Anthony Edwards has stated his case as the best shooting guard in the league with stellar play for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who dispatched Durant and the Phoenix Suns in four games. MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the top seed in the Western Conference and made quick work of the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round.
Returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, the young Thunder represent a promising roadmap for a Spurs fanbase hungry for postseason relevance in the midst of the longest playoff drought in franchise history. After acquiring Gilgeous-Alexander and a slew of draft picks via trade in 2019, the Thunder continued to stack picks and connected on Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, who both placed second for Rookie of the Year honors.
San Antonio holds two lottery picks in next month’s draft and, with Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama ready to win now, should be looking to bolster their backcourt. Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham or Nikola Topic from Serbia could be available to the Spurs at the fourth pick. Although Topic feels like the most Spursian selection, a knee injury back in January is a cause for concern. UConn’s Stephon Castle and G League Ignite swingman Ron Holland offer intriguing options if available with the eighth pick.
Despite online speculation linking veteran guards like Trae Young and Chris Paul to the Spurs, NBA pundits suggests that barring an uncharacteristic trade, San Antonio will likely run it back with eyes toward next season’s strong draft.
During end-of-season interviews, prior to San Antonio’s 123-95 close-out win over the Pistons, Spurs shooting guard Devin Vassell spoke optimistically about next season and his faith in a franchise facing another rebuilding year.
“They’ve helped me develop so much and I know that they have a plan for the team,” Vassell said. “We want to win. We want to get back to being a championship team. I know I trust them. I trust this organization and I’m ready for whatever comes with it.”
Wembanyama echoed that sentiment.
“At any point, I never thought I wasn’t in the best situation; I wasn’t in the best place,” said Wembanyama, who recently joined the likes of David Robinson and Ralph Sampson in becoming a unanimous Rookie of the Year winner. “Of course, I wish we were in the playoffs. I wish I didn’t lose 60 games. Of course. But, as much as it’s hard today, I know it’s for the long term, and I trust my teammates 100 percent, and I trust the project, so my confidence was never shaken at any point.”
After a late-season surge that included seven wins over their last 11 games including victories over the New York Knicks and Nuggets, expectations remain high for the youthful Spurs. When asked what would constitute a successful season in his second NBA campaign Wembanyama made it clear that he would prefer to play past April.
“Now that it’s more clear, of course I don’t want next season to stop so early,” said the rookie, who exceeded all expectations this season except his own. “I want to keep going; go to the playoffs. There’s so many details and so many little things to do from the first game of the season. We’re not gonna build something great by saying we want to win a championship or go to the playoffs. It’s set a new brick every day and then we’ll build a house.”
Next up for Wembanyama are the Olympics in Paris, where he’ll suit up for Les Bleus to take on Team USA. Following a debut season where he was listed as the third-most viewed player on NBA social media platforms globally, just behind James and Curry, it’s clear Wembanyama will continue to expand his reach both on and off the court.
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