The Spurs stood pat at second and 14th in the draft and selected Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant. Are you fine with that, or would you have liked them to be more aggressive in the trade market with their picks?
Marilyn Dubinski: I’m perfectly fine with it. They clearly showed how much they valued Dylan Harper considering they (rightfully) wouldn’t even include the 2nd pick in trade talks for Kevin Durant, and while it sounds like they were willing to float the 14th out there, someone they valued fell right into their laps at that pick regardless, so a trade up or out wasn’t even necessary. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with how they handled the first round of the draft, and I’m glad they stuck to the timeline and didn’t overpay for an older, often-injured player.
Mark Barrington: Picking Harper with the second was such an obvious choice that I really can’t think of much to say about it, except that I’m glad the Spurs didn’t try to get too smart with it. I think the 14th pick was also a no-brainer once Carter Bryant fell to the Spurs. That was the player they were trying to trade up to get, and somehow they managed to get him without having to trade anything. Brian Wright was probably sweating a bit after Cedric Coward was picked 11th, but with the Noah Essengue and Derik Queen as the next two picks, the Silver and Black ended up with a player who fit their needs and timeline perfectly. As a Longhorn, I was kind of hoping that the Spurs would have traded up to get Tre Johnson, because a shot creator like that would fit anywhere, but it’s unlikely they could have pulled that off without mortgaging their future pretty heavily, which didn’t seem necessary for a team already packed with talented guards, albeit with none of them with the offensive talent of Johnson.
Jesus Gomez: I think the Spurs made the right decision with the second overall pick. That’s the type of asset you only trade for a superstar, and with Giannis not asking out of Milwaukee, there were none available. As for the 14th pick, there just weren’t many good, realistic targets. Teams like the Nets or Hawks also had multiple picks, so opponents had other trade partners. I would have liked to see Brian Wright move it for a future first, but I can also understand why the market wasn’t there for it, and Carter Bryan was too enticing to pass up.
Luke Kornet is a Spur. Is he worth most of the MLE? Did you have another target in mind?
Dubinski: The market really wasn’t loaded with notable centers, and the few big names that were available, like Myles Turner, were looking for a payday and/or a starting job. While Deandre Ayton was a surprise addition to the market after Portland waived him, his high-talent but low-motor play plus poor attitude does not make him Spurs material. The only other name I was really eyeing was Brook Lopez (who was a college teammate of Mitch Johnson), and while he would have fit in well as a stretch big next to Wemby, he may have been looking for a guaranteed starting role. Plus, I can see why the Spurs are more attracted to Kornet being 8 years younger. Overall, I had those two as my 1a and 1b (in no order), so I’m fine with the signing, and with today’s CBA, almost any decent vet who’s happy with a long-term deal for just $10 million per season is worth it.
Barrington: He’s a great fit for the Spurs' needs, so I don’t think it was a huge overpay. In his eighth season, he’s a bit of a late bloomer in NBA terms, but he’s been coming into his own the last couple of years as a solid rim protector, and he has enough of an offensive presence to keep teams from ignoring him. I think the Spurs are paying him about the market for a player of his skill level.
Oddly enough, before the Kornet signing, I was interested in signing Luka Garza, who was eventually signed by Boston as Kornet’s replacement. Garza would have been cheaper, while Kornet is much more of a proven commodity. I’m not unhappy with how things played out.
Gomez: I like Kornet on the contract he signed, mostly because the fourth year is a team option. He’s a good player and exactly what San Antonio needed. Yabusele would have been good, and I feel it’s almost criminal that such a Spurs-y player as Al Horford has not worn Silver and Black, but I’m fine with Kornet.
Will you be happy if the Spurs finish the season with the current roster, or do you want a big addition before next summer?
Dubinski: It’s hard not to get excited about accelerating the timeline with a big splash trade, but the Spurs are right to wait for the right time and player. I understand them feeling Durant wasn’t on their timeline, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re keeping their eyes on Milwaukee and Giannis Antetokounmpo while all that plays out. Even if a big move doesn’t happen this season, I still believe this is a team that should make the playoffs *if healthy, so if this is the roster they have going into the season, I’m fine with it.
Barrington: I don’t think that the Spurs will sign a superstar, just because there isn’t any way to make the salary work without moving a lot of players that the Spurs are still developing and haven’t yet hit their peak. I mean, it won’t be too disappointing if the Spurs move one or both of Blake Wesley or Malaki Branham, because even though I like both players, I don’t see them getting onto the court much next season. But those players don’t move the needle much salary-wise and don’t have a ton or trade value, so any trade involving them wouldn’t change things much. I’ve seen fans who really want to move Devin Vassell, but I think a lot of them undervalue his contributions to the team. I can see the Spurs picking up some utility players in free agency, but no big names this off-season. Now, if I turn out to be wrong on this, it could be very interesting.
Gomez: I’d love a big addition, but the free agency process has shown that most teams are playing it safe as they navigate the new CBA landscape. There’s also inflation when it comes to deals involving draft picks, and I wouldn’t like to see the Spurs trading future capital for someone who doesn’t move the needle. That said, I’d like San Antonio to be opportunistic and be open to trades, because making the playoffs next season is the only acceptable outcome. If a big wing that represents a serious upgrade suddenly becomes available, I’d like the front office to go for it.