Looking at the 15-man roster not much room at all:
PG: Castle/Paul/Jones
SG: Vassell/Branham/Wesley
SF: Keldon/Champagnie/Cissoko
PF: Sochan/Mamu/Bassey
C: Wemby/Collins
RFA offer: Duke (Mamu)
Out: Graham, Osman
2 Way? Ingram
I guess Bassey and Champagnie may be on the bubble as well. Branham and Wesley would be potential trade through ins, I assume we have to commit in October once again for their final year (2025-26) team option?
They could simply guarantee Graham and waive him. I believe they're over the cap then.
Or they use cap space to absorb salary with an asset and waive that player.
It's a tough call whether they sign a Batum who they'd cut. I've thought Osman wouldn't be back, but that may change.
Pretty funny how Branham and Wesley are basically buried in the bench at this point. Those bums will be out of the league in a year and a half
It was weird trying to slot the SG spot, but I figured Castle and even Keldon can slide over there.
We still seem to need help at backup SG if only Branham slots naturally there. SF is also an interesting situation as we hope Champagnie develops and Keldon remains on most’s trade bubble list. Cissoko and Ingram seem like possible solutions there but not in the short term.
People on this site are way too down on Blake Wesley.
I think he'll be ahead of Malaki in the rotation, especially with the improvements on defense and playmaking he made last season.
He was drafted as a (two-year) project which he's now heading into his important third year.
Needs the shooting to come along in a big way, though, to turn the corner to a mainstay in the rotation.
Last edited by J_Paco; 06-30-2024 at 10:03 PM.
Castle can conceivably slide over to SG, but in no way is Keldon Johnson a guard. He doesn't have the lateral quickness or foot speed to come close to playing or defending the position.
He's strictly a slightly undersized, combo forward.
Has no impact on Branham whatsoever and not sure why you'd think so. Wesley is another matter, but he should get run if he's still here.
Malaki and Wesley don't really play the same position and I think we'll see more of Malaki on the wing. IMO the team is high on Branham.
You are right, but Wesley can play either guard position. He also has far more potential as a defender & secondary playmaker than Malaki.
It seemed like Pop was down on Malaki more so than Blake at times last season. I'd like them to compete to play alongside Tre, unless a trade happens moving one or both.
I'll predict that Blake will be the one coming off the bench with Tre by season's end.
Last edited by J_Paco; 06-30-2024 at 10:22 PM.
I’m not a Branham Wesley hater but they don’t have a great outlook either unless they take major steps in 24-25
The Duke offer can still be a 2-way so we have one open roster spot at present on the assumption Graham is gone which seems a given in light of the Paul signing.
The real number watch I'm looking at is... (Assuming Keldon stays) What number will he and CP have??? lol! But on point, I do think another FA is coming here.
I didn't mean that you were a hater of either, but that many other ST'ers are, in my original post in this thread.
I completely agree that this is a huge year for both guys, especially with all the first-round picks likely coming through the door soon. Both guys need to improve substantially if they want a long-term spot on this roster, but I think fans are also too hard on both.
I was super high on Wesley, particularly the way he was playing right up to his knee injury.
I wrote a couple of paragraphs about him, but it occurs to me that having Paul on the team might be really really good for Blake. He has the physical gifts that if he can learn to draw fouls, he suddenly becomes an essential rotation player. We really might see Keldon, Blake and even Malaki learn from that little flopping .
I think I mention not being a hater, because many are. Now, it is easy to get frustrated and want to cut everyone buy Wemby, but when I vent that way it is only just that, venting. But we need to be realistic too. However, I keep in mind these are 19-20 year old kids and they draft above their production based on upside/development potential. Once we don't see it, time for sayonara.
That being said, I think we are in a weird spot with Branham and Wesley. If it works like last year, we have to pick up their final year option (2025-2026) this OCTOBER. It almost feels like dealing them for anything we could, is better than dealing with them at all.
But, I like Branham a bit better than Wesley at this point. First off, we are light on depth at SG. I also noted that Branham seems to be coming along and toughening up his play, even if it is slower than we hope. His 3 ball looks pretty straight to me though, and we know he has a midrange game even if he has been horribly inconsistent. Wesley, while I know he can pester on defense, not sure what his calling card on offense is ever going to be.
Wesley looked like he might have learned how to make a layup last year, not guaranteed decent percentage, but improved. Deep shooting not so much. Castle takes away his skillset as a defender.
Branham showed his inconsistency is real and defense a liability. Doubt he can hang on as a important piece of the rotation at PG, but we might well trade Keldon or Tre and that might keep him on the roster for another year (for development-)
Paul and Castle really shake up our guard situation and these guys are really on the bubble IMO.
Yeah, the PG minutes are going to dry up for Wesley and Branham as Paul/Castle/Tre are all going to get the majority of minutes at that position. And then you look at SG and you have Vassell will be getting 30+ minutes and probably Castle getting the remaining minutes.
So I think Pop will either front load minutes to Blake and Branham to show case them for a trade or maybe they break out and we keep one. Or, we wait until trade deadline and trade Paul to go chase a ring and then give Blake and Branham his minutes for remaining season.
The only other scenario would be that Keldon or Tre gets traded but for what is the question?
Branham is more natural as a wing at this point.
PG: Castle/Paul/Jones
SG: Vassell/Branham/Wesley
SF: DeRozan/Champagnie/Cissoko
PF: Markkanen/Mamu
C: Wembles/Bassey
2 open spots
Traded: Collins, Sochan, Keldon
It is the second offseason now that I am clamoring to waive Wesley. He is the worst net rating pairing with Wemby last year, you can get a G-League guard to defend his ass off and not blow up your offense.
Branham and Mamu deserves another year because they are positive players next to Wemby.
Champaigne and Bassey are keepers moreso because of the flexibility of their contracts.
I think that in the near future Spurs just use one of there own first picks to get a Center - I am probably thinking in 2026 when the team starts jelling and will be making it's probably first semi serious run in the playoffs. Not looking at a top 10 pick but somewhere in the 16 to 23 range and don't care if we have to move up by using second round picks.
If this idea is true, they made a major -up this year; they could have grabbed Edey at 8.
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