Might seem weird but "Let's just copy Tim Duncan's career" isn't a more sustainable path for a team to take around an NBA superstar than "Let's just copy Tom Brady's career" is for an NFL team to take around a QB. At best Brock Purdy is the closet thing we've seen in terms of immediate unheralded excellence bolstering a team with a championship core. Every other team that's won a Lombardi has had to do it a different way. The 99 Spurs were closer to the 2022-2023 Heat than to that version of the Spurs. To build that kind of core takes time and shouldn't be hand-waved as "what a good GM is supposed to do". The best recent analog I can think of for Wemby winning a le in "era 1" would be Wade in 2006. That would require the Spurs to do something like trading for Kawhi, Durant or Curry and making the right moves around them in terms of role-players. I don't see a realistic trade out there that can accomplish that. MAYBE if the Warriors completely collapse and they decide to cash out, the Spurs can win the bidding war to get him while having enough to put a team around them. But I assume he's entrenched, just like Butler, Durant and Leonard are.
For most teams, "era 2" is the best they can hope for to begin their le. That's where Denver and Milwaukee won their les. You need years of chemistry and growth. That's why there are gaps in between these les. Tim had to grow into the guy who could lead "era 2", and Parker and Manu had to age into "era 3" before finally senescing in "era 4". Yes, folks should realize that the Spurs aren't likely going to have running mates with Victor for more than a decade. It's okay to bring in older players, and there will always be a need to draft well and hope to pick up more high impact guys on rookie contracts. But the way that should be used is that there can be moves that aren't made with trying to win a le really in mind. Getting the right guy -- even for a year or two -- could be huge for building the foundation in the locker room for a championship core to form. Think Paul Millsap with the Nuggets or Jason Terry with the Bucks.
Who could fit that box? Klay Thompson maybe? He's probably not going to stay with the Warriors, and the team needs consistent shooting. Thompson has looked cooked at times and in general didn't look like his best self since long before his injury. Add in his contract expectations and the fact that he plays the same position as the team's best hope for an organic running mate, and he doesn't seem like the best fit. Maybe Wiggins as a trade target if the Warriors make a win-now move and have to use Andrew's contract as ballast? He'd at least fit the positional needs. But even more than Thompson, making that move would feel more like "proximity to greatness" rather than getting a legit vet pace-setter. It's too bad Draymond is crazy, but he checks a lot of boxes when it comes to his intelligence, compe iveness and spirit. But dude's got problems and can't even be trusted to direct his issues toward the opposing team. I know that's three Warriors, but they've won so many of the recent les, that there aren't a ton of proven championship-level culture-setters to pick from. We're feeling the aftershocks of the all those Warriors/Cavs Finals.
In terms of whether the Spurs should look more to the draft or free agency this summer, I look at it more as a situation of "Yes, and" rather than "either/or". The team should absolutely draft a PG, and that PG needs to be quick and able to penetrate. That's the single box the team absolutely needs and is the reason why Quickley and Murray are mostly just wasting time in my mind. The team doesn't need this PG to run the offense. They need him to bend the defense. A guy who can get into the paint is going to create opportunities for the easy reps that help build the experience people are worried about. That's why Collier really hasn't lose esteem in my book. For all the talk about needing a PG who can shoot, the Spurs could only wish the biggest issue in their offense is that too many people are choosing to go to the rim rather than hoist up threes. Yes, you want a guy who can do both, and whether the coaching believe the guy can learn to shoot is a reasonable requirement. But the Spurs would be much better in terms of shooting if they had legit vertical spacing to get guys in-rhythm attempts and create conflicts in the defense.
The vet they need is really more of a wing or forward who can create and close. Think Rudy Gay after he recovered from his injury. So what are we looking at there? Maybe Harris or Oubre? Maybe an old hand like DeRozan coming back or making a deal for Wiggins, as I said? It's not going to be easy to find that vet, no matter what criteria one uses.
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