In Spurscast episode 699, Spurscast host Paul Garcia answers questions sent in about:  

• What a deal would look like if the Spurs tried to sign Fred VanVleet
• What a trade would look like if the Spurs traded for Jaylen Brown
• What an offer sheet would look like if the Spurs tried to sign Austin Reaves

Fred VanVleet

VanVleet has until June 15 to exercise or decline his $22.8 million player option with the Toronto Raptors. If VanVleet declines the player option, he'll be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Considering VanVleet turned down a 4-year, $114 million extension from the Raptors this past season, the question becomes what would a deal look like if the Spurs tried to pursue signing him in free agency?

If VanVleet were signed, how much better would the Spurs as a team be going forward?

Jaylen Brown

Brown is under contract next season with the Boston Celtics for $31.8 million. Since he made two All-Star teams and an All-NBA team, Brown is eligible to sign a 5-year, $295 million supermax extension with the Celtics this offseason.

If Brown signs the Supermax, the question about the Spurs trading for him goes out the window. However, if he doesn't sign the extension, the question becomes what would the Spurs need to do to try to trade for Brown this summer. That scenario is explored in the episode.

Austin Reaves

After a really good playoff run with the Los Angeles Lakers, Reaves enters restricted free agency in July. In the episode, an offer sheet example is used to show what a deal would look like if the Spurs pursued Reaves in free agency and examines when the Lakers would be hesitant to match an offer sheet.

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In Spurscast episode 698, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein discuss:

The Spurs win NBA Draft Lottery to draft Victor Wembanyama

The Spurs’ offseason approach going forward

The Spurs’ different cap space outlooks

Spurs land number one pick to draft Victor Wembanyama

Tuesday was a memorable day for the San Antonio Spurs franchise, with the team participating in the NBA Draft Lottery and landing the number one overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Landing the first overall pick will give the Spurs the ability to draft a franchise-changing player in Victor Wembanyama of France.

For many Spurs fans, the night was a celebration similar to 1997, when the team won the draft lottery in being able to draft Hall-of-Famer Tim Duncan.

While Wembanyama is going to put the Spurs back on a path to compete for championships in the future, the team he's joining in his first year is different from the 1998 squad Duncan joined that won 56 games. In 1998, the Spurs had multiple veteran players and former All-Stars on the team. Today, the majority of the Spurs players on the current team are under the age of 24 with no established All-Stars currently on the roster.

The Spurs’ offseason approach going forward

The big question going forward is how do the Spurs approach the offseason now that they have Wembanyama. Do they use their $30-40 million in cap space to sign one or multiple free agents? Do they try to use their future picks to try to trade for a current or former All-Star who hasn't been successful with their current team?

The future is bright for San Antonio going forward, and now the front office has a lot of decisions to make about how they'll approach this offseason.

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In Spurscast episode 697, Spurscast host Paul Garcia participates in a question and answer session with Project Spurs staff member Evan Townsend on Twitter Spaces. Topics discussed in the episode are: 

• Devin Vassell’s upcoming extension deadline
• Tre Jones signing an extension or going into restricted free agency
• When the Spurs can start making trades
• Keldon Johnson’s extension beginning in the new season
• A new note about the tax distribution

Devin Vassell’s upcoming extension deadline

The San Antonio Spurs will have from July 6 to the first game of the regular season to reach a contract extension agreement with Devin Vassell. If the team and Vassell fail to reach an extension agreement, Vassell will be a restricted free agent next summer.

Tre Jones signing an extension or going into restricted free agency

The Spurs have two paths they can navigate this offseason with point guard Tre Jones. San Antonio can try to reach an agreement on an extension with Jones before free agency begins by June 30, or the Spurs can tender Jones a qualifying offer this summer and he'll become a restricted free agent on July 1.

When the Spurs can start making trades

The Spurs can make trades in two different timelines. They can make trades until June 30 using the 2022-2023 team salary, or they can wait until after July 6 to make trades using the new 2023-2024 team salary.

Keldon Johnson’s extension beginning in the new season

After signing an extension last summer, Johnson's extension will begin for the next three seasons in this coming season.

A new note about the tax distribution

While the NBA won't penalize teams fully for not reaching the minimum team salary in the coming season, teams will only get a 50% tax distribution if they don't reach the minimum team salary by the end of next season according to the new CBA.

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In Spurscast episode 696, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein discuss: 

• Lottery Prospects in the 1st through 7th Range
• Second Draft Prospects

Lottery Prospects in the 1st through 7th Range

On May 16, the San Antonio Spurs will take part in the NBA Draft lottery where they'll find out whether they'll be drafting anywhere from 1st overall to 7th in the first round.

Lottery prospects in the Top-7 range are Victor Wembanyama (1st) from France, Scoot Henderson (2nd) of the G-League Ignite, Brandon Miller (3rd) of Alabama, Amen Thompson (4th) of Overtime Elite, Ausar Thompson (6th) of Overtime Elite, and Jarace Walker (7th) of Houston.

Other players in the Top-7 on different mocks are Cam Whitmore of Villanova, Anthony Black of Arkansas, Taylor Hendricks of Central Florida, Nick Smith Jr. of Arkansas, and Keyonte George of Baylor.

Second Draft Prospects

On lottery night, the Spurs will also find out if they'll have the 32nd or 33rd pick in the second round, while they'll also have the 44th pick via the Toronto Raptors in the second round.

Prospects in the 32nd/33rd pick range are Trayce Jackson-Davis, Bilal Coulibaly, Colby Jones, and Andre Jackson.

Draft prospects in the 44th pick range are Nikola Durisic, Jaylen Clark, Tristan Vukcevic, and Emoni Bates.

Other draft prospects discussed in the episode are Isaiah Wong, Cason Wallace, and Amari Bailey.

The NBA Draft lottery will take place on May 16 and the 2023 NBA Draft will take place on June 22.

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In Spurscast episode 695, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss: 

• The Random Drawing Between the Spurs and Rockets
• 11 Players on Guaranteed Deals
• 7 Players Entering Free Agency
• Spurs’ Cap Space Potential
• Devin Vassell Extension Watch

The Random Drawing Between the Spurs and Rockets

Monday the NBA announced the results of a random drawing between the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets for the second-worst record in the league. The Spurs and Rockets both finished with 22-60 records, so a random drawing needed to be held to decide who finished with the second-worst record for lottery purposes. The team with the second-worst record can fall no lower than the 6th pick in the lottery during a worst-case scenario. Now that the Spurs have the third-worst record, they can fall as low as the 7th pick in the lottery. The Spurs, Rockets, and Detroit Pistons have an equal 14% chance of landing the first overall pick in the May lottery.

11 Players on Guaranteed Deals

11 players have salaries with guaranteed deals next season in Keldon Johnson, Doug McDermott, Devonte' Graham, the 2023 first-round pick, Zach Collins (assuming he isn't waived), Khem Birch, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, and Charles Bassey. If these 11 players remain on the roster going into free agency on July 1, this will leave the Spurs with just four open roster spots going into free agency.

7 Players Entering Free Agency

The Spurs can have five players enter restricted free agency if they tender a qualifying offer to each player. Those five players are Romeo Langford, Tre Jones, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Dominick Barlow (for a two-way contract), and Julian Champagnie (for a two-way contract).

The Spurs will also have two players entering unrestricted free agency in Gorgui Dieng and Keita Bates-Diop.

Spurs’ Cap Space Potential

The Spurs are projected to open anywhere from $25.8 million to $36.7 million in cap space this offseason. If the Spurs use their cap space, they'll have access to the new $7.6 million room exception.

Devin Vassell Extension Watch

This offseason the Spurs will have the opportunity to extend Devin Vassell's contract before Vassell enters restricted free agency in the summer of 2024. 

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In Spurscast episode 694, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss: 

• The Spurs going 22-60 in the 22-23 season
• Where the Spurs finished on offense and defense
• Initial thoughts on the end of the season

The Spurs going 22-60 in the 22-23 season

The San Antonio Spurs finished the 2022-2023 regular season with a 22-60 record. While the season wasn't a winning one to get into the playoffs, being able to finish with a bottom-3 record means the Spurs will have 14% lottery odds to land the number one overall pick in the draft lottery on May 16.

Finishing with 22 wins wasn't too much of a surprise for San Antonio when you consider Las Vegas set their over/under at 22.5. The team went in a youth direction by giving multiple young players and rookies key roles, while some veteran players on the team either got waived or were traded during the 82-game season.

Where the Spurs finished on offense and defense

The Spurs finished with the 29th-ranked offense and 30th-ranked defense. While they did struggle on offense, there were some areas where they finished in the top 10, such as pace, paint scoring, and assist percentage. The defensive end was a struggle for San Antonio, where they finished bottom 10 in multiple categories on that end of the floor.

Initial thoughts on the end of the season

In the final part of the episode, Joe and I provide a player rating score for how each player on the roster finished the season. Did the player have a surprising season, a season we kind of expected, or not quite the season we expected the player to have?

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In Spurscast episode 693, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss: 

• The Spurs going 0-3 in their last 3 games
• Early details with the new CBA agreement
• Four Spurs selected to the 2023 Hall of Fame

The Spurs going 0-3 in their last 3 games

This past week the San Antonio Spurs' losing streak increased to six losses in a row with losses in their last three games at Boston, against Utah, and at Golden State. With five games left in the regular season, the Spurs have locked in a Bottom-3 record for a 14% chance at the number one pick in the NBA Draft lottery.

Early details of the new CBA agreement

Friday the NBA and the NBA Player's Association came to an agreement on a new CBA agreement that will be in place for the next seven seasons once it's fully written out. Some of the changes that will impact the Spurs immediately next season include: their ability to trade with tax teams that cross the new salary cap apron, larger trade exceptions for low-salary teams like the Spurs, a 30% increase to the room exception ( which the Spurs are projected to have this summer), a potential in-season tournament that begins in November, extensions for veterans going from 120% of their previous contract to 140% of their previous contract, and an additional two-way roster spot.

Four Spurs selected to 2023 Hall of Fame

Saturday the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the list of 2023 Hall of Fame inductees, and the list includes four current/former Spurs: Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich, former guard Tony Parker, former center Pau Gasol, and former WNBA guard and former Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon.

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In Spurscast episode 692, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss: 

• The Spurs going 1-3 in their last 4 games
• Early Impressions of Sandro Mamukelashvili

The Spurs going 1-3 in their last 4 games

This past week the San Antonio Spurs made a 24-point comeback against the Atlanta Hawks, then fell in three consecutive road games by more than 15 points against the New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks, and Washington Wizards.

With eight regular-season games left, the Spurs have a 19-55 record that makes them the third-worst team in the league by the record, which would allow them to have 14% lottery odds for the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft lottery if that record holds.

To prevent injuries in the final two weeks of the season, the team is being cautious with the core rotation players, sitting multiple players every other game with injury management.

Early Impressions of Sandro Mamukelashvili

With 11 games logged in San Antonio, Mamukelashvili has shown his versatility on offense, by being able to score on drives near the rim and being able to space on offense by shooting the pick-and-pop or spot-up three-pointer.

Mamukelashvili has also displayed his ball movement ability, finding teammates on backdoor cuts for makes near the rim and in the open court with alley-oop passes. Mamukelashvili's defensive numbers don't pop off the page compared to his other Spurs teammates who play the 4 and 5.

Mamukelashvili will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and with four projected open roster spots, it's unknown if San Antonio will push to re-sign Mamukelashvili.

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In Spurscast episode 691, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss: 

• The Spurs going 3-2 in their last 5 games
• Charles Bassey’s season-ending injury
• Zach Collins’ season overall

The Spurs going 3-2 in their last 5 games

The San Antonio Spurs surpassed expectations in their last 5 games, with wins over the Denver Nuggets and Orlando Magic, and losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, and Memphis Grizzlies. There was a chance for the Spurs to go 4-1 in their last five games, had they been able to win their two overtime games against Dallas and Memphis.

With 12 games left in the season, the Spurs have the second-worst record in the league which means 14% chance lottery odds for the number one overall pick, however, they're playing better basketball in their last 10 games, going 4-6. During their last 10 games, they have the 13th-ranked defense in the league. For the season as a whole, they still have the worst defense in the league.

Charles Bassey’s season-ending injury

Wednesday the Spurs announced Charles Bassey will miss the remainder of the season with a left knee cap injury. With Bassey out, the Spurs' frontcourt consists of Zach Collins, Jeremy Sochan, Keita Bates-Diop, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Dominick Barlow, and Gorgui Dieng.

Zach Collins’ season overall

Zach Collins has averaged 11.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 3.1 fouls, and 2 turnovers in 22 minutes per game. Collins has been one of the Spurs' Top-3 players more frequently since becoming the team's starting center after Jakob Poeltl was traded in early February.

Collins has shown his versatile ability on offense, where he can make the wide-open pick-and-pop or spot-up 3s, while also being able to scoring efficiently in the paint, where he's the team leader in post-up attempts. Collins also stands out compared to other bigs in the league in assist percentage.

Collins has scored 20 or more points in the last three games he's played in, with more made 3s taking place during those games.

Collins is outperforming his contract this season per ProFitX.ai.

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In Spurscast episode 690, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs owner Jacob De Leon discuss Devonte Graham through 10 games with the Spurs along with the following:  

The Spurs’ last three games

Roster moves for the team

Devonte’ Graham as a Spur

The Spurs’ last three games

The San Antonio Spurs went 1-2 in their last three games, with a win against the Indiana Pacers, and back-to-back losses against the Houston Rockets.

With 17 games left in the regular season, the Spurs have a 16-49 overall record, which is 14th out West and the third-worst record overall in the league. The Spurs have officially been eliminated from the playoffs in the Western Conference.

In having the third worst record in the league, the Spurs continue to give themselves a shot for 14% chance lottery odds for the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft lottery should they hold a bottom-3 record by the end of the season.

Roster moves for the team

Last Friday the Spurs waived Isaiah Roby and claimed Sandro Mamukelashvili off waivers and converted his contract into an NBA deal for the remainder of this season. With Mamukelashvili, the Spurs' roster remains full with 15 players on NBA deals and two players on two-way contracts.

Mamukelashvili has already played in two games since joining the team and has shown his ability to spread the floor as a big.

Devonte’ Graham as a Spur

Graham has played in 10 games since joining the Spurs via trade, and in that time, Graham has been the Spurs' third-leading scorer and he's second in assists per game. Graham is showing his high volume 3-point shooting ability, with the team seeing an increase in attempts and makes from three since Graham joined the team. Graham has also shown his ability to shoot pull-up 3s, where 55% of his outside attempts have been pull-up threes.

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In Spurscast episode 689, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss: 

• The end of the franchise record 16-game losing streak
• Injury updates for the team
• Blake Wesley’s first 18 games

The end of the franchise record 16-game losing streak

The San Antonio Spurs ended their franchise-record 16-game losing streak Tuesday with an eight-point victory on the road at Utah. The Spurs also won their first game on the Rodeo Road Trip, finishing the trip 1-8 overall. Lastly, the Spurs ended their double-digit deficit losing streak. They're now 1-44 when trailing by 10 or more points in a game this season.

Injury updates for the team

There's a strong chance Devin Vassell returns to the court Thursday against the Indiana Pacers, with the team listing him as probable to play in the game. Vassell has missed the last two months of the season with a left knee injury, with his last game being on January 2.

The Spurs though might be without two of their lead playmakers, with Malaki Branham and Keldon Johnson both getting injured in the game Tuesday against Utah.

Blake Wesley’s first 18 games

Though he's only played in 18 games during his rookie season, Blake Wesley has stood out on the defensive end with his ability to anticipate and collect steals, deflect the ball from opponents, and rebound the ball on the defensive end at a high rate compared to other combo guards in the league.

With the injuries to Tre Jones and Branham, there could be a chance for Wesley to see increased minutes.

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In Spurscast episode 688, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss: 

• The Spurs’ post-All-Star break loss to the Dallas Mavericks
• Injury updates regarding Devin Vassell and Malaki Branham
• The final games of the season for the Spurs, Rockets, Pistons, and Hornets

Spurs’ post-All-Star break loss to Dallas Mavericks

In their first game back from the All-Star break, the Spurs resumed their Rodeo Road Trip schedule with a Thursday game in Dallas. While the game was competitive for three quarters, the Mavericks' offense went on a quick run three minutes into the fourth quarter and Dallas' lead ballooned up to 19 points. By the end of the night, the Spurs were facing a 26-point loss.

The Spurs are now 0-7 on the rodeo road trip with two games left in Utah before heading home. The Spurs' franchise-record losing streak has continued, with the team dropping 15 games in a row.

Injury updates regarding Devin Vassell and Khem Birch

There's a chance Devin Vassell could make his return to the court next week on March 2 when the team returns to San Antonio against the Indiana Pacers. The Spurs will likely be cautious with bringing Vassell back, considering he's missed a lot of time due to the left knee procedure.

Regarding Khem Birch, he's suffering from a right knee injury and there's no timetable for when he'll return to the court with just 22 games left in the season. Birch was acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline as part of the Jakob Poeltl trade.

The final games of the season for the Spurs, Rockets, Pistons, and Hornets

The bottom four teams right now are the Rockets, Spurs, Pistons, and Hornets. When looking at the strength of schedule left and win projections, the battle for the worst record looks like it's going to come down to how the Rockets and Spurs finish the season.

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In Spurscast episode 687, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and the NBA Editorial Director for Fansided, Josh Paredes discuss: 

• The Spurs in their last four games
• The Spurs at the All-Star Break
• Malaki Branham’s February Start
• Roster Moves

The Spurs in their last four games

The San Antonio Spurs went 0-4 in their last four games with losses on the road in Detroit, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Charlotte. The Spurs are 0-6 on their annual rodeo road trip with three games left on the trip after the All-Star break.

The Spurs at the All-Star Break

Heading into the All-Star break, the Spurs are 14-45 overall, with the second-worst record in the league when looking at lottery odds. The Spurs are on a franchise-record 14-game losing streak.

Malaki Branham’s February Start

In eight February games, rookie Malaki Branham is averaging 18.1 points while shooting 52% from the floor, 41% from three, and 71% from the free throw line, while increasing his shot volume, three-point attempts, rebounds, assists, and he's barely-seen an increase in turnovers. He's been driving the ball more and that is evident in his attempts at the rim and increased drives per game.

Roster Moves

This week the Spurs waived Stanley Johnson, then signed Charles Bassey to a new four-year deal. The Spurs also claimed Justin Champagnie off waivers to fill one of the vacant two-way roster spots after the Philadelphia 76ers waived Champagnie Tuesday. With Bassey and Champagnie on the team, the roster is full with 17 players going forward.

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In Spurscast episode 686, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss: 

• Trade deadline week for the Spurs
• Where the roster stands
• The Spurs through 55 games

Trade deadline week for the Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs made three trades during trade deadline week and the Spurs ended up with one first-round pick and seven second-round picks when the trade deadline ended.

Tuesday - The Spurs acquired Dewayne Dedmon and a future second-round pick from the Miami Heat for cash considerations. The Spurs waived Dedmon on Thursday.

Thursday - The Spurs traded Jakob Poeltl to the Toronto Raptors for Khem Birch, a protected 2024 first-round pick and two future second-round picks.

The Spurs also traded Josh Richardson to New Orleans Thursday for Devonte' Graham and four future second-round picks. The reason the Spurs came away with four-second picks is because they took on Graham's contract, who had two years left on his deal.

Where the roster stands

The Spurs now have 14 players on guaranteed deals and two players on two-way deals. The Spurs have one roster spot available. The team has 27 games remaining this season while they're dealing with injuries to multiple players.

The Spurs through 55 games

The Spurs are 14-41 through 55 games with the third-worst record in the league and with the team in the middle of a 10-game losing streak. The Spurs aren't far behind from catching the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons from having a bottom-two record in the league.

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The trade deadline is almost here! What will the Spurs do next? Both Paul Garcia and Collin Reid will give their predictions on what the possibilities are of the team making a move at the trade deadline. 

 In Spurscast episode 685, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss: 

The Spurs’ last four games and 8-game losing streak

Malaki Branham’s back-to-back career high-scoring nights

The Spurs reportedly have interest in Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels

Hypothetical trades involving Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott

The Spurs’ last four games and 8-game losing streak

The San Antonio Spurs' last four losses were against the Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, and Philadelphia 76ers. With these losses, the Spurs are in the midst of their second 8-game losing streak of the season.

Through 53 games, the Spurs are 14-39 overall, with the 3rd worst record in the league, which means they would have a 14% chance lottery odds for the number one overall pick if they remain with the third-worst record by the end of the season. The Spurs begin their 9-game Rodeo Road Trip Monday on the road in Chicago.

Malaki Branham’s back-to-back career high-scoring nights

With Tre Jones getting injured, rookie Malaki Branham has had a chance to run more of the halfcourt offense in the pick-and-roll in the last two games. With getting this opportunity, Branham scored career highs with 22 points against Sacramento and then 26 points against Philadelphia on efficient shooting.

Branham has shown his 3-level scoring ability throughout the season, but with the injuries to the team, he's getting multiple opportunities to learn how to run the offense in the halfcourt as one of the lead ball handlers.

The Spurs reportedly have an interest in Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels

Monday the Athletic reported the Spurs are among a group of teams with trade interest in Charlotte Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels. If the Spurs don't trade for McDaniels this coming week, they may try to pursue him in free agency this summer according to the report.

Hypothetical trades involving Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott

With the trade deadline approaching Thursday, Collin and I explore different hypothetical trade deals involving Poeltl, Richardson, and McDermott.

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In Spurscast episode 684, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs Editor Jonas Clark discuss: 

• Another 4-Game Losing Streak
• Trade rumors involving Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott
• Jeremy Sochan’s Shooting Improvement

Another 4-Game Losing Streak

The San Antonio Spurs are in the midst of their fourth four-game losing streak of the season, after suffering two losses to the Los Angeles Clippers, a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, and a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in their last four games.

Through 49 games, the Spurs are 14-35 overall, with the 28th-ranked offense and 30th-ranked defense. The Spurs have the fourth-worst record in the league still when looking at lottery odds for the number one overall pick.

Trade rumors involving Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott

Earlier this week Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.com provided some trade rumors surrounding Poeltl, Richardson, and McDermott.

As has been reported before, the Spurs reportedly are trying to acquire two first-round picks for Poeltl. In the event Richardson or McDermott are moved, the Spurs are likely getting back second-round picks in a potential deal.

The trade deadline is getting closer with the calendar flipping to February soon, with the date officially set for February 9,.

Jeremy Sochan’s Shooting Improvement

Prior to December 18, Sochan was shooting 41% from the free throw line according to CleaningTheGlass.com. His three-point accuracy was struggling during that period as well.

Since Sochan switched to shooting one-handed free throws, his accuracy from the charity stripe has improved to 75% since December 19. Sochan's two-handed shot from the three-point line has started to improve as well during that stretch.

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In Spurscast episode 683, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Benjamin Bornstein discuss: 

• The Spurs in their last two games
• More Jakob Poeltl trade rumors
• A check-in on projected top players in the draft lottery

The Spurs in their last two games

The San Antonio Spurs went 1-1 in their last two games, with a loss to the Sacramento Kings, and then a win against the Brooklyn Nets. Keldon Johnson finished with a career-high 36 points in the win against the Nets and a career-high four steals.

Through 45 games, the Spurs have the 28th-ranked offense, 30th ranked defense, and they haven't moved in either direction in the overall standings. They're still 14th in the Western Conference standings, and they've got the 4th worst record in the league when looking toward the draft lottery.

More Jakob Poeltl trade rumors

Tuesday and Wednesday this week TheAthletic.com had two trade rumor articles that mentioned Spurs starting center Jakob Poeltl. The two known teams with interest in Poeltl are the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors per the articles.

The Spurs are asking for two first-round picks for Poeltl according to Jared Weiss of the Athletic.

A check-in on projected top players in the draft lottery

What if the Spurs don't end up with the number 1 or number 2 overall pick? If they can't draft Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson, here are some other draft prospects on different mock drafts projected in the 3-5 range:

At number 3: Amen Thompson, Brandon Miller, Nick Smith Jr.

At number 4: Amen T, Smith Jr., Miller, Cam Whitmore, Anthony Black

At number 5: Miller, Smith Jr., Whitmore, Ausar Thompson, Jarace Walker, Gradey Dick

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In Spurscast episode 682, Spurscast host Paul Garcia discusses: 

• The Spurs going 0-3 in their last three games
• The Spurs through 43 games
• Another Jakob Poeltl trade rumor
• Tre Jones’ increased scoring

The Spurs going 0-3 in their last three games

This past week the Spurs went 0-3 with two losses on the road in Memphis and they got blown out in their attendance record setting game Friday against the Golden State Warriors.

While the Spurs were underdogs in all three games, they did push the games in Memphis into crunch time and in all three games, Tre Jones was the standout player for San Antonio.

The Spurs through 43 games

Through 43 games, the Spurs are 13-30 with the 27th ranked offense and 30th ranked defense. The team has the 4th worst record in the league when looking toward lottery projections and they're in the midst of a 4-game losing streak for a third time this season.

Another Jakob Poeltl trade rumor

Friday before the Spurs and Warriors game, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com said on ESPN that the Spurs are likely to see significant trade offers for center Jakob Poeltl with the NBA trade deadline approaching in early February.

Wojnarowski said while the Spurs wouldn't mind re-signing Poeltl for the future, if they were sent an offer they can't refuse like with the Dejounte Murray trade, they may end up moving Poeltl.

Tre Jones’ increased scoring

In the last six games Tre Jones has become close to a 20-point per game scorer for San Antonio, while he's still collecting assists with his ball movement to his teammates. With Devin Vassell out due to a left knee procedure, Jones has become more aggressive on the offensive end, adding almost five more shots per game in the last six games.

For Jones, this shows his ability to be adaptable in not just being a balanced point guard who scores and moves the ball when Vassell and Keldon Johnson are in the lineup, but also how he can be an aggressive scorer when the team needs more scoring.

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In Spurscast episode 681, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid discuss: 

• The Spurs going 2-4 in their last 6 games
• The Spurs through 40 games
• Roster moves this past week
• Trade Rumors

The Spurs going 2-4 in their last 6 games

The San Antonio Spurs went 2-4 in their last 6 games, defeating the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons, but falling to the Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Knicks, and Boston Celtics.

During this stretch, the Spurs also announced Devin Vassell will undergo a left knee procedure, which will keep him on the injured list with no timetable of when he'll return.

The team will provide updates as appropriate, but Head Coach Gregg Popovich mentioned to the media he thinks Vassell could return after the All-Star break.

The Spurs through 40 games

Through 40 games, the Spurs have the 27th-ranked offense and the 30th-ranked defense. The team is 14th out West in the standings and they have the 4th worst record in the league when looking at lottery odds for June.

Roster moves this past week

The Spurs made multiple roster moves this past week with the team waiving Gorgui Dieng Thursday, then the team trading for and waiving Noah Vonleh from the Boston Celtics. Along with Vonleh, the Spurs acquired cash considerations from the Celtics and San Antonio traded a 2024 second-round pick that is protected 31-54 according to Bobby Marks of ESPN.com.

Saturday Stanley Johnson's contract is fully guaranteed for the rest of the season, which means the Spurs have 14 players on guaranteed contracts. Lastly, on Sunday, the Spurs re-signed Dieng to a 10-day contract.

The Spurs now have $27.7 million in cap space and they're $15.9 million from reaching the salary floor with the trade deadline arriving in the next month on February 9, 2023.

Trade Rumors

Saturday Eric Pincus of BleacherReport.com wrote about the latest trade rumors he's been hearing about the Spurs. Those trade rumors are discussed in the episode.

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In Spurscast episode 680, Spurscast host Paul Garcia and Project Spurs director of digital content Joe Garcia discuss: 

• The Spurs in their last 6 games
• The Spurs through 34 games
• Malaki Branham in his last 6 games
• Jeremy Sochan in his last 5 games
• Stanley Johnson getting rotation minutes

The Spurs in their last 6 games

The San Antonio Spurs went 2-4 in their last six games, with wins against the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz, while they suffered losses to the Miami Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, Orlando Magic, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Spurs through 34 games

Through 34 games, the Spurs are 11-23 overall, with the 28th-ranked offense and 30th-ranked defense. The Spurs have the 4th worst record in the league, meaning if the lottery were held today, they'd have a 12.5% chance at the number one overall pick in the NBA draft.

Malaki Branham in his last 6 games

In his last six games, rookie Malaki Branham has been productive off the bench, averaging 12 points on seven shot attempts, with two assists, and two turnovers in 21 minutes (stats rounded).

The coaching staff has put the ball in his hands more often, having him run the backup point guard role and he's displayed his 3-level scoring ability.

With Branham playing well, could the chances increase for Josh Richardson to be traded before the February trade deadline?

Jeremy Sochan in his last 5 games

Sochan has been more aggressive on offense in his last five games, where he's averaging 14 points on 12 shot attempts, with four assists and two turnovers in 28 minutes per game (stats rounded).

Sochan has also begun to rebuild his jump shot by attempting free throws with just one hand.

Stanley Johnson getting rotation minutes

Unlike former Spurs, Jordan Hall and Alize Johnson, who mainly played in garbage time when they were on the Spurs, recent addition Stanley Johnson have been getting rotation minutes off the bench at the wing position.

In his seven games, the veteran Johnson is averaging six points on four shot attempts, with two assists, one turnover, two rebounds, one foul, one steal, and one block in 13 minutes per night (stats rounded).

Johnson has earned early minutes by being physical on defense and setting the tone on that end of the court for the team.

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