Five free agents the Spurs should consider

Five free agents the Spurs should consider

After trading the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs cleared around $26M in cap space this summer. If they wave some of their non-guaranteed contracts, the Spurs will be amongst the few teams with the cap room to sign free agents to $20M+ deals. San Antonio has plenty of holes on their roster they could address in free agency.

The Spurs were 28th in the NBA in three-point shooting last season, hitting 34.7% of their threes. They had the fourth most turnovers per game at 15.1 per game. With Victor Wembanyama leading the way, their defense improved but was still 22nd in defensive rating (116.4). They lacked shot creators that could create open looks next to Wembanyama and Devin Vassell as the Spurs finished 26th in offensive rating (110). Going into free agency, they need wings and guards who can shoot and defend.

The 2024 free agency class is not littered with stars. Paul George leads the pack but will look for more money than the Spurs can provide. This summer will be good for teams looking for role players. As San Antonio continues to develop their young core, they could supplement them with veteran role players in free agency. Here are a few guys the Spurs can target when the free agency period opens up on June 30th at 5 p.m. CT.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 6-foot-5 guard/wing

2023-2024 stats: 10.1 points, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 46% FG, 40.6% 3PT, 89.4% FT, 56.6% eFG

The Spurs could use a veteran presence with Cedi Osman and Devonte’ Graham likely on their way out of San Antonio. How about one with some championship pedigree? Caldwell-Pope has been the perfect fit with the Denver Nuggets these last two seasons. He provides a smart off-ball wing who can hit shots from deep and play good defense on the other end. The 3&D wing was a crucial part of their 2023 championship run and one of the best plug-and-play free agents on the market.

The Nuggets are pushing up against the second apron of the salary cap. Bringing back Caldwell-Pope in FA seems unlikely given their financial situation. In fact, Nuggets GM, Calvin Booth, made a statement that makes it seem certain that KCP will play for another team next season.

Of the teams with projected cap space, the Spurs are the best fit for KCP. They have a hole on the wing and could use a veteran 3&D presence. The question is, will they fork over the necessary money to get a deal done? ESPN has projected KCP’s next contract to be upwards of $20M per year. San Antonio would have to sacrifice a significant amount of their cap space for an aging role player. That big contract could also be used down the road to acquire a star. A shorter, team-friendly deal that still gets KCP his money could make sense for the Spurs, as they look to maintain their flexibility moving forward.

Gary Trent Jr., 6-foot-5 guard/wing

2023-2024 stats: 13.7 points, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 42.6% FG, 39.3% 3PT, 77.1% FT, 53.1% eFG

San Antonio struggled to make open threes last season. It was one of the reasons that teams were able to key in on Wembanyama in the paint. In free agency, they could target the best wide-open three-point shooter in the NBA who may be cheaper than other options. Trent Jr. hit 51.9% of his open threes last season and knocked down 39.3% of his total attempts from that range.

At 26 years old, Trent Jr. fits the Spurs’ current youth movement. He’s coming off a down year where he saw less playing time and a drop in scoring production. If San Antonio could grab the shooting wing for cheap, it could be a worthwhile bet that he gets back to the near 18 points per game production he provided in years prior. Trent Jr. is not a perfect player. He’s not an impactful defender or playmaker and struggles to score around the basket. He shot just 46.4% on twos last year. Still, the Spurs need shooters, and he is one of the best on the market.

Naji Marshall, 6-foot-7 wing

2023-2024 stats: 7.1 points, 1.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 46.3% FG, 38.7% 3PT, 79.1% FT, 54.2% eFG

Spurs fans had their eyes on Marshall as early as last season. The versatile wing can guard multiple positions, make physical plays inside and knock down open threes. San Antonio needs more wing depth. Marshall could step in and start in a versatile lineup heavy on defense and length.

The Pelicans are stacked on the wings with Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III. Marshall will likely be looking to land somewhere he can play a larger role and earn more money. San Antonio could provide both of those and still have the cap room to sign another player. It’s hard to find a better match in free agency than Marshall and the Spurs. They need better defenders and shooters on the wing. San Antonio could use some players that provide a level of competitiveness and “nasty” to match Wembanyama. Marshall checks a lot of boxes for the Spurs.

Tyus Jones, 6-foot-1 guard

2023-2024 stats: 12 points, 7.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 48.9% FG, 41.4% 3PT, 80% FT, 56.9% eFG

The Spurs’ needs on the wing have been well-documented. They could also use another playmaker or two. Tre Jones’ older brother is one of the best true point guards in the league. Tyus should be high on the Spurs’ list of free agent targets this summer. Jones has the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA and knocks down threes at a 41.4% clip. Tyus isn’t the athlete or defender that Tre is, but his skills as a scorer and playmaker are more advanced.

Jones could come in and take over his little brother’s role as the starting point guard while Tre runs the second unit. A Tyus and Wembanyama pick and roll would be a joy to watch, and his jumper would add another wrinkle to the action. His presence in the starting unit should help San Antonio cut back on some of the turnover issues they faced last season. He’s not a switchable defender or particularly stout at the point of attack, but San Antonio will have plenty of defenders to back him up.

Oddly enough, the Spurs have a bit of a logjam at guard. If they plan to play Stephon Castle at point guard, Tyus would take minutes from Tre and Castle. The Spurs would have to get creative on how they utilize those three players. That’s without factoring in Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham, who are coming into pivotal years of their careers. Tyus is a better player than any guards the Spurs have at this point. He’ll likely be a hot commodity on the open market but fits too many needs for the Spurs to not make a play for him.

Luke Kennard, 6-foot-5 guard

2023-2024 stats: 11 points, 3.5 assists, 2.9 rebounds, 44.8% FG, 45% 3PT, 88.9% FT, 61.7% eFG

The Spurs desperately need three-point shooting, so why not pursue the best shooter in free agency? Kennard was second in the NBA in three-point percentage last season behind Grayson Allen. Kennard takes 75% of his shots from three-point range and relies on ball movement to get him open looks. He would fill the Doug McDermott-sized hole in the Spurs roster as a three-point specialist who can knock down jumpers off screens and space the floor next to Wembanyama.

The Memphis Grizzlies declined Kennard’s $14.8M team option on Saturday. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, both teams are eager to pursue a restructured deal. San Antonio would have the cap space to offer the shooter a financially lucrative deal that could help them steal him from Memphis. Kennard played just 39 games last season after dealing with injuries. Years and money on the contract will likely matter to the veteran shooter.

Honorable mentions: Haywood Highsmith, Precious Achiuwa, Dario Saric, Lonnie Walker IV, Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris, Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, Keita Bates-Diop