San Antonio Spurs 2024 NBA Offseason Preview: Victor Wembanyama takes center stage

Season 2023-24: 22-60

Highlight of the season: Played every minute by Victor Wembanyama.

How it ended

With dreams of more. The Wemby Show (patent pending) was worth more than 60 defeats, if only to cement him as the league's most exciting young star. It took a few months for Wembanyama to catch on, as he was prevented by a strange decision from the Spurs coaching staff to use Jeremy Sochan at point guard, Zach Collins at center and the rookie on the flank, with virtually no shots to create spacing to optimize.

It wasn't until point guard Tre Jones entered the starting lineup and Wembanyama moved to center that the rookie began to play very differently than a rookie. In 42 games starting with Jones, the 7-foot-4 sensation averaged 23.2 points, 11 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 3.9 blocks and 1.3 steals in just 29.8 minutes per game – one the most statistic production lines per minute anywhere in the league, not to mention a 20-year-old who isn't even allowed to buy a drink.

It wasn't all roses, as the records might attest. Sochan's impact was inconsistent, as was Keldon Johnson's defense and decision-making. Jones, for all the credit he deserves for unlocking Wembanyama, remained a poor shooter and an unaggressive goalscorer. The team relied far too heavily on players who wouldn't make the rotation on most teams, playing a total of over 3,500 minutes against Julian Champagnie, Cedi Osman and Blake Wesley.

As it stands, the Spurs really only have three goaltenders: Wembanyama, Devin Vassell — who has played admirably all year and has settled into the No. 2 role — and an unprotected 2025 first-round pick, courtesy of the team of the Atlanta Hawks, which could theoretically become star prospect Cooper Flagg if the Hawks have another disappointing season. It may seem cruel to rank an unknown draft pick over 13 NBA players, but that should speak volumes about the Spurs' talent level.

With the Spurs in the offseason, it's time for an assessment. Johnson has a great deal, making just $19 million next season and $17.5 million each of the next two years. This type of contract is particularly attractive to expensive teams, and the Spurs should be prepared to take calls while maintaining a high asking price. Cheap and productive players are valuable, and if they can play the wing position like Johnson, there is an additional premium.

Patience will be key for San Antonio going forward. It would be unwise to go in search of an older, complementary star player – even if Spurs can afford it – as their focus should be all about opening and maintaining as long a competitive window as possible with Wembanyama at the helm . That doesn't happen if they go out and sign a 28-year-old.

Greatest need off-season

The Spurs need two things above all else: shooting and playmaking. While it would be nice to add defense, it's unlikely they'll find a player that does all three and fits their schedule. Floor spacing and passing ability are the two most important elements to look at Wembanyama for the next decade.

Design focus

It is clear that Spurs need a playmaker and facilitator to give Wembanyama more touches on the ball. Serbian Nikola Topić averaged over six assists per game this season before his knee injury. Kentucky freshmen Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham are also two options, or the Spurs could make a move with UConn's Stephon Castle. —Krysten Peek

Projected draft picks (pre-lottery): No. 5, 35 and 46

Salary Cap Breakdown

The Spurs could be looking at over $30 million in player cap space, and that's only after Vassell and Collins' extensions take effect. Devonte' Graham only has $2.8 million guaranteed out of $12.6 million, meaning they will likely release him. Osman's $6.7 million contract also runs out of the cap, allowing the Spurs to become even more “restricted free agency trolls” in the summer.

San Antonio should make life difficult for the Toronto Raptors almost immediately by offering guard Immanuel Quickley a max or near-max contract. Toronto has rights to that effect, but this is a big contract to swallow and it will put a lot of money on the books in the long run. If the Raptors decide not to play, the Spurs will get a new point guard without giving up any trade assets. Should Quickley be retained, the Spurs should move on to Tyus Jones, Tre's older brother, and offer him a sizeable two-year deal that won't disrupt their long-term international roster.

Whatever San Antonio ends up doing, it's important that it doesn't panic. The future is simply too important to take major risks, especially in this near future.

Key free agents: None

The goal for next season

Significant progress. While other young teams are in no rush to improve because there is no clear star, Spurs can expect significant internal progress through Wembanyama and will need to flank him with a higher level of talent than they have so far this year. Remember, even if San Antonio improves a lot, the Atlanta pick will have no impact. So the Spurs could be in a much better situation in the win column and still receive a high lottery pick in 2025. If that's not an optimal situation, then what is?

What can move the imagination needle?

It's time to find a true point guard to work with Wembanyama. Tre Jones appears to be a solid replacement, but Spurs need to accelerate the development timeline after Wemby's historic rookie year. And please, no more Sochan experiments from Gregg Popovich. Also, let’s increase Wemby’s minutes past the 30-minute threshold. In more than 30 minutes this season, he averaged 22 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and an incredible five digs per game. – Dan Titus