State Of The Spurs

[CGD]

I'm pretty sure the Spurs can't absorb a contract that's about to expire into cap space, but they should be able to take back a player who is under contract for next season or beyond. I don't expect the Spurs to be in the hunt for any major free agents so using the cap space on draft night, rather than later in the summer, should be perfectly fine.

One thing I learned from that video is that team and player salaries "freeze" on the last day of the regular season when it comes to calculating luxury tax payments and the salary floor, so the Spurs could absorb a player into cap space on draft night without it taking money out of the pockets of the players that finished the season on the roster.

Yeah I was thinking more about something like absorbing Lowery’s deal for MIA’s FRP while also sending out Graham. I think it amounts to 15M savings next year for Miami.

[mo7888]

Yeah I was thinking more about something like absorbing Lowery’s deal for MIA’s FRP while also sending out Graham. I think it amounts to 15M savings next year for Miami.

I like that and it's the kind of deal that could be on the table..

[pad300]

Teams were allowed 17 contracts before the new CBA. They will be allowed 18 going forward.

Is that 16 roster players and 2 two-way contracts, or did they add a third two-way?

[Philthemage]

The new CBA will allow teams to carry three players on two-way contracts to their active rosters.

[exstatic]

Is that 16 roster players and 2 two-way contracts, or did they add a third two-way?

3rd 2way.

[JPB]

The new CBA will allow teams to carry three players on two-way contracts to their active rosters.

Good news for the spurs.

[Gagnrath]

That figure is misleading: besides our own we have 5 extra firsts (Charlotte '24 protected 14-14, Toronto '24 protected 6-6-6, Chicago '25 protected 10-8-8, Atlanta '25 & '27), the 2 swaps (Atlanta '26 unrestricted, Boston '28 protected 1) aren't additional picks. Also, the 2nd rounders will largely be crap that's only usable as a trading chip (trading up in the draft, round up a deal, move an unwanted contract, etc), that number probably translates to 1 pick per year when we have a single pick, or maybe none if we have multiple firsts. We should probably be rotating players faster, meaning making a decision faster and not get enamored with too many players that take too much time to develop (Wesley, Barlow), and not get too attached to players without high ceiling (Mamu, Champagnie). A season or 2 is enough to get a sense of their trajectory, and then move. That would help avoid clogging the roster.

A team with a 17 man roster needs 5 to 7 players with limited ceilings and are just basically replacement level players or even slightly below. That is the injury reserves and 8 minute per game guys that help eat up regular season games and give guys a night off on back to backs, and when they turn an ankle. Your top 5 to 7 guys are what decides where your team fits talent wise in the league and the next 3 to 5 guys are all guys with high ceilings.

[Ariel]

A team with a 17 man roster needs 5 to 7 players with limited ceilings and are just basically replacement level players or even slightly below. That is the injury reserves and 8 minute per game guys that help eat up regular season games and give guys a night off on back to backs, and when they turn an ankle. Your top 5 to 7 guys are what decides where your team fits talent wise in the league and the next 3 to 5 guys are all guys with high ceilings.

That changes depending on what stage your team is, if you're a contender then you might have a couple prospects at the most, and if you're rebuilding you can afford much more than 3/5 players with high ceilings. I'd classify our guys something like this:
Core (5): Wemby (of course), Sochan and Branham (already proven NBA players even if rookies), Vassell and Keldon (young starters with upside).
Long term role players (2): Tre Jones and Zach Collins, short term starters, ideally both quality backups
Short term role players (2): McDermott, Graham. Both expiring (or almost in Granham's case) and likely trade fodder.
Rotation players (3): Mamu, KBD, Champagnie
Projects (3): Barlow, Bassey, Wesley
Dead men walking (3): Langford, Birch, Dieng
All in all I don't think anyone not in the first 2 groups should prevent us from pursuing higher ceiling guys. Of course you're not going to have 10 guys who might not end up NBA players, but players with limited ceilings isn't an elusive category, find 3/4 truly high ceiling guys and the rest you figure out later.

[Extra Stout]

Superstar: Wembanyama
Other stars: Yet to be acquired
Other starters: Sochan, Vassell
Other rotation players: Collins, Johnson, Jones, McDermott
Replacement-level players or less: Everyone else