Fresh off a stunning run to the NBA Finals, what will the San Antonio Spurs do for an encore?
The Spurs, who went 62-20 in the regular season and were the 2-seed in the Western Conference, have kept their roster intact and added veteran forward Tobias Harris to help their offense. And while they lost top assistant Sean Sweeney, who is now the coach of the Orlando Magic, they added former Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan to work alongside Mitch Johnson. They’re set up to make another run toward a title.
ESPN’s staff of experts is looking back at the offseason and taking an early look at the 2026-27 season for all 30 teams, with 30 pieces — one for every team — rolling out each weekday through Sept. 18. We’re answering the biggest looming questions, evaluating X factors and much more for all 30 teams.
Let’s dive into the Spurs, who might have a decision to make at point guard soon:
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Offseason at a glance
Key additions: F Tobias Harris
Key retentions: F Harrison Barnes
Key subtractions: None
San Antonio’s surprising run to the NBA Finals never obscured its long-term vision for building a sustainable competitor around Victor Wembanyama. Clearly, the Frenchman views the future similarly, considering he signed a 25% max extension worth $252 million instead of the available 30% supermax escalators that would’ve rocketed the contract to $303 million.
Wembanyama did it to keep San Antonio’s talented young core together for as long as possible, with added flexibility to acquire needed supporting players. The Spurs grabbed one of those in free agency in Harris, an experienced, reliable scorer who adds size (6-foot-8, 226 pounds) and physicality on defense while bolstering frontcourt depth in the draft. — Michael C. Wright
Zach Kram’s offseason grade: A
You could quibble with how the Spurs built the end of their bench even after a lack of depth hurt them in the playoffs, although Harris’ two-year deal fills a big hole on the roster. But the Spurs receive a top grade because of one major move: They locked Wembanyama into a 25% maximum extension, which could save them more than $50 million for over half a decade.
That decision could have significant repercussions not only for the Spurs (as they build and maintain a championship-caliber roster around Wembanyama) but also for the NBA as a whole, as the owners and the players’ union eventually negotiate over the current financial landscape. — Kram
What we learned over the past few months
From Ben Golliver’s offseason lessons piece: Wembanyama followed Tim Duncan’s blueprint.
Here’s a mind-blowing stat: Spurs backup center Luke Kornet will earn more money in 2026-27 than Duncan, one of the best big men ever, took home during San Antonio’s 2013-14 championship season. While that fact speaks to the NBA’s incredible financial growth during commissioner Adam Silver’s tenure, it’s also a reminder that Duncan regularly accepted discounted contracts to help the Spurs build title contenders.
Wembanyama inked a five-year, $252 million contract extension this summer, which at first glance doesn’t look like a major sacrifice. Remember, though, that the 2023 No. 1 pick was potentially eligible to sign for $303 million. Wembanyama told The Athletic that he accepted the lower amount because “often the potential of teams is not fulfilled because of money.”
The Duncan Spurs proved that depth and chemistry are crucial to winning titles: Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard were named Finals MVP on Duncan’s last two championship teams. Wembanyama, fresh off his first Finals appearance, has put San Antonio in a better position to sign recent lottery picks Harper and Stephon Castle to rookie extensions once the time comes. With that trio in place, San Antonio seems bound to win it all sooner than later. — Golliver
The big question: Could Dylan Harper start over De’Aaron Fox on opening night?
Despite Harper breaking out in the postseason, it’s likely Fox gets the nod considering his experience, ability to direct traffic and consistently facilitate the offense. Fox did that throughout the regular season, despite missing most of last offseason and the start of the regular season due to a hamstring injury.
After Fox’s rough showing in the NBA Finals, team sources said the Spurs remain committed to the veteran, pointing out that San Antonio might have never reached the Finals without the point guard’s contributions while playing on a high right ankle sprain.
Ultimately, though, sources said the decision between Fox and Harper will belong to Johnson and will be decided solely by what happens on the floor. Johnson mentioned wanting to experiment with playing all three guards together in some lineups. San Antonio did that in 18 games last season with disastrous results (minus-26.9 net rating). Still, the trio could improve with an entire offseason together. — Wright
Basketball Power Index rank: No. 2
Here are the predicted Net Points per 100 possessions for the Spurs’ top seven players for the 2026-27 season:
Champagnie made people think he was streaky with some great games and great parts of games. But I looked — and he really wasn’t. Coincidentally, Castle showed up as the league’s most streaky player. Castle was streaky on 2s across a longer series of games. He shot 60% through the end of December, then just 40% in January, 59% in February, 50% until May and 56% until the last two games of the Finals. — Dean Oliver
Read about how Net Points works here.
Biggest X factor
F Tobias Harris
The Spurs’ big offseason addition brings a play style and positional size that didn’t exist on the roster last year. Harris is a big wing who can play credible defense, space the floor and make tough buckets late in the shot clock. And after the Spurs reached the Finals despite little frontcourt depth last season — Harper was the only reserve who averaged at least eight points in the playoffs — Harris offers another reliable option for Mitch Johnson.
However, Harris is 34 years old and on the downslope of his career. The Spurs would benefit if he’s able to stave off his decline for another year and help them return to the Finals. — Kram
Betting insight from our expert
Bet to make ahead of the season: Dylan Harper to win Sixth Man of the Year (+800)
Harper has the talent to be a starter, but the Spurs’ depth makes him an ideal sixth man. His playoff run showed he can score and create against top competition and a larger role off the bench should still give Harper close to 30 minutes per game. If that production carries over, he’ll have a strong case for the award. — Eric Moody
Odds by DraftKings 
at time of publication.
