There’s arguably no team with a brighter future in the NBA than the San Antonio Spurs, despite their recent shortcomings in the Finals against the New York Knicks.
They boast a deep pool of talented young players, led, of course, by 22-year-old phenom Victor Wembanyama. There likely isn’t a team out there that wouldn’t give up virtually their whole team to employ the Frenchman.
But that’s not even including other cornerstones like lottery picks Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle, who, similar to Wembanyama, are still coming into their own as NBA stars.
Despite their youth, the Spurs are still top contenders to win an NBA championship next season, and there are a few additions they can make to fix the biggest flaws from their series against the Knicks.
Spurs Predicted to Land Rui Hachimura
Sportsnaut’s Matt Johnson predicted the San Antonio Spurs to sign former Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura in free agency, pointing to his elite three-point shooting as the biggest draw.
“Instead, the pivot should be to the Lakers’ forward Rui Hachimura. He looked pretty good this past season, averaging 11.5 PPG while shooting 44.3 percent from beyond the arc (1.7 3PM per game),” wrote Johnson.
“The 6-foot-8 forward would provide San Antonio with the added depth and talent it needs at the four, even if Hachimura isn’t the best rebounder to put alongside Victor Wembanyama. He’ll do the little things that strengthen the Spurs’ rotation.”
As Johnson points out, Hachimura isn’t the physically dominating presence in the paint the Spurs were missing against the New York Knicks, but his perimeter shooting is something San Antonio desperately needed more of in the NBA Finals.
In the series against the Knicks, the Spurs shot 33.9% from three-point range, a fairly poor number that certainly contributed to the series outcome.
Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie shot North of 40%, but Castle, Harper, and Wembanyama all shot under 31% from long range.
Hachimura has developed into a legitimate three-point threat over his last three years with the Lakers, shooting 42.2%, 41.3%, and 44.3% respectively from distance.
That certainly would have helped San Antonio in the Finals this past season, and his addition would be welcome to a Spurs team that needs more shooting.
What About Tobias Harris?
Of course, the San Antonio Spurs have already made a signing at power forward this offseason, inking free agent Tobias Harris to a two-year, $31 million deal on July 1.
But that doesn’t mean the Spurs can’t have both, with each player offering different skill sets.
What Hachimura has in outside shooting, he lacks as a rebounder, and that’s exactly what San Antonio is hoping Harris brings with him to the Spurs.
Last season with the Detroit Pistons, Harris hauled in 5.1 rebounds per game, while Hachimura only recorded 3.3 per game.
Both players can be interchangeable at the four depending on who the Spurs are playing and which matchups they like better.
Regardless, San Antonio would be wise to add at least one more elite shooter this offseason, boosting their odds of capturing their first NBA title since 2014.
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