The San Antonio Spurs are playing the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals on Wednesday night, and the team has a fully healthy roster and won’t be missing any of its key players, according to the official injury report.
While the Spurs did see De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper go down with injuries in the previous series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Victor Wembanyama-led San Antonio team will have all of their players to begin the Finals against the Knicks
Heading into Game 1, the Spurs’ starting lineup was confirmed for their first Finals appearance since 2014.
Spurs Starting Lineup For NBA Finals Game 1 Vs Knicks
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 30: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
In a pregame post on social media, the Spurs’ starting lineup for Game 1 was confirmed.
De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell, and Victor Wembanyama were all named as starters by head coach Mitch Johnson and his staff.
This is the usual starting five San Antonio have used when healthy, and it’s the group the team is going with to begin the 2026 NBA Finals.
They have used this starting lineup 15 times in the playoffs so far, and have gone 10-5 in those games, the last coming in their Game 7 win against the Thunder. In the regular season, the Spurs used the Fox, Castle, Champagnie, Vassell, and Wembanyama starting five 24 times, the most used combination by far, and went 21-3 in that span.
Previously, and specifically when Fox was out with his ankle injury, Harper got the nod in the starting lineup for a few games, putting up a strong performance before then going down with an injury of his own. The rookie will once again be coming off the bench for the Spurs to begin the Finals, but with an injury to one of their guards, he’ll be the first one elevated.
Along with Harper, San Antonio’s rotation will feature Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson, along with big man Luke Kornet, forward Harrison Barnes, and potentially rookie Carter Bryant Throughout the playoffs, the starting five plus those bench guys have been mainly the entire cast for Johnson and the Spurs.
A few other guys could come in, but for the most part, that’s the ten to expect to see on the court in Game 1.
San Antonio Is In The Finals
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 30: The San Antonio Spurs pose with the The Oscar Robertson Trophy after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
San Antonio is in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, in what is their first postseason run with this Wembanyama-led roster.
They had a strong regular season and were picked by many to make it to the championship series, but as a young and inexperienced team, that was always a tough ask. But after beating the Oklahoma City, the Spurs are now favored to win the Finals against the Knicks.
When speaking at media day before the series, head coach Johnson doesn’t believe his team’s inexperience will play a major factor against the Knicks, whose lineup features several players with deep playoff experience.
“At times, experience is something that’s very well-suited to be anchored to, if you use it in the right way,” he said, per NBA.com. “I think there are just different things that we anchor to at different times (such as habits, discipline, consistency), when we can’t change what we can’t control.”
In what might be one of the biggest storylines of the series, the Spurs’ second-year guard in Castle will be tasked with guarding New York’s Jalen Brunson, who has put together a historic postseason run during the team’s current 11-game winning streak.
When asked about going head-to-head against one of the top guards in the NBA, Castle spoke about physicality and his size.
“What’s worked for me is trying to be physical with him. He’s obviously shorter than me, but he’s very physical… trying to be as disciplined I can, crowd his space, but not give him the angles that he’s looking for,” Castle said. “Just trying to impose my will and use my physicality to my advantage.”
Along with stopping Brunson, getting Wembanyama going in each game of the series will likely be the biggest task for the Spurs in the Finals. He and the team have a strong history in prior Game 1s, but going up against a Knicks team that has been the best group in the 2026 playoffs so far, that won’t come easy.
San Antonio is favored to win Game 1 and the series to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy, but the 2026 NBA Finals have yet to play out, and a lot can happen.
Spurs vs Knicks Game 1 of the NBA Finals tips off at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio at 7:30 pm EST on Wednesday, June 3, and will be live on ABC.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Spurs Announce Starting Lineup For Game 1 Of NBA Finals Vs Knicks appeared first on HEAVY.