Spurs 2025 Draft Pick Watch (presented by Tank to Capture the Flagg)

[DPG21920]

They’ve got two years, and then they’ll have to tear it apart. They won’t be able to pay Caruso, and some of their youngsters will also either be on other teams or on a Brunson level discount. Jalen Williams and Chet are up to be paid the same year, and SGA is already on a SuperMax. They are extension eligible next summer. You can only have two SuperMaxes on your roster, so one of them automatically gets less. I’m also not sure that in the second apron would allow 2 SuperMaxes and a Max deal without major penalty.

I’d love to pick that carcass of players like Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe, who just ing kills us every time we play.

They have so many picks they will be fine….they can add cheap high end talent and replace pipeline easily.

[exstatic]

They have so many picks they will be fine….they can add cheap high end talent and replace pipeline easily.

Talent takes time to develop, as we are all witnessing. They’ll go from Finals contender to 45-50 wins when they have to start choosing who goes from SGA,Chet, Jalen. They won’t be able to keep all 3 without getting rid of everyone else in their rotation. Second apron.

[BacktoBasics]

Talent takes time to develop, as we are all witnessing. They’ll go from Finals contender to 45-50 wins when they have to start choosing who goes from SGA,Chet, Jalen. They won’t be able to keep all 3 without getting rid of everyone else in their rotation. Second apron.

They have amazing chemistry. Could be contenders for years. If I'm SGA I sit everyone down and offer to take less on his next contract. See if there's a cap path going forward where everyone gets paid well just not max. A high level team with good marketing and representation could potentially make more money on endorsements/marketing than what is lost on an NBA contract.

[exstatic]

They have amazing chemistry. Could be contenders for years. If I'm SGA I sit everyone down and offer to take less on his next contract. See if there's a cap path going forward where everyone gets paid well just not max. A high level team with good marketing and representation could potentially make more money on endorsements/marketing than what is lost on an NBA contract.

Exactly one All Star in recent memory has taken a significant pay cut to sign. It’s not the actual contract cost, it’s the penalties for going over the second apron, draft picks frozen from trading, and eventually moved to the end of the first round for multiple offenses. No MLE, no taxpayer exception, no ability to take ONE DOLLAR more than you send out in trade, losing the ability to aggregate players to trade. Plenty of teams paid financial penalties, because it didn’t affect their long term outlook. Golden State paid $450M one year in salary and penalties. Under the new rules, they let Klay walk. The LAC let Paul George walk.

It's a new, more fiscally responsible day. No one will have the ability to create 3 star superteams going forward without their team paying the price of wandering in the wilderness for a decade afterwards.

[objective]

OKC learned the tax lesson after Harden and did pay the tax in later years, they'll pay it again. They're much more likely to pay the tax than the Spurs are, and Wemby supermax will murder the cap with the crap deals the Spurs are doing.

They're missing key players and still wiping their ass with the league. They're going to be rolling 65+ wins a year unless they have catastrophic injuries

So maybe new deals for Williams and Holmgren cost them Hartenstein and Caruso .... They just replace them with young players and trading picks for cost controlled talent. Ajay Mitc is looking better than any young Spurs guard. Topic is injured. They have lottery picks coming

Don't forget that Jalen Williams was a pick they got from the Clippers.

[tim_duncan_fan]

Exactly one All Star in recent memory has taken a significant pay cut to sign. It’s not the actual contract cost, it’s the penalties for going over the second apron, draft picks frozen from trading, and eventually moved to the end of the first round for multiple offenses. No MLE, no taxpayer exception, no ability to take ONE DOLLAR more than you send out in trade, losing the ability to aggregate players to trade. Plenty of teams paid financial penalties, because it didn’t affect their long term outlook. Golden State paid $450M one year in salary and penalties. Under the new rules, they let Klay walk. The LAC let Paul George walk.

It's a new, more fiscally responsible day. No one will have the ability to create 3 star superteams going forward without their team paying the price of wandering in the wilderness for a decade afterwards.

What do you think about this business with the apron? It's kind of chaotic, and it will feel bad if the Spurs ever come into having 3 superstars again, but I think it's good to force the distribution of great players throughout the league. People who are into dynasties will be mad about it though, and according to Bill Simmons, one team dominating everyone is what most people want to see.

[exstatic]

OKC learned the tax lesson after Harden and did pay the tax in later years, they'll pay it again. They're much more likely to pay the tax than the Spurs are, and Wemby supermax will murder the cap with the crap deals the Spurs are doing.

They're missing key players and still wiping their ass with the league. They're going to be rolling 65+ wins a year unless they have catastrophic injuries

So maybe new deals for Williams and Holmgren cost them Hartenstein and Caruso .... They just replace them with young players and trading picks for cost controlled talent. Ajay Mitc is looking better than any young Spurs guard. Topic is injured. They have lottery picks coming

Don't forget that Jalen Williams was a pick they got from the Clippers.

It’s not the tax, it’s everything else from the second apron penalty list.

As for Hartenstein, they lost last year because Chet can’t rebound in a playoff setting. Losing him caps their ceiling below the Finals.

[objective]

It’s not the tax, it’s everything else from the second apron penalty list.

As for Hartenstein, they lost last year because Chet can’t rebound in a playoff setting. Losing him caps their ceiling below the Finals.

Hartenstein isn't lost for the year, he's supposed to be back in December

[exstatic]

Hartenstein isn't lost for the year, he's supposed to be back in December

I’m talking about when he leaves in 2026, because there’s no money left.

[objective]

I’m talking about when he leaves in 2026, because there’s no money left.

I've started looking at the numbers and it's doesn't seem that bad to me. Even if both Chet and Jalen Williams on 25% maxes, they'll have a lot of room under the second apron and that's with SGA, Chet, Jalen, Joe, Wiggins, Wallace, Topic, Dillon Jones ... Could be like 40-70million under the second apron with a ton of picks

Maybe their ownership turns cheap like Denver,. But Denver is like a blueprint. Denver is paying huge to 3 players, 1 more well paid player, and cheap out opportunities with young draftees. And Denver is still thought of as a contender and has dodged the second apron. And okc 2nd and 3rd bananas are on pace to be much better. And their draft opportunities for cheap talent will be much better than the sad late firsts and seconds. Denver isn't flailing badly because of the apron, their problem is that Murray and Porter Jr. are playing like trash

[Mugen]

OKC will be fine for the next decade. The only people that will tell you otherwise are deflecting for BWrong and the old man.

[z0sa]

I'd rather be in OKC's shoes hoping to retool in a couple of years than the Spurs, who still haven't managed to put together a competent roster in half a decade -- Including 2 off-seasons since Wemby was drafted.

Pop's lost it, and the GM failed mightily giving up the 8th pick. It's a joke at this point, and not even worth arguing about

[Ice009]

I'd rather be in OKC's shoes hoping to retool in a couple of years than the Spurs, who still haven't managed to put together a competent roster in half a decade -- Including 2 off-seasons since Wemby was drafted.

Pop's lost it, and the GM failed mightily giving up the 8th pick. It's a joke at this point, and not even worth arguing about

Yep. There's not going to struggle like some posters are claiming. I'd much rather be in their shoes than the Spurs' shoes right now.

[exstatic]

I've started looking at the numbers and it's doesn't seem that bad to me. Even if both Chet and Jalen Williams on 25% maxes, they'll have a lot of room under the second apron and that's with SGA, Chet, Jalen, Joe, Wiggins, Wallace, Topic, Dillon Jones ... Could be like 40-70million under the second apron with a ton of picks

Maybe their ownership turns cheap like Denver,. But Denver is like a blueprint. Denver is paying huge to 3 players, 1 more well paid player, and cheap out opportunities with young draftees. And Denver is still thought of as a contender and has dodged the second apron. And okc 2nd and 3rd bananas are on pace to be much better. And their draft opportunities for cheap talent will be much better than the sad late firsts and seconds. Denver isn't flailing badly because of the apron, their problem is that Murray and Porter Jr. are playing like trash

One of them is likely to get the 35% SuperMax extension in 2026. Probably Chet. He’s the poster boy Great White Hope, currently.

No one currently sees Denver as a contender, except you. Their window slammed shut. Losing just a rotation player with critical shooting and defense skills like KCP dropped them down a rung. A year ago, people thought they were going on a run. Now, they’re a second round out, at best, and possibly first round fodder.

There’s literally no way OKC keeps all of the players you say they will. They’ll drop Caruso, Hartenstein, and a couple of young players, and drop down a notch. Their future draft picks will take time to develop. They’ll be pretty good, but they’ll be what Denver currently is. Meh.

It’s the support players that elevate you from nearly there to actually there, the guys like Derrick White and Porzingas in Boston. Those are the kind of guys OKC will lose.

[RC_Drunkford]

One of them is likely to get the 35% SuperMax extension in 2026. Probably Chet. He’s the poster boy Great White Hope, currently.

No one currently sees Denver as a contender, except you. Their window slammed shut. Losing just a rotation player with critical shooting and defense skills like KCP dropped them down a rung. A year ago, people thought they were going on a run. Now, they’re a second round out, at best, and possibly first round fodder.

There’s literally no way OKC keeps all of the players you say they will. They’ll drop Caruso, Hartenstein, and a couple of young players, and drop down a notch. Their future draft picks will take time to develop. They’ll be pretty good, but they’ll be what Denver currently is. Meh.

It’s the support players that elevate you from nearly there to actually there, the guys like Derrick White and Porzingas in Boston. Those are the kind of guys OKC will lose.

you mean to tell me they can't pay Zach Collins 18 million per year? I'm glad our FO is smarter than theirs...

[objective]

you mean to tell me they can't pay Zach Collins 18 million per year? I'm glad our FO is smarter than theirs...

OKC wouldn't be able to keep a trio of Collins/Keldon/Barnes for a combined $54 million a season. They keep stacking Ls.

[DPG21920]

Talent takes time to develop, as we are all witnessing. They’ll go from Finals contender to 45-50 wins when they have to start choosing who goes from SGA,Chet, Jalen. They won’t be able to keep all 3 without getting rid of everyone else in their rotation. Second apron.

Sure - but in this context, since the draft picks even as young as they are, are so easily more talented than the guys we are replacing, its not a net loss short term but only huge upside longer term.

You don’t have to be good to replace Branham, Blake, Collins etc…

[scott]

One of them is likely to get the 35% SuperMax extension in 2026. Probably Chet. He’s the poster boy Great White Hope, currently.

No one currently sees Denver as a contender, except you. Their window slammed shut. Losing just a rotation player with critical shooting and defense skills like KCP dropped them down a rung. A year ago, people thought they were going on a run. Now, they’re a second round out, at best, and possibly first round fodder.

There’s literally no way OKC keeps all of the players you say they will. They’ll drop Caruso, Hartenstein, and a couple of young players, and drop down a notch. Their future draft picks will take time to develop. They’ll be pretty good, but they’ll be what Denver currently is. Meh.

It’s the support players that elevate you from nearly there to actually there, the guys like Derrick White and Porzingas in Boston. Those are the kind of guys OKC will lose.

It's highly unlikely either of them qualifies for the 35% SuperMax. The team can't just voluntarily elect to give it to them - they have to earn it by one of the following:

1) make an All-NBA Team in the season before signing the extension or two of previous three seasons
2) Be named NBA DPOY in the season before signing the extension or two of the previous three seasons
3) Be named NBA MVP in any of the three most recent reasons

To the second point I highlighted, OKC has managed to become a good team while still developing their picks. Wallace last year and now Ajay Mitc . They don't wait until they need a player before they start grooming the next candidate for the role. They don't draft guys and stick them on the end of the bench to get over themselves. Wallace was a contributor for them in the playoffs last year.

The best shot for either of these guys will be Criteria #1, but it's a long shot. Neither JWill or Chet are anywhere near the Top 15 players in the NBA. They seem to have this part pretty well figured out.