The San Antonio Spurs occupy a space that other NBA teams envy: they are good enough to compete right now, while simultaneously having a profusion of young talent that could evolve into a championship-caliber core in the near-ish future.
It's a fun place to be for fans who can daydream about the future, although it leads to a question about how the Spurs will operate in the present. Will they go all-in on 2025-26, and give big minutes to veterans Harrison Barnes, Kelly Olynyk, Jordan McLaughlin, and Keldon Johnson (I know it's weird to call Keldon a veteran, [but he is entering year seven](https://airalamo.com/spurs-have-made-their-stance-keldon-johnson-crystal-clear))? Or will they fully [embrace the youth](https://airalamo.com/carter-bryant-only-one-force-spurs-trade-keldon-johnson) movement and let Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Carter Bryant, and Jeremy Sochan run wild to basically see what they've got next to Wemby and De'Aaron Fox?
It probably won't take Mitch Johnson long to answer that question. If Dylan Harper is the first guy off the bench on October 22nd when the Spurs take on the Mavericks, you might already have an answer. If Carter Bryant gets any playing time in the first few months of the season, that will also be a sign the Spurs are confident in what they have — and are willing to work through the roadblocks that rookies in the NBA all experience.
Can the Spurs compete now while still developing talent?
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This is the age-old question. The "two timelines" debate, as it were. Can the Spurs stay in the postseason hunt in Wemby's third season while still making sure Harper, Bryant, and (depending on who you ask) Sochan are getting the necessary reps to ensure they maximize their talent?
I think so. Giving Harper backup point guard minutes, Sochan minutes at... whatever position he ends up fitting best at... and giving Carter spot minutes throughout the year isn't going to derail any attempts to win _now._ Sure, there will be bumps along the way, and maybe the Spurs lose some minutes when they roll out super young lineups, but there's enough guaranteed production from Wemby, Fox, and Devin Vassell that lineups with the rooks in them aren't going to be full-blown disasters.
This roster is almost perfectly balanced between experience and upside. At point guard, De'Aaron Fox will lead the charge, so any production from Dylan Harper is a bonus. At power forward, Harrison Barnes is there to rescue Carter Bryant if things get a little dicey. I know fans want to see the youngsters take over this team and lead the Spurs into the future — and that will happen soon, do not fret — but it's reassuring to have some training wheels on this bike in the meantime.