The fans voted, and they have chosen violence! (Or at least action.)
The offseason is officially upon us, with San Antonio Spurs fans taking to social media to fight over how they think the team should be built going forward. We took it upon ourselves to take an official pulse of the fan base to see exactly how they are feeling about the Spurs going into the summer.
First we wanted to know how aggressive fans want the team to be. An overwhelming percentage want San Antonio to be somewhat aggressive, adding veterans around the fringes while still developing the existing core. With potentially two first round picks and $20-$25 million in cap space, the Spurs should be able to add high-end talent without breaking the bank. It’s interesting that just 11% want the Spurs to be very aggressive, pushing the chips in for a star or two. Just weeks ago it seemed like most were ready to push the chips in for Trae Young or another superstar, but perhaps recent reports of the Spurs disinterest have quieted those desires.
If the Spurs were to trade for a top-end talent, our readers would like it to be one of the members of the Cleveland Cavaliers back court. Darius Garland won the poll, with Donovan Mitchell finishing in second. The Cavs find themselves up 2-1 in a tough series with the Orlando Magic. If they fail to advance to the second round, it’s conceivable that one of the two guards could be involved in trade discussions. Garland fits the Spurs timeline and would give the Silver and Black the lead guard they need. He’s also likely to be cheaper than Mitchell.
Mikal Bridges is a sneaky name to keep an eye on. He’s the only thing standing between a full rebuild in Brooklyn. If they decide to move him this summer, the Spurs could stand to benefit from the three-and-D wing. He’d provide them with some scoring juice and floor spacing to go along with stellar defense. Speaking of defense (or lack there of), there was no love for Young, as just 14% of respondents want to see the Spurs deal for the guard.
It’s more likely that the Spurs opt to add talent through the draft, where they own their first round pick, as well as the Toronto Raptors top-6 protected first rounder. Our readers are most excited about the European players at the top of the 2024 class. Nikola Topic and Zaccharie Risacher have had up and down seasons leading up to the draft. Topic recently returned to the court after a knee injury sidelined him for most of the draft cycle. Risacher has struggled to find success in the last month or so, which could have some questioning his draft stock.
Only 6% of respondents are Ron Holland fans, which is somewhat surprising. Holland was considered the favorite to go number one at the beginning of the season. He struggled to efficiently score on a flawed G League Ignite team. Yet, not many in the draft have more skill than Holland. Pounding the Rock will have a scouting report on Holland soon that breaks down why he may just be a steal in the 2024 draft.
