Graham available in trade discussions as well.

While being on a minutes restriction, Victor Wembanyama has been incredibly efficient, where he’s scored 20 or more points in 10 of his last 11 games played. The lone game where Wembanyama didn’t score over 20, he tallied his first career triple double.

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On Spurscast episode 727, host Paul Garcia talks about the San Antonio Spurs’ third-quarter turnaround (2:00), the latest trade rumors (9:15) involving Dejounte Murray, Cedi Osman, and Doug McDermott, and the Spurs’ last four games (17:40).

The Spurs have seen a dramatic turnaround in the third quarter since starting Tre Jones at point guard. In their first 33 games, they were the worst team in the league in the third quarter, but since Jones took over, they have been the best.

Over the last week Cedi Osman and Doug McDermott have been mentioned trade rumors, and there are some updates on the Spurs’ interest in Dejounte Murray as well.

To conclude, we will examine the Spurs’ last four games. They blew out the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets, but fell to the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks. In the game against the Pistons, Victor Wembanyama recorded his first career triple-double in just 21 minutes of action.

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On Spurscast episode 726, host Paul Garcia is joined by Project Spurs writer Collin Reid to talk about the Spurs’ reported interest in Dejounte Murray (1:55), the upcoming trade deadline (12:05), the last two games (29:30), and Tre Jones’ performance in the starting point guard role (36:50).

On Tuesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the San Antonio Spurs are one of the teams with "exploratory interest" in Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.

What might a deal look like should the Spurs and Hawks look further at a deal? With the trade deadline approaching February 8, 2024, other decisions the Spurs will have to make are discussed, such as which players might the team look to trade and who are some players that would fit with the team, if the players were acquired via trade.

Despite the Spurs' recent two losses, they put up a good fight against the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers, with both games going down to the wire. On Sunday, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama faced off for the first time in an unforgettable duel.

To conclude, the Spurs have started Tre Jones at point guard in the last two games. The team narrowly lost their first two games with Jones at point, but Jones, Wembanyama, and Devin Vassell all played well in the close losses.

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In Spurscast episode 725, host Paul Garcia discusses the Spurs’ last four games (1:50), fast break scoring (11:30), Keldon Johnson off the bench (12:50), more injuries, and recent roster moves by the team (15:10).

The Last 4 Games

The San Antonio Spurs snapped their five-game skid with a victory at Portland last Thursday, but they have since dropped their next three games against the Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, and Memphis Grizzlies.

More Injuries

In recent games, Zach Collins and Malaki Branham both sustained ankle injuries. Victor Wembanyama has also been frustrated with being on a minutes restriction due to his ankle injury. Collins is expected to be out for 2-4 weeks, while Branham is doubtful to play in Thursday’s game against Milwaukee.

Recent Roster Moves

Last week, the Spurs waived two-way player Charles Bediako due to an injury that will sideline him for 6-8 weeks. To fill the open two-way slot, the team signed Mamadi Diakite, a 6-foot-9 big man who can provide depth to the frontcourt.

On Tuesday, the Spurs applied for a Disabled Player Exception for Charles Bassey, who will be sidelined for the rest of the season due to injury. If the exception is approved, the Spurs will have $1.3 million to sign a player, trade for a player, or claim a player off waivers.

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In Spurscast episode 724, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses the Spurs’ last three games (1:20), Victor Wembanyama’s ankle injury (4:50), and another new starting lineup (8:10).

The Last 3 Games

The San Antonio Spurs have lost their last five games, including their last three against the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, and Utah Jazz. Their schedule will ease up a bit in January, with games against Portland, Detroit, Charlotte, and Washington.

Wemby’s Ankle Injury

In the pregame warm-ups prior to facing the Mavericks on Saturday, Wembanyama stepped on the foot of a ball boy and injured his ankle. As a result, Wembanyama was forced to sit out the game against the Mavericks and has been on a minutes restriction in the games he has played since.

Wembanyama is expected to play in the Spurs’ game Thursday in Portland, but he may miss the next game against the Trail Blazers on Friday night.

Another New Starting Lineup

The Spurs have made a change to their starting lineup, adding Julian Champagnie to the lineup alongside Malaki Branham, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Wembanyama.

To give the bench more balance, Keldon Johnson will now be coming off the bench to support Tre Jones, Zach Collins, Cedi Osman, and Doug McDermott.

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In Spurscast episode 723, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss the San Antonio Spurs’ 18-game losing streak ending (1:30), the Spurs’ new starting lineup (8:40), and how the season has gone for Keldon Johnson (21:00) and Malaki Branham (28:50).

18 Game Losing Streak Ends

The Spurs’ franchise record 18-game losing streak came to an end last week when the Spurs defeated the Anthony Davis-less Los Angeles Lakers. Since then, the Spurs have gone on to lose their next two games by double digits against New Orleans and Milwaukee.

More New Starting Five Analysis

With another game logged for the new starting five of Branham, Devin Vassell, Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and Victor Wembanyama, Reid’s analysis is provided regarding the new lineup.

Keldon Johnson and Malaki Branham Through 26 Games

The play of Johnson and Branham on both ends of the court is discussed in the final topic of the episode.

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In Spurscast episode 722, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses the San Antonio Spurs’ new starting lineup with Victor Wembanyama at the five.

The Last Four Games (1:30)

The Spurs’ losing streak has expanded to 18 losses in a row after the team lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers in their last four games.

Through 23 games, the Spurs continue to have bottom-three record along with the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards.

Bassey Injury and Two-Way Roster Moves (7:00)

Some unfortunate news for Charles Bassey this week, after he underwent an MRI, the team announced he’ll miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Bassey suffered the injury in a G-League game over the weekend.

Thursday the Spurs made a two-way roster move, by waiving guard Sir’Jabari Rice and signing David Duke Jr. to a two-way contract.

New Starting Lineup with Wemby at the Five (10:35)

The final topic is a deep dive on the new Spurs starting lineup of Malaki Branham, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and Wembanyama.

So far the lineup has been really good on defense through three games, however, they’ve been the complete opposite on the offensive end of the floor.

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In Spurscast episode 721, Spurscast host Paul Garcia is joined by Project Spurs writers Collin Reid and Benjamin Bornstein to discuss the Spurs in their last two games (1:40), and some early draft prospects (19:20).

Losses Against Hawks and Pelicans

In their last two games, the San Antonio Spurs’ losing streak was pushed to 14-losses in a row after the Spurs lost a close game at home to the Atlanta Hawks, and then lost by 15 points on the road in New Orleans.

The rookie of the year race between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren is also discussed, as well as Devin Vassell being back on the Spurs’ injury report.

December Draft Talk

With the Spurs having a bottom-3 record in the league at the moment, they have a strong chance of landing a Top-5 pick in the 2024 NBA draft should San Antonio continue to struggle.

Some draft prospects discussed are Isaiah Collier, Ja’Kobe Walter, Ron Holland, Donovan Clingan, Matas Buzelis, Stephon Castle, and Justin Edwards.

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In Spurscast episode 720, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss the Spurs in the last six games (2:00), the 12-game losing streak, and whether expectations were set too high for the team (8:40). From there, they have a deep dive discussion about the Spurs and the 3-point line (15:50).

0-6 in Last Six Games, Losing Streak Extended to 12

Over the last six games, the San Antonio Spurs have lost to the Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers twice, the Golden State Warriors, and Denver Nuggets. With these six losses, the Spurs’ current losing streak has been extended to 12-losses in a row.

Deep Dive on the 3PT Battle

Later in the episode, a deep dive discussion takes place regarding the Spurs and their opponents shooting from three, individual players shooting the three, and some 3-point line film observations on offense and defense.

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In Spurscast episode 719, Spurscast host Paul Garcia looks at the San Antonio Spurs’ six game losing streak (2:50), and he takes an in-depth look at where the team ranks offensively and defensively through 11 games.

Losing Streak Extends to Six

Since the last Spurscast episode, where the losing streak stood at three losses, the Spurs still haven’t found a way to end the streak. Last Friday San Antonio hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves and lost by 7, then they faced the Miami Heat two nights later and lost by 5, and finally, their most recent loss came on the road in Oklahoma City, where the Spurs were blown out by 36.

The Spurs are now 3-8 overall and 0-2 in the In-Season Tournament. They have a chance to end the losing streak this Friday against Sacramento or Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies.

In-Depth Look at Different Rankings

In the second segment of the episode, there’s an in-depth look at where the Spurs have been really good (7:25) on offense and defense, where they’ve been okay (11:05), and finally, where they’re bottom-10 (16:30).

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In Spurscast episode 718, Spurscast host Paul Garcia dives into the San Antonio Spurs’ 3-game losing streak (2:25), and he discusses Victor Wembanyama’s play in recent games (10:24).

The 3-Game Losing Streak

As of Wednesday evening when the episode was recorded, the Spurs are in the midst of a 3-game losing streak. They lost to the Toronto Raptors in overtime Sunday, got blown out in Indiana Monday, and then recently in New York Wednesday, lost to the Knicks by 21.

One of the early trends that’s part of the Spurs’ losses is their battles with opponents from the 3-point line. The Spurs are now 1-5 when losing the 3-point line, and in the recent losses, there has been a significant gap in how many points the Spurs are scoring from three, and how many points they’re allowing from three on defense.

Wemby’s Play in the Last 3 Games

Wembanayama’s play on both ends of the court is discussed, where even in some of these blowouts, Wembanyama

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In Spurscast episode 717, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss the San Antonio Spurs’ two wins in Phoenix (2:47), where Victor Wembanyama scored a new career high 38 points (9:45), and Jeremy Sochan’s play through five regular season games (26:28).

Wemby’s Trip to Phoenix

The Spurs won two surprising games Tuesday and Thursday in Phoenix. Tuesday, the Spurs made a 20-point comeback to defeat Phoenix in the final minute. Wembanyama scored 18 points and blocked four shots in the Spurs’ comeback win.

Two nights later, the Spurs were the team who opened a 27-point lead on the Suns, but Phoenix made a comeback in crunch time. In crunch time, Wembanmaya put the team on his back and led them to the close out win, by scoring 10 of his 38 points in crunch time.

Sochan’s Play in New Role

Through the first five games of the season, Jeremy Sochan is averaging 9.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2 turnovers in his new role as the Spurs’ starting point guard.

Sochan’s play on both ends of the floor is discussed in the episode, and specifically defensively, the Spurs have made him a central part of their zone defensive looks.

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In Spurscast episode 716, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses the Spurs’ first three games of the regular season (1:40), as well as Victor Wembanyama (6:40), Devin Vassell (11:30), and Cedi Osman’s play (12:55) in the early season.

1-2 in First Three Games

The San Antonio Spurs opened the season last week with a close loss to the Dallas Mavericks, an overtime win over the Houston Rockets, and then finally, a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Wemby, Vassell, and Osman

Wembanyama’s first three games are discussed on both ends of the floor to begin his NBA career. Early on, Devin Vassell looks to be one of the go-to players for the team, and Cedi Osman has been a consistent player off the bench.

Early Look at the Big Lineup

(14:20) Through three games, a very small sample size, the big lineup of Jeremy Sochan at point, Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Wembanyama, and Zach Collins has struggled. However, Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich has said the plan is to give the five man unit a long run.

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In Spurscast episode 715, Spurscast host Paul Garcia is joined by Project Spurs writers Collin Reid and Benjamin Bornstein. The trio discuss Victor Wembanyama’s preseason game against the Golden State Warriors (1:15), the starting lineup (5:30), and Zach Collins’ contract extension (16:00).

Preseason Wemby vs the Warriors

In the San Antonio Spurs’ preseason finale last Friday on the road against the Warriors, Wembanyama finished with 19 points, 5 blocks, and 4 rebounds.

Wembanyama’s five minute stretch where he scored and blocked consecutive shots is discussed in the episode.

The Starting Five

The Spurs will start the big five lineup of Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Wembanyama, and Zach Collins.

While this will be the starting group to begin the season, could Tre Jones eventually find himself back as the starting point guard with Sochan perhaps shifting to the small forward spot?

Collins’ Contract Extension

The Spurs have signed Collins to a two-year, $35 million contract extension. With the extension, the Spurs can still be a cap space team next summer, with anywhere from $8 to $22 million.

Other Roster Moves

The Spurs exercised the 2024-2025 team options for Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, and Blake Wesley.

The Spurs also converted the training camp contract of Charles Bediako to a two-way contract.

The Spurs’ roster is now set with 15 players on guaranteed deals and three players on two-way deals, as the season begins Wednesday against Dallas.

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In Spurscast episode 714, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses how the Spurs have played in their last three preseason games (0:45), the new starting lineup (2:48), Victor Wembanyama (8:30), Point Sochan (14:35), and Khem Birch being waived (18:38).

Last 3 Preseason Games

Since the last Spurscast episode was recorded, the Spurs have played three preseason games. They defeated the Miami Heat, lost to the Houston Rockets, and then defeated the Rockets two nights later.

During these preseason games, Jeremy Sochan became the team’s new starting point guard, Keldon Johnson returned from injury, Wembanyama continued to impress, and the new starting lineup was revealed.

The New Starting Lineup

After months of wondering who would be in the starting lineup, the Spurs revealed the answer to that question Wednesday against the Rockets. The Spurs started Sochan at the 1, Devin Vassell at the 2, Keldon Johnson at the 3, Wembanyama at the 4, and Zach Collins at the 5.

Off the bench, the Spurs are sticking with a 10-man rotation of having Tre Jones, Malaki Branham, Doug McDermott, Cedi Osman, and Charles Bassey complete the minutes for the second unit.

More Wemby Observations

Wemby’s play on offense and defense against the Heat and Rockets are discussed, as well as how the Spurs have had him play the 5 in some lineups during his last two games.

Point Sochan

At 6’8”, Sochan is the new starting point guard for San Antonio. He’s only been able to log three games at point, and his play at point is discussed on both ends of the floor.

Khem Birch Waived

Facing a Saturday deadline, the Spurs waived Birch Thursday, bringing their roster to the league required 15 players on guaranteed deals for the regular season.

The Spurs must now decide whether Charles Bediako will be waived and sign in the G-League, or if he’ll get the final vacant two-way roster spot. That decision must be made by Saturday as well.

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In Spurscast episode 713, Spurscast host Paul Garcia is joined by Project Spurs writer Collin Reid to discuss Victor Wembanyama’s first preseason game (2:12), the lineups the Spurs used against the Oklahoma City Thunder (17:00), and some recent roster moves by the team (28:53).

Wemby’s First Preseason Game

The San Antonio Spurs’ 2023-2024 preseason schedule kicked off Monday evening on the road in Oklahoma City, where the Spurs fell to the Thunder 122-121.

Wembanyama made his preseason debut with 20 points, five rebounds, two steals, and one block by playing 19 minutes in three quarters of the game.

Observations of Wembanyama’s play on offense and defense are discussed in the episode, as well as what Wembanyama and Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich had to say postgame.

Lineups in Opening Preseason Game

With Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan out due to general soreness, the Spurs started Tre Jones, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Wembanyama, and Zach Collins.

When Johnson and Sochan are healthy, it’ll be interesting to see which starting five the Spurs will begin the season with later in October.

For the second unit, the Spurs went with a quintet of Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham, Cedi Osman, Doug McDermott, and Charles Bassey.

The Spurs stuck with a 10-man rotation for the first three quarters, then in the fourth, all the other players who hadn’t played were able to get some floor time except Khem Birch (Did not play due to coach decision).

Spurs Sign Two More Players

On Tuesday, the Spurs signed Erik Stevenson and Paul Watson to training camp deals. With Stevenson and Watson on the team, the Spurs now have a full training camp roster with 21 players.

The Spurs may have signed the two players for one of three reasons: a) for more depth as the preseason goes along with four games remaining, b) to waive the players so they can join the Austin Spurs of the G-League in the future, or c) to have Stevenson and Watson compete with Charles Bediako for the last remaining two-way roster spot.

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In Spurscast episode 712, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses Devin Vassell’s multi-year contract extension (1:45), training camp opening (6:09), and the latest roster moves (18:50) by the San Antonio Spurs.

Devin Vassell’s Contract Extension

Tuesday the Spurs announced Devin Vassell had been signed to a multi-year rookie contract extension. According to ESPN, Vassell’s deal will be for 5 years, at $146 million. Vassell’s new extension begins next season where he’ll earn $29.3 million in the first year of the deal, while the Spurs will still have financial flexibility to open anywhere from $24.4 million to $37.7 million in cap space next summer.

Media Day and the First Training Camp Practice

Monday the Spurs held media day, where Head Coach Gregg Popovich answered a number of questions from the media. After Popovich’s interview session, Spurs players Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Victor Wembanyama, Keldon Johnson, and Zach Collins all spoke with the media as well.

One of the main focal points from Popovich and the players for this coming season was to improve defensively. Last season the Spurs ranked last in defensive efficiency, and now with the addition of Wembanyama, the team is looking to be much improved on the defensive end of the floor.

With basketball heading to more positionless lineups, the Spurs will also look to have multiple players bring the ball up the floor and initiate the offense this coming season.

Tuesday after the team’s first practice, Tre Jones spoke about what Wembanyama will bring on both ends of the floor and how multiple players will create offense.

Latest Roster Moves

Over the weekend, the Spurs made a few roster moves before training camp officially began. The Spurs agreed to a contract buyout with Reggie Bullock, before he was officially waived.

The Spurs also waived Seth Millner Jr. and RaiQuan Gray. By waiving Millner Jr., the Spurs opened a two-way roster spot once more. Gray was waived so he might end up on the Austin Spurs of the G-League in the future.

The last roster move the Spurs made was signing Charles Bediako to a training camp deal. Bediako might be a player who earns the vacant two-way roster spot or he could be an addition to the Austin Spurs later in the season.

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In Spurscast episode 711, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses the latest roster updates by the San Antonio Spurs (1:47), training camp approaching next week (4:05), and the team shooting around Victor Wembanyama (6:15).

Roster Updates

Over the last two weeks, the Spurs have made a few tweaks to the roster. The Spurs filled their last open two-way roster spot by signing Seth Millner Jr. to a two-way contract, they signed Javonte McCoy to a training camp deal and then waived him, and the most recent move was signing RaiQuan Gray to a training camp deal.

Millner Jr. went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft out of Toledo. He spent some time with the Spurs on the Summer League roster back in July. Millner Jr. joins Dominick Barlow and Sir’Jabari Rice as the three players on two-way contracts for the team.

McCoy was part of the Spurs’ Summer League team as well, and since he was waived, he may end up joining the Austin Spurs in the G-League.

Gray being on the roster brings the Spurs’ roster to the maximum limit of 21 players for the preseason. If Gray is waived, there’s a strong chance he may end up in Austin as well.

Training Camp Begins Next Week

The Spurs will hold media day on Monday, and beginning the following day, training camp officially opens for the team. The Spurs will have six days to practice before their first preseason game takes place on Monday, October 9, at Oklahoma City.

As the Spurs progress through the preseason, they’ll still have to make two roster moves before the regular season officially tips off. The team will have to waive or trade two players before opening night of the regular season to meet NBA roster requirements.

Shooting Around Wemby

Using data from NBA.com/stats from last season, the returning Spurs players wide open three point data is examined in determining who will be some players that defenses may back off of, which means they need to increase their wide open three point percentage, and who will be some players defense won’t dare leave wide open.

As each player is discussed, the process will be to keep in mind who may be out on the floor with Wembanyama throughout games.

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In Spurscast episode 710, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss the San Antonio Spurs waiving Cameron Payne, the Spurs’ point guard situation, two more players who may be traded or waived, and Vegas over/under wins for the Spurs.

Payne Waived Monday

The Spurs waived point guard Cameron Payne Monday . The Spurs acquired Payne in mid-July for a future second round pick and cash. With Payne waived, the team now has 17 players on guaranteed contracts and two players on two-way contracts.

The Spurs will need to waive or trade two players before opening night in October.

Before Wednesday concludes, something to watch is whether an opposing team claims Payne off waivers instead of allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.

Point Guard Situation

With Payne waived, the Spurs now have three point guards left on the roster in Tre Jones, Devonte’ Graham, and Blake Wesley. Since Payne got waived, does this mean the chances of Graham remaining on the team increase?

Two More Players Need to be Traded or Waived

Before opening night, the Spurs still need to trade or waive two more players on the roster. The most likely players to be traded or waived are Khem Birch, Graham, Cedi Osman, or Reggie Bullock.

Keep an eye on teams with trade player exceptions in the event one of the players mentioned above gets moved via trade.

Spurs’ Vegas Over/Under Wins

The Spurs’ over/under for wins is 29.5 wins per DraftKings.com and most betting sites. With 29.5 wins, the Spurs are projected to finish as a bottom-three team by record according to the over/under wins.

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In Spurscast episode 709, Project Spurs’ Paul Garcia discusses the following:
A prediction of minutes for next season for some of the Spurs’ players Sandro Mamukelashvili through two FIBA World Cup games

 Predicting Minutes of Core Players for Next Season

In the first topic, a minutes prediction is given for Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Tre Jones, Victor Wembanyama, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, Zach Collins, and Doug McDermott for next season.

From there, the remaining minutes may be up for grabs with players who look like they'll hold onto their roster spots in Julian Champagnie, Blake Wesley, Charles Bassey, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Dominick Barlow, and Sidy Cissoko.

Players who may be traded or waived before open night are veterans Khem Birch, Devonte' Graham, Cameron Payne, Cedi Osman, and Reggie Bullock. The Spurs must trade or waive three players before opening night.

Sandro Mamukelashvili through Two World Cup Games

Through two FIBA World Cup games, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Georgia are 1-1. Georgia defeated Cape Verde by more than 20 points, but then lost to Luka Doncic and Slovenia by 21 points.

Mamukelashvili has come off the bench in the first half of both games and then started the second half in both games. Mamukelashvili has been quite productive in his two games and displayed his versatility on both ends of the floor in being able to play at different positions.

Another Quiet Month

With September approaching, the Spurs and NBA teams still have about a month left in their offseason before training camps begin in early October for most teams.

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In Spurscast episode 708, Project Spurs’ Paul Garcia discusses the following:
The Spurs’ 2023-2024 schedule News and notes regarding the team

Thursday the San Antonio Spurs' 2023-2024 regular schedule was released by the NBA. The Spurs begin play on October 25 against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Spurs will see an increase in nationally televised games, with 19 national TV games on the schedule. The Spurs will have 13 back-to-back sets during the 82 game schedule.

In October, the team will play four games, with two of those games being nationally televised games. The team will play the Phoenix Suns on Halloween.

In November, the Spurs will participate in the new In-Season tournament with games against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sacramento Kings, and Golden State Warriors.

December will see the Spurs play in 14 games, including a New Years Eve game against the Boston Celtics.

In January, the Spurs will play their most games of the season in a month, with 16 games in the month. The Spurs will also have a seven game home stretch in January.

The Rodeo Road Trip will resume in February, where the Spurs will go on the road for a 9-game road trip, with the All-Star break in between.

When March arrives, the Spurs will play in 15 games, with an eight game home stretch that includes two home games in Austin, Texas.

The Spurs' final seven regular season games will take place in April.

Per Positive Residual, the Spurs will have the toughest schedule in the NBA according to PR's strength of schedule model.

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In Spurscast episode 707, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss:
The latest signings by the Spurs Whether or not the Spurs and Devin Vassell will agree to a contract extension Players most likely to get traded or waived Teams with trade player exceptions
The latest signings by the Spurs

Since the last Spurscast episode, the San Antonio Spurs officially re-signed Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Dominick Barlow to a two-way contract, and they signed second-round draftee Sidy Cissoko to a full roster deal.

Devin Vassell contract extension?

Between now and the first game of the regular season, the Spurs and Devin Vassell have time to see if they can come to terms on an agreement for a contract extension.

Players most likely to get traded or waived

With the Spurs needing to waive or trade three players before opening night of the regular season, veteran players Devonte' Graham, Reggie Bullock, Khem Birch, Cedi Osman, and Cameron Payne are likely on the list of players who will be traded or waived before opening night of the regular season.

Teams with trade player exceptions

The Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, and Portland Trail Blazers all have trade exceptions to acquire some of the Spurs players listed above, but the difficult task becomes finding which player would fit with those teams and would those teams want to give up a second-round pick or go into the tax to acquire one of the Spurs players.

The Indiana Pacers also have some cap space to acquire a player, but finding the best fit is difficult due to financial restrictions.

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In Spurscast episode 706, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses:
The latest transactions by the Spurs Upcoming moves and decisions by the team Who gets waived or traded before opening night? Brainstorming potential starting lineups
The latest transactions by the Spurs

Since the last Spurscast episode, the San Antonio Spurs have waived Lamar Stevens, acquired Cameron Payne from the Phoenix Suns, and officially re-signed Tre Jones.

The Spurs are now over the salary cap and still have access to the $7.7 million room exception.

Upcoming moves and decisions by the team

Sandro Mamukelashvili will soon officially re-sign with the Spurs, from there the team has decisions to make on what types of deals Summer League standouts Dominick Barlow and Sidy Cissoko are going to get.

If Barlow and/or Cissoko get full roster deals instead of two-way deals, the team will be faced with a situation of needing to trade or waive a player(s) before opening night with the roster spots Barlow and/or Cissoko will fill.

Who gets waived or traded before opening night?

The Spurs currently have 17 players with guaranteed deals. Before opening night in October, the NBA requires teams to have only 15 players on guaranteed deals, meaning in the next 2.5 months the Spurs will have to either trade or waive two players.

In the episode, a list of potential players who could be traded or waived are discussed.

Brainstorming potential starting lineups

After seeing Victor Wembanyama mostly play as a forward in Summer League, there's an interesting question of what the starting lineup will be to begin the season.

Do the Spurs go with a more traditional point guard like Tre Jones, or do they go for a more versatile lineup with wings and bigs only in the lineup?

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In Spurscast episode 705, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss:
Options with the Spurs’ remaining cap space Victor Wembanyama’s short Vegas run Other Spurs players at Summer League More In-season tournament details
Options with the Spurs’ remaining cap space

With the Reggie Bullock trade now complete, the San Antonio Spurs are operating with up to $15.5 million in cap space until Tre Jones and Sandro Mamukelashvili sign their new deals.

The interesting question for now becomes what are the Spurs going to do with that cap space? Will they participate in a trade for another player? Will they try to sign any unsigned free agents, or will they just sign Jones and Mamukelashvili and shrink the cap space to $5.5 million?

Victor Wembanyama’s short Vegas run

Sunday Victor Wembanyama finished his short Summer League run with an impressive 27 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Wembanyama’s game going forward is discussed in the episode.

Other Spurs players at Summer League

Malaki Branham, Julian Champagnie, Dominick Barlow, Blake Wesley, and Sidy Cissoko are discussed in whether they’re meeting expectations, surpassing expectations, or whether any of the players have struggled at Summer League.

More In-Season tournament details

Saturday the NBA announced more details regarding the new In-Season Tournament. During Group play, the Spurs will be in Group C in the Western Conference, where they’ll play the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

From there, the rest of the schedule is discussed along with how teams will qualify for the knockout rounds and what happens to the 22 teams that don’t make the knockout rounds.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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In Spurscast episode 694, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss:
The Spurs going 22-60 in the 22-23 season Where the Spurs finished on offense and defense Initial thoughts on the end of the season
The Spurs going 22-60 in the 22-23 season

The San Antonio Spurs finished the 2022-2023 regular season with a 22-60 record. While the season wasn't a winning one to get into the playoffs, being able to finish with a bottom-3 record means the Spurs will have 14% lottery odds to land the number one overall pick in the draft lottery on May 16.

Finishing with 22 wins wasn't too much of a surprise for San Antonio when you consider Las Vegas set their over/under at 22.5. The team went in a youth direction by giving multiple young players and rookies key roles, while some veteran players on the team either got waived or were traded during the 82-game season.

Where the Spurs finished on offense and defense

The Spurs finished with the 29th-ranked offense and 30th-ranked defense. While they did struggle on offense, there were some areas where they finished in the top 10, such as pace, paint scoring, and assist percentage. The defensive end was a struggle for San Antonio, where they finished bottom 10 in multiple categories on that end of the floor.

Initial thoughts on the end of the season

In the final part of the episode, Joe and I provide a player rating score for how each player on the roster finished the season. Did the player have a surprising season, a season we kind of expected, or not quite the season we expected the player to have?

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In Spurscast episode 693, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss:
The Spurs going 0-3 in their last 3 games Early details with the new CBA agreement Four Spurs selected to the 2023 Hall of Fame
The Spurs going 0-3 in their last 3 games

This past week the San Antonio Spurs' losing streak increased to six losses in a row with losses in their last three games at Boston, against Utah, and at Golden State. With five games left in the regular season, the Spurs have locked in a Bottom-3 record for a 14% chance at the number one pick in the NBA Draft lottery.

Early details of the new CBA agreement

Friday the NBA and the NBA Player's Association came to an agreement on a new CBA agreement that will be in place for the next seven seasons once it's fully written out. Some of the changes that will impact the Spurs immediately next season include: their ability to trade with tax teams that cross the new salary cap apron, larger trade exceptions for low-salary teams like the Spurs, a 30% increase to the room exception ( which the Spurs are projected to have this summer), a potential in-season tournament that begins in November, extensions for veterans going from 120% of their previous contract to 140% of their previous contract, and an additional two-way roster spot.

Four Spurs selected to 2023 Hall of Fame

Saturday the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the list of 2023 Hall of Fame inductees, and the list includes four current/former Spurs: Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich, former guard Tony Parker, former center Pau Gasol, and former WNBA guard and former Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon.

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In Spurscast episode 692, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss:
The Spurs going 1-3 in their last 4 games Early Impressions of Sandro Mamukelashvili
The Spurs going 1-3 in their last 4 games

This past week the San Antonio Spurs made a 24-point comeback against the Atlanta Hawks, then fell in three consecutive road games by more than 15 points against the New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks, and Washington Wizards.

With eight regular-season games left, the Spurs have a 19-55 record that makes them the third-worst team in the league by the record, which would allow them to have 14% lottery odds for the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft lottery if that record holds.

To prevent injuries in the final two weeks of the season, the team is being cautious with the core rotation players, sitting multiple players every other game with injury management.

Early Impressions of Sandro Mamukelashvili

With 11 games logged in San Antonio, Mamukelashvili has shown his versatility on offense, by being able to score on drives near the rim and being able to space on offense by shooting the pick-and-pop or spot-up three-pointer.

Mamukelashvili has also displayed his ball movement ability, finding teammates on backdoor cuts for makes near the rim and in the open court with alley-oop passes. Mamukelashvili's defensive numbers don't pop off the page compared to his other Spurs teammates who play the 4 and 5.

Mamukelashvili will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and with four projected open roster spots, it's unknown if San Antonio will push to re-sign Mamukelashvili.

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In Spurscast episode 691, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss:
The Spurs going 3-2 in their last 5 games Charles Bassey’s season-ending injury Zach Collins’ season overall
The Spurs going 3-2 in their last 5 games

The San Antonio Spurs surpassed expectations in their last 5 games, with wins over the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic, and losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, and Memphis Grizzlies. There was a chance for the Spurs to go 4-1 in their last five games, had they been able to win their two overtime games against Dallas and Memphis.

With 12 games left in the season, the Spurs have the second-worst record in the league which means 14% chance lottery odds for the number one overall pick, however, they're playing better basketball in their last 10 games, going 4-6. During their last 10 games, they have the 13th-ranked defense in the league. For the season as a whole, they still have the worst defense in the league.

Charles Bassey’s season-ending injury

Wednesday the Spurs announced Charles Bassey will miss the remainder of the season with a left knee cap injury. With Bassey out, the Spurs' frontcourt consists of Zach Collins, Jeremy Sochan, Keita Bates-Diop, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Dominick Barlow, and Gorgui Dieng.

Zach Collins’ season overall

Zach Collins has averaged 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 3.1 fouls, and 2 turnovers in 22 minutes per game. Collins has been one of the Spurs' Top-3 players more frequently since becoming the team's starting center after Jakob Poeltl was traded in early February.

Collins has shown his versatile ability on offense, where he can make the wide-open pick-and-pop or spot-up 3s, while also being able to scoring efficiently in the paint, where he's the team leader in post-up attempts. Collins also stands out compared to other bigs in the league in assist percentage.

Collins has scored 20 or more points in the last three games he's played in, with more made 3s taking place during those games.

Collins is outperforming his contract this season per ProFitX.ai.

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In Spurscast episode 690, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs owner Jacob De Leon discuss Devonte Graham through 10 games with the Spurs along with the following:

The Spurs’ last three games

Roster moves for the team

Devonte’ Graham as a Spur

The Spurs’ last three games

The San Antonio Spurs went 1-2 in their last three games, with a win against the Indiana Pacers, and back-to-back losses against the Houston Rockets.

With 17 games left in the regular season, the Spurs have a 16-49 overall record, which is 14th out West and the third-worst record overall in the league. The Spurs have officially been eliminated from the playoffs in the Western Conference.

In having the third worst record in the league, the Spurs continue to give themselves a shot for 14% chance lottery odds for the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft lottery should they hold a bottom-3 record by the end of the season.

Roster moves for the team

Last Friday the Spurs waived Isaiah Roby and claimed Sandro Mamukelashvili off waivers and converted his contract into an NBA deal for the remainder of this season. With Mamukelashvili, the Spurs' roster remains full with 15 players on NBA deals and two players on two-way contracts.

Mamukelashvili has already played in two games since joining the team and has shown his ability to spread the floor as a big.

Devonte’ Graham as a Spur

Graham has played in 10 games since joining the Spurs via trade, and in that time, Graham has been the Spurs' third-leading scorer and he's second in assists per game. Graham is showing his high volume 3-point shooting ability, with the team seeing an increase in attempts and makes from three since Graham joined the team. Graham has also shown his ability to shoot pull-up 3s, where 55% of his outside attempts have been pull-up threes.

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In Spurscast episode 689, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss:
The end of the franchise record 16-game losing streak Injury updates for the team Blake Wesley’s first 18 games
The end of the franchise record 16-game losing streak

The San Antonio Spurs ended their franchise-record 16-game losing streak Tuesday with an eight-point victory on the road at Utah. The Spurs also won their first game on the Rodeo Road Trip, finishing the trip 1-8 overall. Lastly, the Spurs ended their double-digit deficit losing streak. They're now 1-44 when trailing by 10 or more points in a game this season.

Injury updates for the team

There's a strong chance Devin Vassell returns to the court Thursday against the Indiana Pacers, with the team listing him as probable to play in the game. Vassell has missed the last two months of the season with a left knee injury, with his last game being on January 2.

The Spurs though might be without two of their lead playmakers, with Malaki Branham and Keldon Johnson both getting injured in the game Tuesday against Utah.

Blake Wesley’s first 18 games

Though he's only played in 18 games during his rookie season, Blake Wesley has stood out on the defensive end with his ability to anticipate and collect steals, deflect the ball from opponents, and rebound the ball on the defensive end at a high rate compared to other combo guards in the league.

With the injuries to Tre Jones and Branham, there could be a chance for Wesley to see increased minutes.

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In Spurscast episode 688, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss:
The Spurs’ post-All-Star break loss to the Dallas Mavericks Injury updates regarding Devin Vassell and Malaki Branham The final games of the season for the Spurs, Rockets, Pistons, and Hornets
Spurs’ post-All-Star break loss to Dallas Mavericks

In their first game back from the All-Star break, the Spurs resumed their Rodeo Road Trip schedule with a Thursday game in Dallas. While the game was competitive for three quarters, the Mavericks' offense went on a quick run three minutes into the fourth quarter and Dallas' lead ballooned up to 19 points. By the end of the night, the Spurs were facing a 26-point loss.

The Spurs are now 0-7 on the rodeo road trip with two games left in Utah before heading home. The Spurs' franchise-record losing streak has continued, with the team dropping 15 games in a row.

Injury updates regarding Devin Vassell and Khem Birch

There's a chance Devin Vassell could make his return to the court next week on March 2 when the team returns to San Antonio against the Indiana Pacers. The Spurs will likely be cautious with bringing Vassell back, considering he's missed a lot of time due to the left knee procedure.

Regarding Khem Birch, he's suffering from a right knee injury and there's no timetable for when he'll return to the court with just 22 games left in the season. Birch was acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline as part of the Jakob Poeltl trade.

The final games of the season for the Spurs, Rockets, Pistons, and Hornets

The bottom four teams right now are the Rockets, Spurs, Pistons, and Hornets. When looking at the strength of schedule left and win projections, the battle for the worst record looks like it's going to come down to how the Rockets and Spurs finish the season.

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In Spurscast episode 687, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and the NBA Editorial Director for Fansided, Josh Paredes discuss:

The Spurs in their last four games The Spurs at the All-Star Break Malaki Branham’s February Start Roster Moves

The Spurs in their last four games

The San Antonio Spurs went 0-4 in their last four games with losses on the road in Detroit, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Charlotte. The Spurs are 0-6 on their annual rodeo road trip with three games left on the trip after the All-Star break.

The Spurs at the All-Star Break

Heading into the All-Star break, the Spurs are 14-45 overall, with the second-worst record in the league when looking at lottery odds. The Spurs are on a franchise-record 14-game losing streak.

Malaki Branham’s February Start

In eight February games, rookie Malaki Branham is averaging 18.1 points while shooting 52% from the floor, 41% from three, and 71% from the free throw line, while increasing his shot volume, three-point attempts, rebounds, assists, and he's barely-seen an increase in turnovers. He's been driving the ball more and that is evident in his attempts at the rim and increased drives per game.

Roster Moves

This week the Spurs waived Stanley Johnson, then signed Charles Bassey to a new four-year deal. The Spurs also claimed Justin Champagnie off waivers to fill one of the vacant two-way roster spots after the Philadelphia 76ers waived Champagnie Tuesday. With Bassey and Champagnie on the team, the roster is full with 17 players going forward.

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In Spurscast episode 686, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss:
Trade deadline week for the Spurs Where the roster stands The Spurs through 55 games
Trade deadline week for the Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs made three trades during trade deadline week and the Spurs ended up with one first-round pick and seven second-round picks when the trade deadline ended.

Tuesday - The Spurs acquired Dewayne Dedmon and a future second-round pick from the Miami Heat for cash considerations. The Spurs waived Dedmon on Thursday.

Thursday - The Spurs traded Jakob Poeltl to the Toronto Raptors for Khem Birch, a protected 2024 first-round pick and two future second-round picks.

The Spurs also traded Josh Richardson to New Orleans Thursday for Devonte' Graham and four future second-round picks. The reason the Spurs came away with four-second picks is because they took on Graham's contract, who had two years left on his deal.

Where the roster stands

The Spurs now have 14 players on guaranteed deals and two players on two-way deals. The Spurs have one roster spot available. The team has 27 games remaining this season while they're dealing with injuries to multiple players.

The Spurs through 55 games

The Spurs are 14-41 through 55 games with the third-worst record in the league and with the team in the middle of a 10-game losing streak. The Spurs aren't far behind from catching the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons from having a bottom-two record in the league.

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The trade deadline is almost here! What will the Spurs do next? Both Paul Garcia and Collin Reid will give their predictions on what the possibilities are of the team making a move at the trade deadline.

In Spurscast episode 685, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss:

The Spurs’ last four games and 8-game losing streak

Malaki Branham’s back-to-back career high-scoring nights

The Spurs reportedly have interest in Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels

Hypothetical trades involving Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott

The Spurs’ last four games and 8-game losing streak

The San Antonio Spurs' last four losses were against the Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, and Philadelphia 76ers. With these losses, the Spurs are in the midst of their second 8-game losing streak of the season.

Through 53 games, the Spurs are 14-39 overall, with the 3rd worst record in the league, which means they would have a 14% chance lottery odds for the number one overall pick if they remain with the third-worst record by the end of the season. The Spurs begin their 9-game Rodeo Road Trip Monday on the road in Chicago.

Malaki Branham’s back-to-back career high-scoring nights

With Tre Jones getting injured, rookie Malaki Branham has had a chance to run more of the halfcourt offense in the pick-and-roll in the last two games. With getting this opportunity, Branham scored career highs with 22 points against Sacramento and then 26 points against Philadelphia on efficient shooting.

Branham has shown his 3-level scoring ability throughout the season, but with the injuries to the team, he's getting multiple opportunities to learn how to run the offense in the halfcourt as one of the lead ball handlers.

The Spurs reportedly have an interest in Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels

Monday the Athletic reported the Spurs are among a group of teams with trade interest in Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels. If the Spurs don't trade for McDaniels this coming week, they may try to pursue him in free agency this summer according to the report.

Hypothetical trades involving Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott

With the trade deadline approaching Thursday, Collin and I explore different hypothetical trade deals involving Poeltl, Richardson, and McDermott.

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In Spurscast episode 684, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs Editor Jonas Clark discuss:
Another 4-Game Losing Streak Trade rumors involving Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott Jeremy Sochan’s Shooting Improvement
Another 4-Game Losing Streak

The San Antonio Spurs are in the midst of their fourth four-game losing streak of the season, after suffering two losses to the Los Angeles Clippers, a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, and a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in their last four games.

Through 49 games, the Spurs are 14-35 overall, with the 28th-ranked offense and 30th-ranked defense. The Spurs have the fourth-worst record in the league still when looking at lottery odds for the number one overall pick.

Trade rumors involving Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott

Earlier this week Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.com provided some trade rumors surrounding Poeltl, Richardson, and McDermott.

As has been reported before, the Spurs reportedly are trying to acquire two first-round picks for Poeltl. In the event Richardson or McDermott are moved, the Spurs are likely getting back second-round picks in a potential deal.

The trade deadline is getting closer with the calendar flipping to February soon, with the date officially set for February 9,.

Jeremy Sochan’s Shooting Improvement

Prior to December 18, Sochan was shooting 41% from the free throw line according to CleaningTheGlass.com. His three-point accuracy was struggling during that period as well.

Since Sochan switched to shooting one-handed free throws, his accuracy from the charity stripe has improved to 75% since December 19. Sochan's two-handed shot from the three-point line has started to improve as well during that stretch.

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In Spurscast episode 683, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein discuss:
The Spurs in their last two games More Jakob Poeltl trade rumors A check-in on projected top players in the draft lottery
The Spurs in their last two games

The San Antonio Spurs went 1-1 in their last two games, with a loss to the Sacramento Kings, and then a win against the Brooklyn Nets. Keldon Johnson finished with a career-high 36 points in the win against the Nets and a career-high four steals.

Through 45 games, the Spurs have the 28th-ranked offense, 30th ranked defense, and they haven't moved in either direction in the overall standings. They're still 14th in the Western Conference standings, and they've got the 4th worst record in the league when looking toward the draft lottery.

More Jakob Poeltl trade rumors

Tuesday and Wednesday this week TheAthletic.com had two trade rumor articles that mentioned Spurs starting center Jakob Poeltl. The two known teams with interest in Poeltl are the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors per the articles.

The Spurs are asking for two first-round picks for Poeltl according to Jared Weiss of the Athletic.

A check-in on projected top players in the draft lottery

What if the Spurs don't end up with the number 1 or number 2 overall pick? If they can't draft Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson, here are some other draft prospects on different mock drafts projected in the 3-5 range:

At number 3: Amen Thompson, Brandon Miller, Nick Smith Jr.

At number 4: Amen T, Smith Jr., Miller, Cam Whitmore, Anthony Black

At number 5: Miller, Smith Jr., Whitmore, Ausar Thompson, Jarace Walker, Gradey Dick

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In Spurscast episode 682, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses:
The Spurs going 0-3 in their last three games The Spurs through 43 games Another Jakob Poeltl trade rumor Tre Jones’ increased scoring
The Spurs going 0-3 in their last three games

This past week the Spurs went 0-3 with two losses on the road in Memphis and they got blown out in their attendance record setting game Friday against the Golden State Warriors.

While the Spurs were underdogs in all three games, they did push the games in Memphis into crunch time and in all three games, Tre Jones was the standout player for San Antonio.

The Spurs through 43 games

Through 43 games, the Spurs are 13-30 with the 27th ranked offense and 30th ranked defense. The team has the 4th worst record in the league when looking toward lottery projections and they're in the midst of a 4-game losing streak for a third time this season.

Another Jakob Poeltl trade rumor

Friday before the Spurs and Warriors game, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com said on ESPN that the Spurs are likely to see significant trade offers for center Jakob Poeltl with the NBA trade deadline approaching in early February.

Wojnarowski said while the Spurs wouldn't mind re-signing Poeltl for the future, if they were sent an offer they can't refuse like with the Dejounte Murray trade, they may end up moving Poeltl.

Tre Jones’ increased scoring

In the last six games Tre Jones has become close to a 20-point per game scorer for San Antonio, while he's still collecting assists with his ball movement to his teammates. With Devin Vassell out due to a left knee procedure, Jones has become more aggressive on the offensive end, adding almost five more shots per game in the last six games.

For Jones, this shows his ability to be adaptable in not just being a balanced point guard who scores and moves the ball when Vassell and Keldon Johnson are in the lineup, but also how he can be an aggressive scorer when the team needs more scoring.

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In Spurscast episode 681, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss:
The Spurs going 2-4 in their last 6 games The Spurs through 40 games Roster moves this past week Trade Rumors
The Spurs going 2-4 in their last 6 games

The San Antonio Spurs went 2-4 in their last 6 games, defeating the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons, but falling to the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Knicks, and Boston Celtics.

During this stretch, the Spurs also announced Devin Vassell will undergo a left knee procedure, which will keep him on the injured list with no timetable of when he'll return.

The team will provide updates as appropriate, but Head Coach Gregg Popovich mentioned to the media he thinks Vassell could return after the All-Star break.

The Spurs through 40 games

Through 40 games, the Spurs have the 27th-ranked offense and the 30th-ranked defense. The team is 14th out West in the standings and they have the 4th worst record in the league when looking at lottery odds for June.

Roster moves this past week

The Spurs made multiple roster moves this past week with the team waiving Gorgui Dieng Thursday, then the team trading for and waiving Noah Vonleh from the Boston Celtics. Along with Vonleh, the Spurs acquired cash considerations from the Celtics and San Antonio traded a 2024 second-round pick that is protected 31-54 according to Bobby Marks of ESPN.com.

Saturday Stanley Johnson's contract is fully guaranteed for the rest of the season, which means the Spurs have 14 players on guaranteed contracts. Lastly, on Sunday, the Spurs re-signed Dieng to a 10-day contract.

The Spurs now have $27.7 million in cap space and they're $15.9 million from reaching the salary floor with the trade deadline arriving in the next month on February 9, 2023.

Trade Rumors

Saturday Eric Pincus of BleacherReport.com wrote about the latest trade rumors he's been hearing about the Spurs. Those trade rumors are discussed in the episode.

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In Spurscast episode 680, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss:
The Spurs in their last 6 games The Spurs through 34 games Malaki Branham in his last 6 games Jeremy Sochan in his last 5 games Stanley Johnson getting rotation minutes
The Spurs in their last 6 games

The San Antonio Spurs went 2-4 in their last six games, with wins against the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz, while they suffered losses to the Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Spurs through 34 games

Through 34 games, the Spurs are 11-23 overall, with the 28th-ranked offense and 30th-ranked defense. The Spurs have the 4th worst record in the league, meaning if the lottery were held today, they'd have a 12.5% chance at the number one overall pick in the NBA draft.

Malaki Branham in his last 6 games

In his last six games, rookie Malaki Branham has been productive off the bench, averaging 12 points on seven shot attempts, with two assists, and two turnovers in 21 minutes (stats rounded).

The coaching staff has put the ball in his hands more often, having him run the backup point guard role and he's displayed his 3-level scoring ability.

With Branham playing well, could the chances increase for Josh Richardson to be traded before the February trade deadline?

Jeremy Sochan in his last 5 games

Sochan has been more aggressive on offense in his last five games, where he's averaging 14 points on 12 shot attempts, with four assists and two turnovers in 28 minutes per game (stats rounded).

Sochan has also begun to rebuild his jump shot by attempting free throws with just one hand.

Stanley Johnson getting rotation minutes

Unlike former Spurs, Jordan Hall and Alize Johnson, who mainly played in garbage time when they were on the Spurs, recent addition Stanley Johnson have been getting rotation minutes off the bench at the wing position.

In his seven games, the veteran Johnson is averaging six points on four shot attempts, with two assists, one turnover, two rebounds, one foul, one steal, and one block in 13 minutes per night (stats rounded).

Johnson has earned early minutes by being physical on defense and setting the tone on that end of the court for the team.

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Spurscast: Trade Rumors and Keldon Johnson Attacking the Paint

In Spurscast episode 679, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and the NBA Editorial Director for Fansided, Josh Paredes discuss:
The Spurs in their last four games Jakob Poeltl trade rumors Keldon Johnson Attacking the Paint Spurs signing Stanley Johnson
The Spurs in their last four games

The San Antonio Spurs were underdogs in all four of their last four games, but by the time the four games were completed, the Spurs finished with a 3-1 record. The Spurs ended their 11-game losing streak with a win over the Houston Rockets, then they went on the road and defeated the Heat in Miami, followed by a home win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Being on a 3-game win streak going into Wednesday, the Spurs were without both Jakob Poeltl and Zach Collins against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Spurs struggled defensively against Portland and their 3-game win streak was snapped.

The Spurs are now 9-19 through 28 games, with the 29th-ranked offense and 30th-ranked defense.

Jakob Poeltl Trade Rumors

With December 15 arriving Thursday, 74 players who signed free-agent deals across the NBA are eligible to be traded. This means trade rumors and activity will likely start being mentioned more frequently until the February trade deadline.

Jakob Poeltl's name came up in a recent Yahoo! Sports article. Other players to watch in trade rumors going forward are Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott.

Keldon Johnson Attacking the Paint

After struggling with his outside shot toward the end of November, Keldon Johnson has made a new decision in his shot selection by attacking more often.

Through six December games, Johnson has scored 10 or more paint points with his new emphasis on attacking the rim multiple times instead of shooting from outside first.

Spurs signing Stanley Johnson

This week the Spurs waived Alize Johnson and signed veteran Stanley Johnson.

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Spurscast: Injuries, Losing Streak, 3-Point Shooting Struggles

In Spurscast episode 678, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss:
The Spurs in their last 3 games The Spurs through 24 games Keldon Johnson before and after mid-November The Spurs’ 3-point shooting
The Spurs in their last 3 games

In their last three games, the San Antonio Spurs fell on the road in Oklahoma City, then lost to the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns in the AT&T Center.

According to Vegas, the Spurs were expected to go 0-3 in those last three games, but, in that game against the Thunder, the Spurs had their best chance to end their 11-game losing streak when they built a 17-point lead.

The Spurs through 24 games

Through 24 games, the Spurs are 6-18, 15th out West, and with the second-worst record in the league. If they lose three games in a row, they'll have a new franchise record 14-game losing streak. The Spurs rank 29th offensively and 30th defensively through 24 games.

Keldon Johnson before and after mid-November

Digging through the data, after November 18 is when Keldon Johnson began to struggle in multiple games. There could be a culmination of factors for why Johnson began to struggle with defenses keying in on him as a go-to player, and with multiple rotation players starting to miss games due to injury. One major factor in Johnson's drop in scoring efficiency has been his struggles from the outside.

The Spurs’ 3-point shooting

With Johnson struggling from three and Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson being on the injured list, the Spurs have been struggling from the 3-point line as a team. Lately, they're having difficulty getting over a point per shot on their wide-open three-point attempts, and defenses have started allowing more wide-open threes for San Antonio.

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Spurscast: Looking At The Spurs Eight Game Losing Streak

In Spurscast episode 677, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss:
The Spurs in their last 5 games The Spurs are a quarter of the way through the season Alize Johnson signing again with San Antonio Isaiah Roby off the bench
The Spurs in their last 5 games

In the midst of an eight-game losing streak, the San Antonio Spurs went 0-5 in their last five games. The Spurs had four double-digit losses to the Clippers, Lakers, and Pelicans, and a close loss to the Lakers in their most recent game.

In their final game against the Lakers Saturday, Jakob Poeltl and Jeremy Sochan both left the game early due to injuries.

The Spurs are a quarter of the way through the season

Through 21 games of the season, the Spurs have a 6-15 record, sit 14th out West, and have the fourth-worst record in the league. San Antonio's offense ranks 28th and their defense ranks 30th.

The Spurs are trying to end their 8-game losing streak, with their next chance coming Wednesday in Oklahoma City.

Alize Johnson signing again with San Antonio

Tuesday the Spurs waived guard Jordan Hall in order to sign forward Alize Johnson. Johnson was previously on the team during training camp and the preseason, but he was eventually waived before the regular season roster was set.

Johnson will provide more frontcourt depth off the bench for the team after the recent injuries to Poeltl and Sochan, as well as Keita Bates-Diop being questionable with an ankle injury for the game Wednesday against the Thunder.

Isaiah Roby off the bench

In 16 games, Isaiah Roby has averaged 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist in 13 minutes per game. In his limited minutes, Roby has shown the ability to spread the floor with his outside shooting both from the corners and the above the break three.

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In this episode of the Spurs Cast, Paul Garcia speaks with Project Spurs' director of digital content, Joe Garcia. Jakob Poeltl trade rumors? Jakob Poeltl's name has come up in some trade rumors with the Boston Celtics. We will discuss if the Spurs should keep Poeltl and extend his contract or consider trading him rather than losing him in free agency. We will discuss the Spurs through 16 games. The team is young and inexperienced, which has led to some struggles, particularly in crunch-time situations. Both Joe and Paul will talk about what the team needs to do to get back in the win column. How has Jeremy Sochan performed early in his rookie season? We will discuss how rookie Jeremy Sochan has performed and share some observations that we have liked about his game. The Spurs recently announced that they have reached a settlement with Dr. Hillary Cauthen in the Josh Primo lawsuit. Paul Garcia will provide an update on what this means for the Spurs organization moving forward.

Spurscast Ep. 676 Time Stamps

00:00 - Introduction

00:46 - The Spurs through their last 4 games.

02:52 - Discussing the young Spurs team's inexperience.

07:23 - Jakob Poeltl Trade Rumors

14:29 - Jeremy Sochan's rookie start by the numbers

25:44 - Spurs reach a settlement in the Primo lawsuit

27:29 - End Show

Follow Paul Garcia on Twitter @PaulGarciaNBA

Follow Joe Garcia on Twitter @twoshotspodcas t

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Spurscast Ep. 675: Charles Bassey Off The Bench

On today's episode of the Spurscast, Paul Garcia is joined by NBA editorial director for Fan Sided, Josh Paredes. They will discuss the Spurs in their last two games, including Charles Bassey coming off the bench, Tre Jones running the point, and Zach Collins heading to the injury list. They will also discuss the team's most recent loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Spurs despite the losses have been playing well. The team's effort has been there and the young players are showing a lot of promise. Both Paul Garcia and Josh Paredes agree that a big reason for the loss was Ja Morant and the fact that the Spurs don't have a good roster to handle him. They also discuss how Devin Vassell stepped up and took shots without hesitation, which is something that they want to see more from him. The Spurs are currently on a five-game losing streak, but they are still working to improve their game.

Time Stamps

00:00 Introduction

01:10 Spurs Loss To Denver & The Team's Losing Streak

02:33 The Team Establishing Good Habits

03:14 Recapping The Team's Loss To The Grizzlies

04:29 The Spurs played Ja Morant better than is past seasons

05:52 Where do the Spurs currently stand in the West?

06:30 Spurs injury report

08:53 Coach Pop has trimmed the rotation down

09:27 Charles Bassey off the bench

12:38 Tre Jones running the point

19:11 Ending the show

Follow Paul Garcia on Twitter @PaulGarciaNBA

Follow Josh Paredes on Twitter @Josh810

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Spurscast: The Spurs Through 10 Games

In Spurscast episode 674, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Pounding the Rock writer Bruno Passos discuss:

The Spurs through 10 games
The Top-10 and Bottom-10 areas for the Spurs on offense and defense
The starters and players off the bench
The latest in the Josh Primo legal dispute
The Spurs’ roster at the moment

The Spurs through 10 games

Through 10 games, the San Antonio Spurs are a .500 ball club with a 5-5 record. After some early impressive wins against Minnesota, Philadelphia, and Chicago, the Spurs are facing a 3-game losing streak against Toronto, the Los Angeles Clippers, and Denver.

The Top-10 and Bottom-10 areas for the Spurs on offense and defense

The Spurs have more strengths on offense 10 games into the season compared to the defensive end of the floor.

The Spurs are Top-10 in pace, assists, floater makes, 3-point shooting, and wide-open 3-point shooting.

Turnovers, the Spurs' offense overall, the Spurs' finishing near the rim, and getting to the free-throw line are areas of concern for the team.

On defense, one of the bright spots for the team is not putting their opponents on the free-throw line.

In terms of concerns, the Spurs have multiple areas they'll have to work on this season including their overall defense, opponents' offensive rebounding percentage, and opponent shooting inside and outside.

The starters and players off the bench

The Spurs' starters Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Jakob Poeltl, Tre Jones, and Jeremy Sochan are discussed in the episode, as well as second-unit players Josh Richardson, Zach Collins, Doug McDermott, Malaki Branham, and Keita Bates-Diop.

The latest in the Josh Primo legal dispute

On Friday, October 28, the Spurs waived guard, Josh Primo. On Thursday, November 03, former Spurs licensed psychologist Dr. Hillary Cauthen, represented by attorney Tony Buzbee, announced a lawsuit against Primo and the San Antonio Spurs for Primo allegedly indecently exposing himself to Dr. Cauthen nine times in private sessions, and the lawsuit against the Spurs is because they allegedly ignored Dr. Cauthen's complaints when she notified Spurs management.

Primo's attorney William J. Briggs II responded to the allegations by saying they were false and misleading. Spurs Sports and Entertainment CEO R.C. Buford issued the following statement Thursday: “ We disagree with the accuracy of facts, details, and timeline presented today. While we would like to share more information, we will allow the legal process to play out. Our organization remains committed to upholding the highest standards and will continue to live by our values and culture.”

Friday, November 04, the San Antonio Express-News reported the Bexar County Sheriff's Office has opened a preliminary investigation into the allegations.

The Spurs’ roster at the moment

With Primo waived and Blake Wesley suffering a Grade 3 left MCL sprain, the Spurs signed Jordan Hall to a non-guaranteed contract that fully guarantees on January 10, 2023. Hall was recently on a two-way contract with the Spurs during training camp and the preseason.

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In Spurscast episode 673, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss:

The Spurs’ surprising 5-game start to the season
The Spurs on both ends of the floor
Analysis of the Spurs’ core rotation players
Charles Bassey being signed to a two-way contract
A trade rumor involving Josh Richardson

The Spurs’ surprising 5-game start to the season

The San Antonio Spurs, underdogs in every game this season, are off to a surprising 3-2 start with impressive road wins in Philadelphia and Minnesota. The Spurs finished their first road trip of the season going 3-1.

The Spurs on both ends of the floor

Through five games, the Spurs have the 11th-ranked offense and the 24th-ranked defense. A key reason for the Spurs' strong start on offense has been catching opponents off guard with their pace, their ball movement, and their 3-point shooting.

Analysis of the Spurs’ core rotation players

With All-Star Dejounte Murray now in Atlanta, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson have taken the responsibility of being the go-to players for San Antonio. The Spurs still have Jakob Poeltl as their anchor on defense and he moves the ball on offense, while Tre Jones has been steady in his new role as the starting point guard. Rookie Jeremy Sochan is showing off his defensive versatility, while his offense has been improving game by game.

Off the bench, veteran shooters Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott have been efficient in their minutes, while Josh Primo has been creating for his teammates, but struggling to score. Zach Collins rounds out the bench unit and he's been efficient with his blocks in each game.

Charles Bassey being signed to a two-way contract

Monday the Spurs waived two-way guard Jordan Hall and signed Bassey to a two-way contract.

A trade rumor involving Josh Richardson

The Los Angeles Lakers have explored early interest in Richardson according to Shams Charania of the Athletic.

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Spurscast: Season Roster and Opening Night Loss

In Spurscast episode 672, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses:

The Spurs’ finalized roster to begin the regular season
The season-opening loss to the Charlotte Hornets

The Regular Season Roster Finalized

In order to get their roster to the NBA requirement of 15 players and two two-way players by opening night, the San Antonio Spurs had to waive 3-point shooter Joe Wieskamp.

The final roster spot came down to Wieskamp and Romeo Langford during training camp and the preseason, and Langford win out the last roster spot.

By making the opening night roster, both Tre Jones and Keita Bates-Diop saw their contracts go from non-guaranteed to fully guaranteed deals.

Though their roster is set, trades are still a possibility for this season with the team having $30 million in cap space. If other teams are trying to move a player with a large contract and attaching future draft picks in a deal, the Spurs would be in the ideal position to participate in that type of trade.

Season Opening Loss to Charlotte

Wednesday the Spurs opened their season with a 27-point loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets built a 20-point lead in the first half, the Spurs got within 10 points in the third quarter, but Charlotte answered and ended up building a 35-point lead.

Keldon Johnson was the stand-out player for the Spurs with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists.

The Spurs struggled from the 3-point line while the opposite happened for Charlotte.

Though it's just one game, the opening game shows a glimpse of how young players Josh Primo, Keldon Johnson, and Devin Vassell will have more responsibility to create for themselves and others by looking at the early drive's data.

Follow Paul Garica On Twitter @PaulGarciaNBA

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Spurscast: Preseason Opener in Houston

In Spurscast episode 670, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Jazz Tamir discuss:

The San Antonio Spurs’ opening preseason loss in Houston

Takeaways from the game

Preseason Loss in Houston
The San Antonio Spurs opened their preseason schedule Sunday with a 38-point loss in Houston. The game was close for the first 10.5 minutes, but just before the first quarter ended, the Rockets went up by double digits, and never looked back.
One contributing factor for the Spurs' loss was their shooting from outside. The team shot 11/42 from distance, which allowed the Rockets to collect defensive boards and get out in transition. With the Spurs being unable to set up their halfcourt defense, the Rockets scored 30 or more points in every quarter of the game.
“In general, the shooting was pretty poor," said Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich after the game. "And when you’re going back in transition defense all the time, all kinds of bad things are going to happen. You just can’t do it over and over and over again with the missed shots. That was the worst part of the game. The second thing was physicality. We let them go where they wanted to go, they were much more physical in that sense and that’s got to be the biggest improvement we make overall.”
Devin Vassell led the team with 13 points in one half of play, while Zach Collins scored 11 points, Malaki Branham scored 10 points in just two quarters, and Jeremy Sochan showed his potential on defense with three blocks in just 17 minutes.
One of the players who really stood out was Isaiah Roby. Roby finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block in 18 minutes.
“He’s got a lot of skills," said Popovich of Roby. "He’s a good ball handler, he could rebound, he’s playing defense, he’s trying to do everything the way we want to do it, but I thought that Isaiah Roby did a good job tonight at both ends of the floor.”

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Spurscast: Long-Term Outlook Questions

In Spurscast episode 669, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein answer Spurs fan questions about:

The best way for the Spurs to end up with the number one overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft

How long it can take for the Spurs to be an elite team again

Best way to end up with 1st pick
The best chance a team can have of trying to land the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft lottery is by finishing with one of the three worst records in the league. Per Tankathon.com, teams who finish 30th, 29th, and 28th have a 14% chance in the lottery of landing the number overall pick.
According to their over/under wins by Bovada.lv, the Spurs are projected to finish with one of the three worst records, with an over/under of 23.5 wins for this season.
How long can it take for the Spurs to be elite again?
Two questions asked about the Spurs getting back to being an elite team again were if the Spurs go with the free agency route or draft route to try to compete again. The free agency route is difficult because though the Spurs are projected to have a lot of cap space, there just aren't All-NBA level players who will be available in free agency next year.
The draft route looks like the best option, but that could typically take five to six years, and so many things have to go right. Young players on the current team have to go to another level and the Spurs have to get lucky and draft a really good player with their lottery pick, and then that player has to actually be excellent in the NBA when the games start.

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Spurscast: Preseason Injuries for Keldon Johnson and Josh Primo

In Spurscast episode 668, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein discuss:

Josh Primo and Keldon Johnson’s injuries, which means they’ll both likely miss all of the preseason

Josh Richardson saying Devin Vassell is poised to make a leap this season

Early season minutes for the rookies

Preseason Injuries for Johnson and Primo
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson will miss the start of the preseason with a dislocated right shoulder he injured in open gym three weeks ago. Johnson is expected to be back for the first game of the regular season.
Thursday the Spurs announced Primo will miss the start of the preseason with an MCL sprain. Like Johnson, Primo is expected to be back for the start of the regular season.
Vassell to make a big jump this season?
In a training camp interview, Josh Richardson said the player he thinks will take a big step this season is Vassell. He said not only is Vassell more vocal on the court, but he's showing more playmaking with the ball in his hands in being able to create for himself and others.
Vassell also said driving and trying to get to the free throw line are two parts of his game he worked on in the offseason.
Early minutes for the rookies
Unlike most seasons where Spurs rookies start in Austin with the G-League Spurs, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, and Blake Wesley all have a shot to earn a role on the team with the Spurs shifting toward a development-focused season.
Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich said only Jakob Poeltl has a guaranteed spot in the starting lineup and he will be testing the young players by giving them minutes earlier than usual.

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On this all-new episode of the Spurscast, we will ask the question? Which Spurs Players Will Get Traded?

Spurscast: Trade Questions and Upcoming Season Questions
In Spurscast episode 667, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs Editor Jonas Clark answer Spurs fan questions about:

Whether Jakob Poeltl, Doug McDermott, or Josh Richardson will get traded this season

The teams alongside the Spurs projected to finish bottom 5 by record for the best lottery odds

Why the Spurs shifted the direction of their franchise with the Dejounte Murray trade

What the Spurs will do with their open cap space this season

Which veteran players are most likely to be traded this season?
With the San Antonio Spurs heading toward a rebuilding route, the three most likely players to keep an eye on if San Antonio makes a trade are veterans Jakob Poeltl, Doug McDermott, and Josh Richardson.
Not only would all three players be excellent additions to playoff teams, but Poeltl and Richardson are entering the final years of their deals.
The teams projected to have the 5 worst records this season
Per Bovada.Lv, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Spurs, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, and Utah Jazz are projected to have the five worst records next season. In order to have the best lottery odds of 14%, a team must finish with one of the three worst records by the end of the season.
The Spurs' shift in direction
The Spurs made a shift this past summer in their franchise direction moving toward a rebuild by trading All-Star Dejounte Murray to Atlanta. This question is discussed at length in the episode.
The Spurs' open cap space this season
The Spurs can open anywhere from $28-33 million in cap space right now. The question discussed is what are they going to do with all that cap space this season?

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On this all-new episode of the Spurscast, we will talk about who will be the Spurs starting point guard this season?

Spurscast Topics:

Spurscast: Answering Lineup Questions

In the latest Spurscast episode, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs Writer Matthew Lerma answer Spurs fan questions about:

Josh Primo entering his second season
The starting lineup
The rotation this coming season
Who will be the leading scorer this season?
How this team compares to the 1996-1997 Spurs roster
Team News

The San Antonio Spurs still haven't signed Jalen Adaway. In order to sign Adaway, a player will have to be waived first. Training camps for most NBA teams are scheduled to begin Monday, September 26 with media day.

Will Josh Primo start at the point?

One of the questions several Spurs fans asked was whether Josh Primo will now be the starting point guard with Dejounte Murray being traded to Atlanta. This is a question addressed in this episode and there seems to be a starting point guard competition between Primo, Tre Jones, and Blake Wesley.

The Starting Lineup

Also in the episode, predicted starting lineups are provided. Will the Spurs start Primo, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Doug McDermott, and Jakob Poeltl?

The Rotation this coming season

Along with the starters, who will be the main backup players at each position off the bench? Will those players be Tre Jones, Josh Richardson, Joe Wieskamp, Isaiah Roby, and Zach Collins?

Who will be the leading scorer this season?

One of the questions asked was about who will be the leading scorer this season. The default answer is usually Johnson, but will Vassell make a leap this season and be the go-to player by the end of the season?

This Year vs the 96-97 Spurs

One of the final questions addressed is about comparing the roster for this coming season to the roster from the 1996-1997 Spurs team, which only won 20 games.

Spurscast Episode: 666 Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
01:27 Team News
02:05 Who Will Be The Spurs Starting Point Guard?
05:19 Will Josh Primo Start?
06:32 Predicted Starting Lineup For The Upcoming Season
08:51 Predicted Rotation & Minutes Distribution
12:57 Will Keldon Johnson Get More Minutes This Upcoming Season?
14:35 Will Keldon Johnson & Devin Vassell Be The Top Scorers On The Team?
17:32 Who Will Make The Biggest Leap From Last Season?
20:07 What Is The Worst Roster The Spurs Have Ever Had?
26:02 Ben Bornstein's Best Upcoming Non-Conference College Basketball Games Of 2022

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In Spurscast episode 665, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs Director of Digital Content Joe Garcia discuss:

The Spurs re-signing Joe Wieskamp

Alize Johnson and Tommy Kuhse signing exhibit-10 deals

Jalen Adaway signing an exhibit-10 contract soon

Manu Ginobili’s upcoming Hall of Fame ceremony

Joe Wieskamp Re-Signs
The San Antonio Spurs recently re-signed Joe Wieskamp to a two-year deal, for $4.4 million. The first year of the deal is fully guaranteed and the second year is partially guaranteed if Wieskamp remains on the team past a specific deadline.
With the Spurs tendering Wieskamp a qualifying offer when free agency began, the signs were there that they intended to keep him as part of their roster since he was just entering the second season of his NBA career.
Three Players on Exhibit 10 Deals
Alize Johnson and Tommy Kuhse signed exhibit-10 deals recently, and a player on the roster will have to be waived in order for the team to sign Jalen Adaway to an exhibit 10 contract.
With the Spurs' roster now capped with 20 players, in order to sign another player going forward, the Spurs will have to waive a player first.
Though it's not an urgent move, the Spurs will also need to decide which player will be waived before the start of the regular season in late October. In a segment on the episode, this topic is discussed.
Manu Ginobili's Hall of Fame Ceremony This Weekend
This Saturday, September 10, Manu Ginobili will enter the Hall of Fame. Presenting Ginobili into the hall of fame will be his former teammate and recent 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Tim Duncan.
In the episode, Joe and Paul share some of their favorite memories about Ginobili's career.

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In Spurscast episode 664, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses the Spurs’ roster in the offseason and breaks down the schedule:

Assistant coaching changes - Chip Engelland moves to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brett Brown returns as an Assistant Coach

New players on the roster: Gorgui Dieng, Jordan Hall (two-way deal), and Alize Johnson (reported non-guaranteed deal)

18 players on the roster now for training camp and the preseason.

$23 million to $35 million in cap space still available.

Preseason takes place from October 2 to October 13.

The regular season begins October 19 and ends April 9.

First 15 games may show the type of team the Spurs will have this season.

Early 5-game road trip in mid-November.

9-game rodeo road trip with All-Star break in-between.

Projected to have the most difficult schedule in the NBA this season.

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Spurscast: Post-Draft Analysis and Summer League Impressions

In Spurscast episode 663, Spurscast host Paul Garcia, Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein, and former Project Spurs writer Trevor Zickgraf discuss:

The latest news and notes for the San Antonio Spurs

Analysis and Summer League impressions about the Spurs’ rookies Jeremy Sochan (out for Summer League), Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, and Dominic Barlow

Latest New and Notes
The Spurs officially waived Danilo Gallinari on Friday. The team has also officially signed all three first round pick rookies in Sochan, Branham, and Wesley.
The Spurs can still open the most cap space in the league, though they haven't made any major signings or trades since free agency began July 1.
The only two moves the Spurs haven't made official are the signing of Gorgui Dieng and the two-way signing of Dominic Barlow.
Post Draft Analysis and Summer League Opening Game Impressions
In the episode, Bornstein and Zickgraf analyze the Spurs drafting Sochan with the 9th pick, Branham with the 20th pick, Wesley with the 25th pick, and agreeing to sign Barlow to a two-way contract.
Branham, Wesley, and Barlow's play in the opening game of Summer League against the Cleveland Cavaliers are also discussed.
Sochan won't play in any of the Summer League games after exiting health and safety protocols and because he's also dealing with a hamstring injury.
The Spurs have four Summer League games remaining Sunday against the Golden State Warriors, Monday against the Houston Rockets, and Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks. Their final game will take place on either July 16 or July 17.
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Spurscast: A Week into Free Agency
In Spurscast episode 662, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses:

Joe Wieskamp and Jeremy Sochan missing all of Summer League

The additions of Gorgui Dieng and Isaiah Roby to the Spurs

The options the Spurs can take with their cap space

Where the roster currently stands

Latest News
Joe Wieskamp will have to miss the Las Vegas Summer League after spraining his right ankle according to the team. Jeremy Sochan will also miss all five Summer League games after returning from health and safety protocols.
The Spurs officially signed Blake Wesley earlier this week, but the team still hasn't signed Sochan, Malaki Branham, and Gorgui Dieng. The Spurs also reportedly have until July 8 to waive Danilo Gallinari before his deal becomes fully guaranteed for $21.4 million this coming season.
The Opening Week of Free Agency
In the opening week of free agency, the Spurs agreed to a one-year deal with Dieng and they claimed Isaiah Roby off waivers.
As part of the Dejounte Murray trade, Jock Landale was traded to Atlanta, and then Atlanta traded him to Phoenix. Lonnie Walker IV officially signed with the Los Angeles Lakers this week.
What are the Spurs doing with their cap space?
The Spurs can potentially open up to $38.4 million in cap space and the question remains, what can they do with that cap space?
There are still notable free agents available like Deandre Ayton and Collin Sexton, while there's also the possibility of being a team willing to acquire contracts for future picks. Lastly, the Spurs could just do nothing with their cap space.
Where does the roster stand currently?
Assuming Gallinari will be waived soon, the Spurs' roster will have 13 players on guaranteed contracts, two players on non-guaranteed deals, and one player on a two-way contract.
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Spurscast: Dejounte Murray Trade to Hawks
In this emergency Spurscast episode 661/Project Spurs Round Table, Spurscast host Paul Garcia, Project Spurs staff members Joe Garcia, Benjamin Bornstein, Vickie Villareal, and Evan Townsend discuss:

The Spurs agreeing to trade Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks for future picks

What will the Spurs do with their cap space now?

Will other veteran players be moved via trade?

What will happen with Keldon Johnson’s possible contract extension?

Other offseason notes and more

Murray to be traded to Atlanta
Wednesday the San Antonio Spurs and Hawks agreed in principal to send Dejounte Murray to Atlanta for Danilo Gallinari, three future first round picks, and a future pick swap.
What will the Spurs do with their cap space now?
Once the trade with Murray and Gallinari is completed after July 6, the Spurs can still open over $30 million in cap space depending on what they do with free agents and players on non-guaranteed deals.
Should the Spurs sign free agents to fill out the roster, or should they be a team ready to take on contracts via trade for more future draft picks?
Will other veteran players be moved via trade?
Now that the Spurs are indeed headed toward a rebuild, will veteran players like Jakob Poeltl, Doug McDermott, and Josh Richardson be moved too via trade?
What will happen with Keldon Johnson's possible contract extension?
The Spurs have until late October to extend Johnson's contract. Will they make that move in the coming months, or will they let Johnson become a restricted free agent like Lonnie Walker IV just became?
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In Spurscast episode 660, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss:

The state of the Spurs’ roster before free agency

The three ways the Spurs can use their cap space

The State of the Spurs' Roster
The Spurs will enter free agency Thursday with 15 players under contract barring players being traded or waived before Thursday. Tre Jones, Keita Bates-Diop, and Jock Landale all have non-guaranteed contracts.
The Spurs can have up to 20 players on their roster in the offseason, but before opening night of the regular season, their roster needs to be trimmed to 15 players and two players on two-way contracts at maximum.
The Spurs have decisions to make on whether they'll make Lonnie Walker IV, Joe Wieskamp, Devontae Cacok, Robert Woodard II, and DJ Stewart restricted free agents. Those decisions has to be made by Wednesday June 29.
The Spurs' Three Options with Cap Space
The Spurs can go with one or a mixture of the following options regarding their cap space this offseason:

Sign free agents - With the ability to open up to $34.4 million in cap space, the Spurs could choose to use their cap space to sign a free agent or multiple free agents. Are they a team that throws a max offer sheet at Deandre Ayton?

Trade for players on multiple year deals - The Spurs could use their cap space to acquire a player already under contract via trade. John Collins' name has been mentioned in trade rumors, though the latest reporting has Dejounte Murray included in a hypothetical deal.

Use cap space to acquire future picks by taking on contracts - Similar to how the Spurs used their cap space to acquire Al-Farouq Aminu and Thaddeus Young from Chicago for future draft picks in the deal with DeMar DeRozan last year, the Spurs could go with a similar route to acquire players under contract for future picks. The New York Knicks have reportedly been trying to move veteran players under contract like Alec Burks and Evan Fournier.

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In Spurscast episode 659, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein discuss:

The latest draft rumors

Draft prospects in the 9th, 20th, 25th, and 38th pick ranges hours before the draft.

The Latest Draft Rumors
Will the San Antonio Spurs try to trade up to the 4th pick with the Sacramento Kings for a chance at drafting Keegan Murray? That's one of the rumors addressed in the episode. Another rumor discussed would be if the Spurs might try to package the 20th and 25th picks to get a pick in the 11th through 17th draft range.
Draft Prospects in the 9th Pick Range
Draft prospects discussed in the 9th pick range are:
Ousmane Dieng (Mock average 12th)
Jalen Duren (Mock average 11th)
Dyson Daniels (Mock average 8th)
Johnny Davis (Mock average 10th)
AJ Griffin (Mock average 11th)
Shaedon Sharpe (Mock average 8th)
Draft Prospects in the 20th Pick Range
Draft prospects discussed in the 20th pick range are:
Blake Wesley (Mock average 21st)
Nikola Jovic (Mock average 25th)
TyTy Washington (Mock average 20th)
Dalen Terry (Mock average 23rd)
EJ Liddell (Mock average 23rd)
Jalen Williams (Mock average 16th)
Jaden Hardy (Mock average 24th)
Draft Prospects in the 25th Pick Range
Draft prospects discussed in the 25th pick range are:
Walker Kessler
Jaden Hardy
EJ Liddell
Kennedy Chandler
Christian Braun
Ismael Kamagate
Draft Prospects in the 38th Pick Range
Draft prospects discussed in the 38th pick range are:
MarJon Beauchamp
Christian Koloko
Caleb Houstan
Andrew Nembhard
Max Christie
Jaylin Williams
Gabriele Procida

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Spurscast: Less Than Two Weeks from the Draft

In Spurscast episode 658, Spurscast host Paul Garcia, Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein, and former Project Spurs writer Trevor Zickgraf discuss:

If the Spurs should try to trade up in the draft

Draft prospects with the 9th pick

Draft prospects with the 20th pick

Draft prospects with the 25th pick

Draft prospects with the 38th pick in the second round

Trading Up
In the event Chet Holmgren or Paolo Banchero fell to 4th in the NBA Draft, do the San Antonio Spurs have a trade package that would intrigue the Sacramento Kings into trading the 4th pick?
Keegan Murray of Iowa and Shaedon Sharpe of Kentucky are draft prospects projected to be drafted before 9th, the Spurs' first round pick. Should San Antonio try to move up via trade to try and get in position to draft one of those two prospects?
Draft Prospects with the 9th Pick
Draft prospects mentioned in the 9th pick range are:

Benedict Mathurin, a 6'6" player out of Arizona, whose mock average is 8th.

Jalen Duren, a 6'11" player out of Memphis, whose mock average is 11th.

Jeremy Sochan, a 6'9" player out of Baylor, whose mock average is 12th, and the Spurs reportedly have interest in.

Dyson Daniels, a 6'6" G-League Ignite player, whose mock average is 8th, and the Spurs reportedly have interest in.

Ousmane Dieng, a 6'9" player from the New Zealand Breakers, whose mock average is 14th.

Draft Prospects with the 20th Pick
Draft prospects mentioned in the 20th pick range are:

Nikola Jovic

Jalen Williams

Jaden Hardy

Kennedy Chandler

Patrick Baldwin Jr.

Draft Prospects with the 25th Pick
Draft prospects mentioned in the 25th pick range are:

Jaden Hardy

Kendall Brown

Kennedy Chandler

Dalen Terry

Patrick Baldwin Jr.

Christian Braun

Ryan Rollins

Caleb Houstan

Draft Prospects with the 38th Pick in the Second Round
Draft prospects mentioned in the 38th pick range of the second round are:

Wendell Moore Jr.

Max Christie

Caleb Houstan

John Butler

Khalifa Diop

Other draft prospects discussed in the episode are:

Johnny Davis

Tari Eason

Blake Wesley

EJ Liddell

Walker Kessler

MarJon Beauchamp

Jake LaRavia

Christian Koloko

Leonard Miller

Gabriele Procida

Peyton Watson

David Roddy

Josh Minott

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Episode Title: Spurscast: How Would Trades Work This Offseason?

In Spurscast episode 657, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses:

How trades would work with the Spurs’ first-round picks

How a sign-and-trade deal would work with Lonnie Walker IV

How trades would work with players on non-guaranteed deals

How trades would work with players on guaranteed deals

How do trades work with draft picks?
The San Antonio Spurs will have four draft picks in the June draft: the 9th pick, the 20th pick, the 25th pick, and the 38th pick in the second round.
In the episode, you'll hear how the Spurs would be able to trade these picks either before or after the draft and what the cap hold amount for each pick means in the different trade scenarios.
How would a sign-and-trade deal work with Lonnie Walker IV?
In the event, Lonnie Walker IV wanted to move on from San Antonio this summer in free agency, rather than sign an offer sheet with another team, another way Walker IV could end up on a new team is if he, the Spurs, and the new team worked on a sign-and-trade deal together.
How do trades work involving the players on non-guaranteed players?
This offseason, Zach Collins, Keita Bates-Diop, Tre Jones, and Jock Landale are all on non-guaranteed deals. The way their deals would work in a trade are discussed in the episode.
The players on guaranteed deals
While there's no reporting the Spurs are looking to move any of the players on guaranteed deals, the scenario is explored in the episode in the event the Spurs were to move a player via trade on a guaranteed deal.
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Title: Spurscast: Pre-Lottery Questions and 2nd Round Draft Prospects

In Spurscast episode 656, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein discuss:

Social media questions about the Spurs before the lottery

Second-round draft prospects

Pre-Lottery Questions
With the NBA Draft Lottery coming up Tuesday, May 17, we asked Spurs fans to send some pre-lottery questions through social media.
Some of the questions were got were what would it take to land a Top-3 pick via trade if the Spurs don't get a Top-3 pick in the lottery, whether the Spurs will use the draft-and-stash route with one of their picks, and a question about draft prospect Tari Eason of LSU.
Second Round Draft Prospects
In Spurscast episode 655, first-round draft prospects were mainly discussed in the episode. This week we take a look at some players projected to get drafted in the second round with the Spurs having the 38th pick in round two.
Players discussed in this discussion are:

Kennedy Chandler of Tennessee

Leonard Miller of Fort Erie International Academy

David Roddy of Colorado State

Justin Lewis of Marquette

Harrison Ingram of Stanford

Max Christie of Michigan State

Jake LaRavia of Wake Forest

Dyson Daniels of the G-League Ignite and Nikola Jovic of Mega Mozzart are discussed when reviewing first-round draft prospects.
In the final segment, the draft lottery odds are discussed from best to worst odds. The Spurs have a 50.7% chance of landing the 9th pick, 25.9% chance of landing the 10th pick, and a 5.7% chance of landing the 4th pick. Those are their Top-3 best odds of entering the lottery.
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Title: Spurscast: Early Preview of Draft Prospects in First Round for Spurs

In Spurscast episode 655, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein discuss:

Who the Spurs should draft if they end up with a Top-4 lottery pick

Draft prospects with the 9th pick

Draft prospects with the 20th pick

Draft prospects with the 25th pick

Who should the Spurs draft if they end up with a Top-4 pick?
There's no consensus number one overall pick according to different mock drafts, but one of these two players are projected to go first - Jabari Smith of Auburn, or Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga.
Paolo Banchero of Duke is projected to go third and Jaden Ivey from Purdue is expected to go fourth.
In the episode, Bornstein and I discuss different scenarios of who the Spurs should draft if they end up with one of the Top-4 picks.
Draft Prospects in the 9th pick range
The following players are mentioned on different mocks in the 9th pick range:

Johnny Davis of Wisconsin

Jalen Duren of Memphis

TyTy Washington of Kentucky

Ousmane Dieng of the New Zealand Breakers

Bennedict Mathurin of Arizona

AJ Griffin of Duke

Draft Prospects in the 20th pick range
The following players are mentioned on different mocks in the 20th pick range:

Jaden Hardy of G-League Ignite

Kennedy Chandler of Tennessee

EJ Liddell of Ohio State

MarJon Beauchamp of G-League Ignite

Wendell Moore Jr. of Duke

Kendall Brown of Baylor

Ousmane Dieng of the New Zealand Breakers

Draft Prospects in the 25th pick range
The following players are mentioned on different mocks in the 25th pick range:

Walker Kessler of Auburn

Kennedy Chandler of Tennessee

Patrick Baldwin Jr. of Milwaukee

Christian Braun of Kansas

Wendell Moore Jr. of Duke

Kendall Brown of Baylor

Jalen Williams of Santa Clara

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Episode Title: Spurscast: Spurs' Cap Space Scenarios

In Spurscast episode 654, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss:
The Spurs’ different cap space scenarios going into free agency
11 Players Projected to be on Guaranteed Deals
The San Antonio Spurs will go into the offseason with eight players on guaranteed contracts next season in Dejounte Murray, Doug McDermott, Josh Richardson, Jakob Poeltl, Romeo Langford, Devin Vassell, Josh Primo, and Keldon Johnson.
The Spurs will also have three first-round picks with their projected 9th lottery pick, the 20th pick from Toronto, and the 25th pick from Boston. From now until the Spurs draft and then sign a player with those picks or trade the pick, the picks have cap holds on the Spurs' salary sheet going into the offseason. So when you combine the three picks with the eight players on guaranteed deals, that's a projected 11 players on guaranteed deals.
4 Players with Partially/Non-Guaranteed Deals
Four Spurs players will enter the offseason with partially or non-guaranteed deals in Zach Collins (partial guarantee), Tre Jones, Keita Bates-Diop, and Jock Landale.
Each player's salary and guarantee date are discussed in the episode, as well as early predictions as to whether the Spurs will keep the player on the roster next season or waive the player in the offseason.
5 Players Entering Free Agency
Five Spurs players will be entering free agency in Lonnie Walker IV, Joe Wieskamp, Devontae Cacok, DJ Stewart Jr., and Robert Woodard II. The Spurs can make any of these players restricted free agents by tending the player a qualifying offer by June 29.
The Cap Space Projections
The Spurs will have multiple cap space projections to explore being able to open anywhere from $16 to $37 million in cap space depending on what decisions they make with the players on non-guaranteed deals and the players entering free agency.
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Spurscast: The End of the Season

In Spurscast episode 653, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs Director of Digital Content Joe Garcia discuss:

The Spurs’ season ended with a play-in loss to the New Orleans Pelicans

Where the Spurs finished the season on both ends of the court

An early look at important dates for the offseason calendar

An initial look at the roster going into the offseason

Season Ends in the Play-In Loss to Pelicans
The San Antonio Spurs' 2021-2022 season ended in a 10-point loss on the road in New Orleans Wednesday. On a night when the Spurs' two go-to players struggled and the team fell behind by 21 points, the Spurs didn't give up easily and fought back to get within six points of the Pelicans.
New Orleans eventually made plays down the stretch and that was enough to close the Spurs' season.
Strengths and Weaknesses this Season
With the season over, the Spurs can now look back at their strengths and weaknesses as a team with their first season of letting the young core take the keys to the car with multiple veterans off the team.
The Spurs finished 17th on offense and 16th on defense, and in the episode, their Top-10 and Bottom-10 areas are analyzed to determine what team needs will be going into next season.
Initial Offseason Calendar
The dates of the NBA Draft Lottery, the NBA Draft, and dates when players can become restricted free agents are discussed in the episode as the team heads toward the quiet part of the offseason.
Early Outlook of Roster Going into Offseason
Barring trades, the Spurs are projected to have 11 players on guaranteed deals next season when you count their three first round picks. The team also has decisions to make on four players who have partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed contracts. With a team already full, the Spurs will have to address which players who are entering free agency they'd like to try to bring back.
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Title: Spurscast: The Spurs are in the Play-In Tournament

In Spurscast episode 652, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss:

The Spurs’ 8-2 record in the last 10 games

The team making the Play-In Tournament

Keldon Johnson’s streak of 20 point games

Zach Collins and Josh Richardson’s play lately

Welcome to the Play-In Tournament
After going 8-2 in their last 10 games and getting some help from the Phoenix Suns in defeating the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs have officially qualified for the 2022 Play-In tournament.
The Spurs will play the New Orleans Pelicans, but the question that still needs to be answered is who will be the 9th seed and host the play-in game?
The Pelicans have a one game lead ahead of the Spurs in the standings and for the Spurs, the path to passing New Orleans in challenging, but there's still at least three paths available.
The Play-In tournament will take place next week from April 12-15.
Keldon Johnson's 20-Point Game Streak
Since March 23, Keldon Johnson has scored between 20 and 28 points in seven straight games. In the episode, Johnson's shot selection has changed lately and what his 20-point streak could mean for the future.
Zach Collins and Josh Richardson's Play Lately
With the Spurs being 8-2 in their last 10 games, two players who have been part of the rotation during this stretch are Zach Collins and Josh Richardson.
Both players weren't originally part of the opening day lineup, but they've fit in quite well in just a short amount of time. Collins has returned from injury that kept him out of games over the last two years and Richardson was acquired via trade at the trade deadline.
The offense and defense both players are bringing to the floor are discussed in the episode.
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In Spurscast episode 651, Remembering Project Spurs founder Michael DeLeon.

On Monday, March 21, 2022, Project Spurs founder Michael De Leon passed away at the age of 45 battling cancer. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to Michael’s family as they go through this very difficult time in their lives.

Throughout his career, Michael helped numerous journalists get their starts in the media business, even if it meant moving on from the Project Spurs Network over time.

In this special Spurscast episode dedicated to Michael, Spurscast host Paul Garcia speaks with multiple current and former Project Spurs members about the impact Michael had on their lives.

Spurscast guests:

Jeff Garcia
Stephen Michael
John Diaz
Joe Garcia
Aaron Preine
Benjamin Bornstein
Jeff Cerda
Victoria Villareal
Collin Reid
Josh Paredes
Jonas Clark
Tom Petrini
Rocky Garza Jr.

Music for this episode was created and produced by Vincent Garcia

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In Spurscast episode 650, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer and editor Stephen Michael discuss:

The Spurs in the last four games

Doug McDermott expected to miss the rest of the season

Keldon Johnson’s improved scoring post-trade deadline

The Last Four Games
The San Antonio Spurs went 2-2 in their last four games with wins against the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder, while suffering losses to the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves.
In the win against the Jazz, not only did the Spurs come back from a 15-point deficit, but the win also put Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich in NBA history with 1,336 all-time regular-season wins.
By going .500 in their last four games, the Spurs have moved closer to trying to get into the play-in game, while that means on the other end their lottery odds decreased with an improved record.
McDermott Expected to Miss Remainder of Season
Wednesday the Spurs announced forward Doug McDermott is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season with a grade 3 right ankle sprain.
With McDermott out, Josh Richardson is expected to start for the final 12 games of the season.
McDermott's play this season is discussed in the episode, as well as what the team looks like with a small ball starting five having Jakob Poeltl and four guards now in the starting lineup going forward.
Keldon Johnson's Improved Scoring
Since the Spurs traded Derrick White in early February, Keldon Johnson's scoring has increased from 15 to 20 points per game. Johnson is attempting more three-point attempts during the timeframe, while still shooting accurately from beyond the arc.
Johnson has improved his shot selection in the paint and his accuracy in the paint has increased as well.
Johnson's amount of wide-open 3-point attempts have decreased post-trade deadline. That could be for one of two reasons: a) defenses are not letting him get as many wide open looks or b) in trading White, the Spurs only have Dejounte Murray to break down the defense to get shooters open shots consistently.
DraftKings
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In Spurscast episode 649, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses:

The Spurs in their last 7 games

Some late-season roster moves by the Spurs

The Spurs’ chances of making the play-in game

The Spurs in their last 7 Games
The San Antonio Spurs went 2-5 in their last seven games, with wins against the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards, and losses to the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, Charlotte Hornets, and Toronto Raptors.
The loss to the Kings was the one that stung since the Spurs were projected to go 3-4 in their last seven games, but instead went 2-5.
Through 66 games of the season, the Spurs are 25-41, with a league-average offense and the 19th ranked defense.
The Spurs are still close to the Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans for the 9th and 10th seeds that would allow San Antonio to be in the play-in tournament.
Some players discussed in the episode are Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Lonnie Walker IV, Jakob Poeltl, and Devin Vassell. Each players' play in the last 11 games is examined since the trade deadline, where there's been more opportunity with Derrick White now off the team.
Late Season Roster Moves
The Spurs made some late-season roster moves recently, by agreeing to a buyout agreement with Tomas Satoransky, converting the two-way contracts of Joe Wieskamp and Devontae Cacok to standard NBA contracts, and finally, signing DJ Stewart Jr. and Robert Woodard II to two-way contracts.
Each move is discussed in the episode as well as the Spurs' cap space projections for this summer.
The Spurs' Chances of Making the Play-In Game
With just 16 regular-season games remaining, the Spurs are 3.5 games behind the Lakers for the 9th seed and 2 games behind the Pelicans for the 10th seed.
The Lakers are projected to go 7-10 in their final 17 games, and if that happens, the Spurs would need to go 11-5 down the stretch to finish with a better record than the Lakers.
The Pelicans are projected to go 6-10 in their final 16 games, and if that happens, the Spurs would need to go 8-8 down the stretch.
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In Spurscast episode 648, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Rocky Garza Jr. discuss the latest San Antonio Spurs topics:

The Spurs going 3-2 to begin the Rodeo Road Trip.

The Spurs’ moves at the trade deadline.

How the Spurs are playing after the trade deadline

Looking ahead to the final 23 games of the regular season

The Beginning of the Rodeo Road Trip
The San Antonio Spurs have opened the 2022 Rodeo Road Trip with a 3-2 record. The Spurs lost in Cleveland and Chicago, but won in Atlanta, New Orleans, and Oklahoma City.
The Spurs' Moves at the Trade Deadline
The day before the trade deadline the Spurs traded Juancho Hernangomez to Utah as part of a three team trade that allowed the Spurs to land a 2nd round pick and Tomas Satoransky.
The following day on the trade deadline, the Spurs made two trades. They acquired a protected 1st round pick and Goran Dragic from Toronto for Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks, and a 2nd round pick.
Then, the Spurs traded one of their core players in Derrick White to Boston in exchange for a protected 1st round pick, the rights to swap a future 1st, Josh Richardson, and Romeo Langford.
A few days later the Spurs waived Dragic and now have an open roster spot.
The team is projected to have anywhere from $12 million to $33 million in cap space this offseason after the trades.
Early Success Post Trade Deadline
It's a small sample size, but the Spurs are finding success after the trade deadline with a 3-1 record. The Spurs have a Top-5 offense and close to league average defense during the stretch. With more minutes and opportunity, the Spurs have seen improvement from Dejounte Murray, Devin Vassell, Lonnie Walker IV, and Doug McDermott post trade deadline.
The Final 23 Games
The Spurs have a chance to get 8-9 more wins in their final 23 games because they'll face more opponents with losing records (12) than teams with winning records (11) to close out the season.
Will they win enough games to make the playoffs or play-in game, or will they end up in the lottery because they couldn't get into the playoff picture? The next 23 games will allow that story to play out.

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In Spurscast episode 647, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs founder Michael De Leon discuss:

The Spurs in the last five games and Zach Collins’ injury return

Dejounte Murray being named an NBA All-Star

The latest trade rumors involving Thaddeus Young, Jakob Poeltl, and Derrick White

The Last 5 Games and Zach Collins' NBA Return
In their last five games since the last Spurscast episode, the San Antonio Spurs went 2-3. The Spurs were able to defeat the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets, while losing to the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Miami Heat.
In the Friday game against Houston, Zach Collins made his injury return to finish with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals in just 13 minutes. Collins showed how he's a versatile player on offense with four points in the paint, a mid-range make, a pick-and-pop three, and a made free throw.
Dejounte Murray, NBA All-Star
After not being picked as an All-Star reserve, Dejounte Murray was named an NBA All-Star Monday as an injury replacement player with Draymond Green out for the game.
This season Murray is averaging almost 20 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, and 2.1 steals per game.
He's one of the top players in the league in assists, triple-doubles, defections, and steals. Murray is also one of the top players at his position in assist percentage, turnover percentage, steals, and rebounding per CleaningTheGlass.com.
According to CleaningTheGlass.com, the Spurs play like a 46 win team when Murray is on the floor this season.
Murray said Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich called him to let him know he was an All-Star and Murray and his family were overcome with emotion. "I wouldn't change it for nothing," said Murray of being drafted by the Spurs with the 29th pick in 2016. "The Spurs organization was perfect for me."
Trade Deadline Approaching Thursday
With the trade deadline approaching Thursday, Thaddeus Young, Jakob Poeltl, and Derrick White have all been mentioned in trade rumors. The latest trade rumors are discussed in the episode.

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In Spurscast episode 646, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein discuss:

The Spurs in the last four games

The latest trade rumors with the trade deadline two weeks away

Devin Vassell and Jakob Poeltl’s strong play lately

The Last Four Games
The San Antonio Spurs went 1-3 in their last four games, with losses to the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Memphis Grizzlies. The Spurs' lone win over the last four games was a blow out against the Houston Rockets.
Defense has been an issue for the team. The Spurs have maintained the 16th ranked offense over the last week, but they've slipped down to 19th on defense.
In other team news, Zach Collins is getting closer to his return to the team with more games played in Austin, while Keita Bates-Diop became the latest player on the team to enter health and safety protocols.
With Andrew Wiggins being selected as a Western Conference All-Star starter, Dejounte Murray's path to becoming an All-Star might have become more difficult.
Trade Rumors Two Weeks Before the Deadline
The latest trade rumors have the Spurs being interested in John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks again, the Hawks having interest in Derrick White, and teams calling the Spurs about Murray, White, and Jakob Poeltl.
The Spurs also reportedly have interest in Cedi Osman. All of these trade rumors are discussed in the episode.
Devin Vassell and Jakob Poeltl's Strong Play Lately
In the month of January, Devin Vassell is averaging 14 points per game, making it his best scoring month of the season. Jakob Poeltl has been dominant in the paint in the last six games, averaging 18.7 points per game, with 15.6 of those points from the paint.
Vassell and Poeltl's strong play lately and their seasons overall are discussed in the episode.

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In Spurscast episode 645, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs Director of Digital Content Joe Garcia discuss:

The Spurs in the last four games against Cleveland, the Clippers, Phoenix, and Oklahoma City

The Spurs trading Bryn Forbes to Denver in a three-way trade that brings Juan Hernangomez to San Antonio

The Spurs when their main three of Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Jakob Poeltl are in the same game together

The Last Four GamesThe San Antonio Spurs went 2-2 in their last four games with wins by their defense against the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder, and losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns.
The Spurs are now 17-28 through 45 games of the season with the 16th ranked offense and 17th ranked defense. They finally have their full-rotation back after Tre Jones returned from health and safety protocols.
Zach Collins is getting closer to his return after participating in a G-League game with the Austin Spurs, and multiple assistant coaches on the team have entered health and safety protocols.
The Three-Team TradeWednesday the Spurs traded Bryn Forbes to Denver in a three-team trade that included the Boston Celtics and Nuggets. For taking on Juan Hernangomez's $6.9 million contract, the Spurs received cash considerations and a protected 2028 second-round pick from Denver.
In the episode, Hernagomez's deal is examined for this season and his non-guaranteed salary for next season. Plus, there's a conversation about what realistic playing time he'll get and whether he can be moved again before the February 10 trade deadline.
The Main Three of Murray, White, and PoeltlThe Spurs are now 13-14 in 27 games when Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Jakob Poeltl are in the same game together.
Since Thanksgiving, the Spurs are 11-6 when those 3 players are in a game together. The Spurs are 6-8 when Murray and White play in crunch time together, a far better record than their 6-13 overall crunch time record.
In the episode projected records are discussed if the Spurs can remain healthy for the rest of the season with the three of them.
There was also a recent trade rumor involving the Toronto Raptors having interest in Poeltl. The rumor is discussed in the episode.

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In Spurscast episode 644, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss:

The Spurs in the last six games

Team updates on players returning from health and safety protocols

The 15 game sample size from November to December before players went into health protocols

Lonnie Walker IV's aggressive play with multiple rotation players out

Dejounte Murray’s All-Star chances

The Last Six Games
The San Antonio Spurs went 1-5 in their last six games since the last Spurscast recording. Along with ending a 7-game road trip, the Spurs had multiple players enter health and safety protocols.
The Spurs' most recent game was a return home Wednesday against the Houston Rockets, but the Spurs weren't able to stop the Rockets on defense, and so they were dealt their 26th loss of the season.
Players Returning from Health and Safety Protocols
In the loss against Houston, Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell returned to the team and exited health protocols. Doug McDermott, who has been out for seven games, has also exited protocols.
Derrick White is listed as questionable to play Friday in the Spurs' game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which puts him closer to exiting protocols.
Once White is out of protocols, the only rotation player left in protocols is Tre Jones.
The 15 Game Sample Size Before Health Protocols
From November 24 to December 23, the Spurs were able to play 15 games without any players going into health protocols.
During this stretch, the Spurs went 9-6 with the 3rd best offense and 15th ranked defense. In the episode, a discussion takes place examining if this is who the Spurs can be when fully healthy.
Lonnie Walker IV's Strong Start to January
Since returning from health and safety protocols in January, Lonnie Walker IV has been more aggressive on offense. Lonnie's paint attempts and free throw attempts have increased with more chances at being the second playmaker alongside Murray when White and Johnson were out. Can Walker IV remain aggressive when his teammates return?
Dejounte Murray's All-Star Chances
In the final topic on the episode, there's a discussion that looks at Murray's chances of making the Western Conference All-Star team.

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In Spurscast episode 643, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Jonas Clark discuss the latest San Antonio Spurs topics:

The Spurs in their last 8 games

Becky Hammon being hired as the new Head Coach of the Las Vegas Aces

The Spurs and other teams pushing forward through health and safety protocols

What has changed since the Boston game after Thanksgiving?

The Last 8 Games and Other Team NewsThe San Antonio Spurs went 4-4 in their last eight games since the last Spurscast recording. While the team is currently on a three game losing streak, they did surpass their expectations in the last eight games.
Based on the Vegas game lines, the Spurs were projected to go 3-5 in the last eight games, instead, they went 4-4.
Dejounte Murray, Doug McDermott, Lonnie Walker IV, and Devontae Cacok are currently in health and safety protocols. After missing the last four games, Murray is expected to return to the team soon after clearing protocols.
With four players in health and safety protocols, the Spurs recently signed Austin Spurs guard Jaylen Morris to a 10-day contract.
Becky Hammon to be new Head Coach of Las Vegas AcesNews broke last week that Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon will become the new head coach of the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA. The deal is reportedly the most lucrative deal for a WNBA head coach and Hammon will finish the NBA season with the Spurs.
What has changed since the Boston game after Thanksgiving?Since the Boston game on November 26, 2021, the Spurs have gone 10-8 in their last 18 games. While initially it looked like it would be the defense the team relied on, it's actually been the offense.
The Spurs rank 6th offensively during the 18-game stretch and overall, they now have the 11th ranked offense.
In the episode, a discussion takes place on how Derrick White's improvement, a change in the lineup, and how a number of other players have helped the team improve offensively.

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In Spurscast episode 642, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Stephen Anderson discuss:

The Spurs in the last four games against the Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, and Charlotte Hornets

The Spurs closing the gap in free throw scoring with their opponents

Trade rumors involving Thaddeus Young and Bryn Forbes

The Last Four Games
The San Antonio Spurs went 2-2 in their last four games, and almost as if in a roller coaster sequence. The Spurs picked up a win against the Nuggets last Thursday, then two nights later fell behind by as many as 32 points and lost to Denver. Then the following night, the Spurs defeated the Pelicans, but then days later fell behind by 30 points and lost to the Hornets.
In the episode, the Spurs' last four games are discussed, as well as the Spurs' injury report.
Closing the Gap from the Free Throw Line
With Derrick White's improvement over the last 10 games, the Spurs have seen an increase in free throw makes and attempts. Considering the Spurs are already one of the best teams for the season in not putting opponents on the free throw line, they've closed the gap in free throw scoring.
Through 27 games, the Spurs are only being outscored from the free throw line by 5 total points. On a per game basis, they're losing the free throw line by 0.1 points per game, which is practically even.
The areas where the Spurs have a big advantage (paint scoring), where they're almost even with opponents (free throw line, mid-range), and where they have their biggest weakness (3-point line) are discussed in the episode.
Young and Forbes Trade Rumors
Lastly, the latest trade rumors surrounding Thaddeus Young and Bryn Forbes are examined in the episode.
A familiar Young to Phoenix rumor is floated that dates back to September, while it appears playoff contenders will be looking into whether or not to try to trade for Forbes before the February 10 deadline.

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In Spurscast episode 641, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Evan Townsend discuss the following San Antonio Spurs topics:

The Spurs going 2-2 in their last four games against the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, and New York Knicks

Takeaways from the 4-Game Winning Streak

Derrick White improving in the last 6 games

Lonnie Walker IV’s play through 23 games

The Spurs blew out the Trail Blazers by 31 points last Thursday. From there, the Spurs continued their road trip with a win against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
The Spurs' season best 4-game winning streak was snapped Monday on the road in a loss to the Phoenix Suns, and the Spurs' most recent defeat came at the hands of the New York Knicks Tuesday.
Though the win streak is over, there can be some takeaways to see what the Spurs can maintain going forward to find success.
A number of different factors contributed to the Spurs finding success. From Derrick White turning back into Derrick White, Jakob Poeltl getting healthy and providing rim protection, Dejounte Murray continuing his stellar play and a few role players having good weeks lately in Doug McDermott and Bryn Forbes.
Plus, the Spurs have started to go more and more away from the mid-range shot as of late to help close the gap in 3-point scoring and attack the rim more frequently.
Some team injury updates with Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell are discussed in the episode, and some movement with Austin, as Josh Primo has started to earn minutes with San Antonio as the team deals with injuries. Meanwhile, Jock Landale will be going to Austin for the first time this season.
After his breakout game against the Warriors with 21 points, Lonnie Walker IV scored just 9 points combined in the last two games.
Walker IV's season through 23 games is discussed on both ends, as well as the chances he'll be a longtime player with the Spurs since he'll become a free agent this offseason.

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In Spurscast episode 640, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Rocky Garza Jr. discuss:

The Spurs going 1-0 in their last game against the Washington Wizards

Commonalities in the Spurs’ 2-game winning streak

The backup center position between Drew Eubanks and Thaddeus Young

Trade scenarios for Young

1-0 in last game against Washington
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Wizards by 18 points Monday night for their first winning streak of the season. The Spurs once again used lockdown defense to hold the Wizards below 100 points.
Derrick White had a season high 24 points and the Spurs picked up their first win of the season when falling into a double digit hole.
Commonalities in the Spurs' 2-game winning streak
It's just two wins, but that's a big deal for a Spurs team that hadn't been able to do that so far this season. Commonalities on offense and defense are analyzed from the Spurs' victories over the Boston Celtics and Wizards in the episode.
Jakob Poeltl being back, Dejounte Murray and Derrick White each averaging over 20 points in the last two games, and Keita Bates-Diop starting are also reasons why the team has been finding success lately.
The Backup Center Position
So far this season the backup center position has been between Drew Eubanks and Thaddeus Young. While both players have been averaging similar minutes per game, Eubanks has played in all 19 games while Young sat out three games earlier in the season due to a decision by the coaching staff.
The play of both players is discussed in the episode and the roles each player has on the team. In the event Young is traded at some point during the season, some teams with trade exceptions or cap space large enough to absorb his salary are discussed in the episode.
The Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans, and Orlando Magic all have large enough trade exceptions to absorb Young's $14.1 million salary. The Oklahoma City Thunder can open cap space to take in Young's salary by renouncing their trade exceptions.

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In Spurscast episode 639, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses the latest San Antonio Spurs topics:

The Spurs going 1-3 in their last four games against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, and Boston Celtics

Can the Spurs get back to a Top 10 defensive level?

Tre Jones’ start to Year 2

Keldon Johnson’s improved 3-point shooting

1-3 in Last 4 GamesThe San Antonio Spurs snapped their 6-game losing streak Friday with a close win against the Boston Celtics. In the episode, the Spurs' losses to the Timberwolves, Suns, and Hawks are discussed, as well as the surprising win against Boston.
The Spurs are now 5-13 through 18 games. They're 3.5 games behind the Timberwolves in the standings for 10th out West and in 5th for the best lottery odds.
Doug McDermott and Devin Vassell's recent injuries are also discussed in the episode.
Can the defense get back to a Top 10 level?During their 6-game losing streak, the Spurs' defense had started to slip, allowing opponents to score over 110 points in 5 of those 6 games.
The Spurs showed on one night Friday against the Celtics they can become a Top 10 defense, after they held the Celtics to just 88 points.
The defense through 18 games is analyzed by where the Spurs are elite, where they're average, and where they're bottom 10 and need to improve to get back to a Top 10 level.
Tre Jones' Start to Year 2Tre Jones' start to his second year of his career is discussed. While Jones is known for his defense, he's been very efficient with his shot selection in the paint and he's making those paint shots at a very accurate number early in the season.
Keldon Johnson's Improvement from 3-Point RangeWhile his attempts are still low, Keldon Johnson has drastically improved his 3-point accuracy. He's now making 39% of his attempts from outside, which is the second most accurate number on the team among rotation players.
This is also shown in the wide-open 3s data. 70% of Johnson's 3-point attempts were attempted wide open at one point during the season. Now, that number is down to just 55% of his attempts being attempted wide open.

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In Spurscast episode 638, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs founder Michael De Leon discuss the latest with the San Antonio Spurs:

The San Antonio Spurs going 0-2 in Los Angeles against the Lakers and Clippers.

Dejounte Murray’s strong start to the season, despite the team’s struggles.

The Spurs’ 3-point shooting through 14 games, and why the amount they’re getting outscored by from outside is very concerning.

0-2 in Los Angeles
The San Antonio Spurs' losing streak extended to three after two losses in a row in Los Angeles Sunday against the Lakers, and Tuesday against the Clippers.
The Spurs are now 4-10 through 14 games and while they are struggling, they're still just two games behind the Sacramento Kings in the standings for the 10th seed. Getting the 10th seed would put the Spurs in the play-in game.
Jakob Poeltl and Jock Landale's injury statuses are also discussed in the episode.
Dejounte Murray's Strong Start to the Season
Dejounte Murray is leading the Spurs in scoring, collecting assists, deflections, steals, and defensive rebounds.
While different players on the team have had a number of games where they've struggled, Murray has been the most consistent player for San Antonio and he's even become their go-to player in crunch time.
Murray's 14 games to start the season are discussed in the episode, as well as a model that shows he's playing like an All-Star to begin the season.
If the team success doesn't improve, making the All-Star team will be tough for Murray even if he has similar numbers by the time All-Star voting takes place.
Concerning Sign From Outside
Last season the Spurs were outscored by 507 points from the 3-point line. Despite winning the 2-point battle and free throw line last season, the Spurs ended up being a -125 overall for the season.
With the team being 29th in 3-point attempts this season, a similar trend is starting to develop. The Spurs are winning the 2-point battle right now by 96 points. But, they're losing the 3-point line by 84 points and the free-throw line by 25 points.
Unlike last season with DeMar DeRozan, they're like to lose the free-throw line battle this season.
80% of their losses this season have been when they lose the 3-point line in the game. That is a concerning sign considering only 14 games have taken place and the team is already seeing another big gap in 3-point scoring.

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In Spurscast episode 637, host Paul Garcia discusses the latest San Antonio Spurs topics:

The Spurs going 2-2 in their last four games against the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Sacramento Kings, and Dallas Mavericks

The team offense and defense through twelve games

Derrick White’s struggles on offense

Should there be a change to the starting lineup?

2-2 in Last Four Games
The Spurs went 2-2 since the last Spurscast episode, defeating the Magic by 13, losing to the Thunder by 5, defeating the Kings by 19, and then falling to the Mavericks by 14.
The Team Through 12 Games
Through 12 games, the Spurs are closer to a league-average offense and defense. The Spurs are 14th on offense scoring 1.073 points per possession and 15th on defense allowing 1.066 points per possession.
Some areas on offense where the Spurs are in the Top-10 are fast-break scoring, limiting turnovers, pace, ball movement, taking and making shots from the floater range, and scoring in the paint. They've also improved their 3-point accuracy to 8th among teams in the league.
Some areas on offense where the Spurs are in the Bottom-10 on offense are getting to the free-throw line and attempting 3-pointers.
On defense, the Spurs are Top-10 in not putting opponents on the free-throw line, not allowing many fast break points, forcing turnovers with steals, scoring off turnovers, and limiting opponent accuracy near the rim.
The Spurs have found themselves in the Bottom-10 on defense in allowing teams to get many shot attempts at the rim and teams are able to avoid taking many shots from the non-restricted area and mid-range against the Spurs' defense.
Derrick White's Struggles on Offense
White has had a tough last three games offensively, shooting 3-of-21 overall for 7 total points. For the season he's averaging 10.8 points on 10.3 shot attempts. His 3-point accuracy has dropped, but he's still moving the ball well on the team.
In the episode, White's shooting numbers are analyzed. While his finishing near the rim is still efficient, it's his shots from the floater range that are really having an impact on his shooting accuracy, along with his outside shot.
One good sign for White is that through these struggles, he's still making 46% of his wide open 3-pointers. The problem though is defenses are only letting him get 52% of his 3-pointers wide open.
Defensively, White continues to be one of the standout players on the team. He really pops out in defensive field goal percentage, contested shots, and blocks among his teammates.
Should There be a Starting Lineup Change?
In the episode, a starting lineup change is explored. The Spurs only got 7 games with Jakob Poeltl before he had to go into health and safety protocols. Because of the limited time with Poeltl, Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich may not want to make a starting lineup change until he sees a larger sample size with Poeltl and the other four starters.
If White were to go to the bench, Devin Vassell would likely be the next player to move into the starting lineup. If this happened, more responsibility would fall on Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson to have to create for the offense, since White is the second primary ball-handler on the team.
Looking at different data points, a starting lineup change with Vassell in for White is explored.
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Every week, we'll host an "open mic" on Twitter Spaces to talk about some of the latest San Antonio Spurs topics.
For our second episode yesterday, Michael De Leon and Evan Townsend talked about the Spurs lack of playing time for Joshua Primo and Jock Landale, who we just learned will be sidelined due to health and safety protocols.
We also previewed this week's slate of games.
Be sure to check back every week for the next open mic. You can listen in live or join in on the conversation.

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Bonus episode - On this weekend's episode of Sweep the League Radio, Project Spurs staffer Rocky Garza Jr. talked about the latest with the San Antonio Spurs, including the cries for rookies Joshua Primo and Jock Landale not getting playing time.
Former NBA player Derrick Gervin says Primo is ready for the NBA now and should learn "in the fire" and also had a few things to say about Jakob Poeltl.

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In Spurscast episode 636, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer John Diaz discuss:

The Spurs going 1-3 in their last four games against the Dallas Mavericks (twice), Milwaukee Bucks, and Indiana Pacers

Jakob Poeltl out due to Health and Safety Protocols

The team offense and defense through eight games

Players averaging double figures in scoring

The early numbers from the Spurs’ struggles in crunch time

1-3 in Last 4 Games
Since the last Spurscast episode, the Spurs have gone 1-3 in their last four games. Going back to last Thursday, they lost a close game in Dallas to the Mavericks after San Antonio jumped out to a 20 point lead. Then on Saturday they went into the home of the defending champion Bucks and defeated Milwaukee. Two nights later in Indiana, the Spurs suffered their worst loss of the season, getting blown out by Indiana by as many as 26 points, though the final score was a 13 point loss for San Antonio. Finally, the Spurs lost another close game to Dallas, this time at home in the AT&T Center.
The team is now 2-6 through eight games to start the season, with six of of their games being close and going down to the wire.
Poeltl Out
The Spurs announced Wednesday Jakob Poeltl would be out due to Health and Safety protocols. Poeltl has been averaging 14 points per game and he is the team's interior defensive anchor. Poeltl is expected to miss a few games.
Team Offense and Defense Through 8 Games
The Spurs rank 17th on offense and 14th on defense through eight games. In the episode, their Top 10 and Bottom 10 stats on offense and defense are discussed to see which stats are likely going to be a strength or weakness for the team all season, and which are just noise from early sample sizes that will eventually regress.
Individual Double Figure Scoring Leaders
Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Poeltl, Derrick White, Devin Vassell, and Lonnie Walker IV are all averaging more than 10 points per game. Each player is discussed with observations and notes on each end of the floor in the episode.
Early Look at Crunch Time Struggles
The Spurs have been in six games that have gone down to the last five minutes, with the team ahead or behind by five points. Those six games are the second most in the NBA as of Thursday afternoon during those clutch situations.
The Spurs are struggling in those clutch situations with a 1-5 record. The team numbers and players who log the most minutes in those situations are analyzed in one conversation of the episode.

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John, Jonas and Michael are back to talk about the Austin Spurs and what we are looking forwaed to with the upcoming season, which will not be played in the gubble.
We also talk about seeing a hefty bit of minutes for Spurs rookie Joshua Primo and the Austin Spurs' new head coach, whose name we will pronounce correctly at some point this season.
For more Austin Spurs coverage, visit http://spursonsixth.com and https://projectspurs.com.

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Every week, we'll host an "open mic" on Twitter Spaces to talk about some of the latest San Antonio Spurs topics.
For our first episode yesterday, we talked about the Spurs newly-unveiled city edition jerseys and immediate reactions to the release.
We also previewed last night's game between the Spurs and Indiana Pacers.
Be sure to check back every week for the next open mic. You can listen in live or join in on the conversation.

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In Spurscast episode 635, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs founder Michael De Leon discuss the latest San Antonio Spurs topics:

The Spurs’ last three losses to the Nuggets, Bucks, and Lakers

The team offense and defense through four games

Individual players through four games

The Last 3 Losses
The San Antonio Spurs are 1-3 to begin the 2021-2022 season. Since the last Spurcast episode, the Spurs have gone 0-3 with losses to the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Los Angeles Lakers.
Though the team lost each game, they showed they can compete with some of the top teams. With less than five minutes left on the clock in each of these games, the Spurs were within at least two possessions of their opponents.
In the case of their most recent loss the Lakers, the Spurs had a chance to win the game in regulation, and they could have taken the lead late in overtime.
The Offense and Defense through Four games
Through four games, the Spurs are 11th on offense and 15th on defense. While the sample size is still very small with just four games, some of the areas where the Spurs stand out on each end of the floor should hold for the season.
Some areas where the Spurs are excelling early on offense are fast break scoring, moving the ball, and attacking the paint. Areas that are concerning on offense early on is the team having trouble getting to the free throw line, the three point volume, and three point accuracy.
Some areas on defense where the Spurs are showing strengths is in opponent free throw rate, opponent turnover percentage, steals, and scoring off opponent turnovers.
A cause for concern on defense is how often and how much teams are scoring close to the rim in the paint.
Individual Players through 4 Games
Individual players discussed in the episode are Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl, Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker IV, Derrick White, Devin Vassell, and Doug McDermott.

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In Spurscast episode 634, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss the latest San Antonio Spurs topics:

The Spurs’ opening night blowout of the Magic

Al-Farouq Aminu being waived

Lonnie Walker IV not signing a contract extension

Thaddeus Young remaining on the team

Blowout on Opening Night
The San Antonio Spurs opened the 2021-2022 regular season with a 26-point blowout of the Orlando Magic.
In the episode, Collin and I discuss some observations from the team offense, defense, and individual players who scored in double figures in the opening game.
Al-Farouq Aminu Waived
On Monday the Spurs waived Al-Farouq Aminu to get their roster down to the maximum of 15 players on guaranteed contracts. The Spurs will now have Aminu's $10.1 million salary on their cap sheet for the remainder of this season.
No Extension for Lonnie Walker IV
Monday came and went with the Spurs and Walker IV not reaching an agreement on a contract extension. This coming summer the Spurs will be able to tender Walker IV a $6.3 million qualifying offer to make him a restricted free agent.
With only a handful of teams projected to have cap space this season, will Walker IV have a breakout season and get more than the mid-level exception from other teams this summer?
Thaddeus Young Remains on Team
Young's name has been mentioned in a few trade rumors this offseason, but after the October 18 deadline passed, Young remains on the team.
The San Antonio Spurs now have until the February 10 deadline to find a trade for Young, if not, he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Young didn't play in the opening game of the season. When asked why Young didn't play, Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich said though Young didn't play Wednesday, he'll remain ready.
Spurs add Devontae Cacok on a two-way deal
The Spurs claimed Devontae Cacok off the waiver list and then converted his contract to a two-way contract. With Cacok now on the team, the Spurs' roster is full with 15 players on guaranteed contracts and two players on two-way contracts.
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In Spurscast episode 633, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein discuss the latest San Antonio Spurs News.

Luka Samanic getting waived

More observations from the preseason

Notes and roster updates

Luka Samanic waivedMonday the San Antonio Spurs waived 2019 first-round draftee Luka Samanic. While on paper the move seemed a bit surprising since Samanic was still just 21 years old and on his rookie scale contract, the eye test said differently.
Samanic wasn't one of the Spurs' primary options at the 4 in three of the team's four preseason games, and with the team needing to trim the roster by October 18, roster cuts were going to be needed.
Samanic will still get his $2.9 million salary for this season and other teams have until Wednesday to claim him off the league's waiver list.
If a team claims Samanic off the waiver list, then he would be an active player on their roster and the Spurs would no longer be responsible for his salary this season.
More observations from the preseasonThe Spurs fell to the Miami Heat Friday in the preseason and then defeated the Orlando Magic Sunday.
The rotations have consistently looked like Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich will start Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, Doug McDermott, and Jakob Poeltl. Off the bench, Popovich has been staggering the minutes of Murray and White, and having Bryn Forbes, Lonnie Walker IV, Devin Vassell, and Drew Eubanks as the second unit.
The offense and defense are analyzed in the conversation, with notes on the Spurs not playing as fast as they said they were going to do in training camp. The Spurs currently rank 27th among 30 teams in pace this preseason.
Notes and Roster UpdatesThe Spurs are now less than 10 days from having to waive or trade one more player to get their roster down to the league maximum of 15 players on guaranteed contracts.
Al-Farouq Aminu and Keita Bates-Diop are discussed as being players who might get waived or traded with the October 18 deadline approaching.

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In Spurscast episode 632, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Stephen Michael discuss the latest San Antonio Spurs topics:

Rotations, the offense, and defense in the first two preseason games

Observations on some players

Notes and roster updates

Rotations
In the first preseason game against Utah, Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich used a starting lineup of Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Keldon Johnson, Doug McDermott, and Jakob Poeltl.
Off the bench, he staggered the minutes of Murray and White, then had Bryn Forbes, Lonnie Walker IV, Devin Vassell, and Drew Eubanks as the second unit.
Stephen and I discuss if Murray and White will have their minutes staggered during the season to make sure one of them is always on the floor, or if this was because Tre Jones was out due to injury for the first two preseason games.
The Offense and Defense
In their first two preseason games, the Spurs are starting to get closer to modern basketball with an increase in 3-point volume and decrease in mid-range attempts.
Here are some early numbers from the Spurs' first preseason games and last season:
% of shots in paint: 49% today vs 49% last season
% of shots from three: 37% today vs 31% last season
% of shots from mid-range: 14% today vs 20% last season
While it's only been two preseason games, the shot selection of the team is something to keep an eye on considering the difference in 3-point scoring was the main weakness last season for the team.
The Spurs' goal of playing faster was present in the game against Utah, but that wasn't the case against Detroit with Murray out and new players in the lineups.
Stephen and I have a conversation about the pace and some of the offensive and defensive numbers the team is showing in preseason.
Individual Player Observations
Some players discussed in the episode from the preseason are Murray, Johnson, McDermott, Forbes, Walker IV, Eubanks, Vassell, Jock Landale, Josh Primo, and Luka Samanic.
Notes and Roster Updates
Zach Collins' return to the court is discussed, as well as some roster updates the Spurs made and will be making with regards to the Austin Spurs.
A Thaddeus Young-Phoenix Suns trade rumor is also explored in the episode.

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In Spurscast episode 631, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs founder Michael De Leon discuss the latest San Antonio Spurs topics, including:

Media Day

Training Camp

Zach Lowe’s mega Spurs article

Media Day and Training Camp
At the San Antonio Spurs' media day Monday, one of the key topics that came up from Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich and some players was the Spurs playing faster this season.
With veterans DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills, and Rudy Gay now gone, the Spurs' core is now made up of a lot of young, quick, and athletic players. The Spurs want to use their speed to their advantage and get up and down the court this season with an increase in pace and frequency of possessions in transition.
Last year the Spurs were league average in pace and 22nd in frequency of plays in transition per CleaningTheGlass.com.
Coach Popovich also mentioned at media day how he's excited to see how the young players handle close game situations. With DeRozan gone, who will now be the closer late in games? What plays will the team run down the stretch?
In some other interview nuggets, Jakob Poeltl made it sound like the main creators on offense will be Dejounte Murray and Derrick White.
Poeltl also said he wants to help on offense by providing more scoring to the team.
Jock Landale noted that so far Poeltl and Drew Eubanks have been ahead in the rotation at the five position.
Keldon Johnson mentioned how he's been working on his outside shot for this coming season.
Zach Lowe's mega Spurs article
Earlier this week, Zach Lowe of ESPN dove deep into the Spurs for this upcoming season and beyond.
Lowe mentioned how it's unknown when Popovich will retire and he wrote about a few of the names he hears most often as the next Spurs head coach when Popovich retires.
Lowe also provided some rumors regarding Ben Simmons, the Spurs' young core players, Thaddeus Young, and Jaren Jackson Jr.

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In Spurscast episode 630, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Josh Paredes discuss the latest San Antonio Spurs topics:

Manu Ginobili joining the team in a Special Advisor role

Upcoming training camp questions

The latest update on Ben Simmons refusing to attend training camp with the Philadelphia 76ers

Manu Ginobili joins the team in a Special Advisor role
Friday the San Antonio Spurs announced multiple staff additions and promotions, and in the announcement, the team said Manu Ginobili would be joining the club as a Special Advisor to Basketball Operations.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Ginobili will work in a player-centric role to focus on and off the court in helping the young players develop.
Wojnarowski also reported Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich, Spurs Sports & Entertainment CEO R.C. Buford, and General Manager Brian Wright have been trying to get Ginobili to rejoin the franchise is some sort of role since his retirement a few years ago.
In the episode, Josh and I discuss what benefits we think Ginobili can help the young players with on and off the court.
Training Camp Questions
Training camp for the 2021-2022 season will officially kick off Tuesday. The Spurs so far are heading into training camp with 18 players on the roster, though they can still add up to two more players for training camp and the preseason.
With 17 players on guaranteed contracts, San Antonio will have to either waive or trade two players by October 18, when the NBA requires teams to have just 15 players on guaranteed contracts.
Some questions Josh and I discuss in the episode are:

Who starts at the power forward position?

Who will be the backup point guard?

Will Luka Samanic get a rotation role this season?

Who will be the backup center between Drew Eubanks and Jock Landale?

Which two players will be waived or traded by October 18?

Ben Simmons to sit out training camp
This past week Wojnarowski reported Ben Simmons won't be showing up to training camp with the Philadelphia 76ers and he's refusing to play future games with the team.
With the Spurs being one of the teams who reportedly had interest in Simmons, Josh and I talk about the latest report regarding Simmons.

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The San Antonio Spurs currently have 18 players under contract when including Joe Wieskamp's two-way deal. This means the Spurs can still add up to two more players for training camp and the preseason.
Benjamin Bornstein and Jonas Clark talk about Austin Spurs players or players that played for the Spurs during Summer League that could end up on the training camp roster. Training camp kicks off next week with the preseason schedule soon to follow.
Ben and Jonas mention names like Nate Renfro, Kenny Williams, Kaleb Johnson and Khyri Thomas among others.
Note: This was recorded prior to Petar Božić being named head coach of the Austin Spurs.

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In Spurscast episode 629, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writers Benjamin Bornstein and Jonas Clark discuss the latest San Antonio Spurs topics:

Players with Austin Spurs who might get a training camp invite

Austin Spurs players who may end up getting the vacant two-way roster spot

Who will replace Matt Nielsen as the Austin Spurs’ Head Coach?

Players with Austin Spurs who might get a training camp invite
The San Antonio Spurs currently have 18 players under contract when including Joe Wieskamp's two-way deal. This means the Spurs can still add up to two more players for training camp and the preseason.
In the episode, there's a conversation regarding players with Austin Spurs experience who might get training camp invites for the San Antonio team.
The Spurs' roster though will have to be set at 15 players on full NBA deals and two two-way players by October 18, after the conclusion of the preseason.
Austin Spurs players who may end up getting the vacant two-way roster spot
Now that Keita Bates-Diop has signed a full NBA contract, the Spurs have an open two-way roster spot available. There's a discussion in the episode regarding players who have Austin Spurs experience that would be good candidates for the Spurs' open two-way roster spot.
Who will replace Matt Nielsen as the Austin Spurs’ Head Coach?
In early September, the San Antonio Spurs announced Matt Nielsen, who was the head coach of the Austin Spurs, had been hired as an assistant coach with the San Antonio organization.
With Nielsen now in San Antonio, the question becomes who will replace him as the Austin head coach? The podcast discussion looks at a few G-League coaching candidates that can take over in Austin.
Another note to watch is if the new G-League head coach for Austin will be someone who is able to help Wieskamp and possibly Joshua Primo develop, in the event San Antonio sends Primo to Austin during the regular season.

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In Spurscast episode 628, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss:

The Spurs waiving Chandler Hutchison

The Spurs re-signing Keita Bates-Diop

More roster moves that need to be made by the team before opening night of the regular season

Chandler Hutchison waivedLast Saturday the San Antonio Spurs waived Chandler Hutchison and they kept his $4 million salary on their books for this coming season.
With the team needing to get the roster down to 15 players and two two-way players by October 18, plus Hutchison being in the final year of his contract, the roster move wasn't too surprising.
Keita Bates-Diop re-signsTuesday the Spurs re-signed Keita Bates-Diop, who was on a two-way contract with the team last season. Bates-Diop's new deal is for two years at the veteran minimum, with the second year being non-guaranteed.
Bates-Diop will likely be third on the depth chart at small forward behind Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell.
With Bates-Diop re-signed, the team now has 17 players on guaranteed contracts. The team will have to get the roster down to 15 players on guaranteed deals by October 18, 2021.
Bates-Diop on the team also puts the Spurs up to 18 total players on contracts when Joe Wieskamp's two-way deal is included. This means the team can still invite two-players to training camp.
More roster moves that need to be waivedAs mentioned above, the Spurs now need to either waive or trade two players by October 18.
Thaddeus Young's name has been mentioned in trade rumors already. The Boston Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans, and Orlando Magic all have trade exceptions large enough to absorb Young's $14.1 million contract.
The Oklahoma City Thunder could also absorb Young's contract by opening cap space. The Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly have interest in Young, though San Antonio would have to acquire players to trade Young to either Cleveland or Phoenix.
Though there's no reporting that the Spurs are looking to trade or waive Al-Farouq Aminu, his $10.1 million contract is discussed in the episode.
Teams that have large enough trade exceptions to absorb Aminu's contract are the Pelicans, Celtics, Magic, Nets, and Mavericks.

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