Spurs to juggle loaded backcourt while building around Victor Wembanyama

The Spurs might have the best problem in basketball. Their two biggest breaks of the past year — trading for De’Aaron Fox and landing the No. 2 pick in the draft — have created a crowded backcourt that will need sorting out in 2025/26.

Fox forced his way to San Antonio in January, with the Kings trading him for a package headlined by draft picks.

Not long after, the Spurs jumped up at the lottery to grab Dylan Harper second overall, pairing him with Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle.

All three guards thrive with the ball in their hands. All three lack a reliable outside shot. That overlap has fueled plenty of speculation, but San Antonio decided Harper was too talented to pass up.

The next question was Fox’s contract. With free agency looming in 2026, would the Spurs hesitate after drafting Harper? The answer came quickly: no.

Fox signed a four-year max extension as soon as the six-month trade restriction lifted in August.

It wasn’t a surprise — the Spurs and Fox likely had this mapped out when the deal was struck — but it does lock San Antonio into figuring out how to make this backcourt trio work.

While the guards grab headlines, the Spurs also addressed their frontcourt around Victor Wembanyama, who missed the final two months last season with a blood clot in his shoulder.

They signed Luke Kornet to a four-year, $41 million deal (two years guaranteed) and traded for Kelly Olynyk, sending Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a pick to Washington. Kornet was one of Boston’s most effective bigs last season, while Olynyk brings shooting to pair with Wembanyama in stretch lineups.

The other major change came on the bench. Mitch Johnson took over after Gregg Popovich’s stroke last fall and was officially given the job this spring.

By all accounts, he has support from players, management and Popovich himself.

San Antonio wasn’t done at the draft, either. Along with Harper, they took Arizona wing Carter Bryant at No. 14. Bryant struggled in Summer League but is viewed as a strong three-and-D prospect for the future.

The Spurs currently have 13 guaranteed contracts and an open roster spot. Adding another big would make sense, with former Spur Charles Bassey still on the market.

Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell remain the most likely trade candidates if the Spurs make a bigger move later in the year.

Harrison Barnes and Jeremy Sochan, meanwhile, are extension candidates — Barnes as a veteran stabilizer, Sochan as a versatile but still-developing forward.

For now, San Antonio has a fascinating blend of youth, proven talent, and new leadership. The only question is how all the pieces fit.

By the Numbers

• De’Aaron Fox: 4-year max extension signed in August
• Dylan Harper: No. 2 overall pick, consensus top guard prospect
• Stephon Castle: Reigning Rookie of the Year
• Victor Wembanyama: Missed final 2 months of 2024/25 with blood clot
• Luke Kornet: 4-year, $41M deal (first 2 years guaranteed)
• Kelly Olynyk: 37.1% career 3-point shooter, nearly 40% since 2022