The San Antonio Spurs have been intentional about not burning through their collection of draft assets too quickly while building [a contending team around Victor Wembanyama](https://airalamo.com/san-antonio-spurs-victor-wembanyama-facing-surprising-make-or-break-season-injury-conversations-joel-embiid-greg-oden). If they continue implementing this approach, it's going to keep them on the fast track to becoming a real playoff contender sooner rather than later.
To some, this may be surprising because it's not been the typical method of building a contender that we've seen over the years and over the decades in the NBA. But in the modern age where financial flexibility is as limited for every team as it's ever been due to the first and second tax aprons, this is going to be the correct tactic.
Often in the past, teams have stored up draft picks but quickly burned them in order to make a big move for a marquee player. But the correct approach in the modern age is going to be mirroring the Oklahoma City Thunder and using your various draft picks to select players you believe can immediately become part of your rotation.
To this point in the Wembanyama era, that's largely what we've seen San Antonio do, with a few small exceptions. If they continue down this path, it's going to give them a much better window of opportunity than the alternative.
Adding low-cost rookie contracts should be the Spurs' goal
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Imagine the Spurs went out and got a couple of fringe All-Star level talents, but they had to burn half their future draft picks to do so. What that's quickly going to turn into is not having nearly as much future flexibility because of the big contracts you're going to end up having to take on when you agree to sign said players.
All of a sudden, your front office is strapped for cash and now having to worry about even bigger deals for those players down the line. Instead of taking this route, the Spurs should be focused on drafting well.
If you do that, then you're in a situation where you have much more manageable rookie contracts on your books that make team-building so much easier. It's the easy choice for a Spurs front office trying their best to make a bunch of moving pieces work.
De'Aaron Fox is the expensive, veteran guy on this squad, [and that contract is hefty](https://airalamo.com/spurs-unquestionably-have-rich-paul-thank-deaaron-fox-problem). San Antonio should continue focusing on adding low-cost contracts moving forward, and they'll be in an excellent position to be back in the playoffs soon.