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DK Nation will be going through all 30 teams ahead of the season, looking at how the roster shapes up for the 2022-23 campaign. Here we take a look at the San Antonio Spurs, who have finally embraced a full rebuild and will use this season as a baseline for which players have a future on the roster.
San Antonio Spurs 2022-23 Outlook
Key additions: Jeremy Sochan, Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham
Sochan looks like a star defender in the making, while Wesley and Branham serve as potential replacements for Murray and White in the backcourt. Both have significant upside as prospects but will take some time to develop.
Key departures: Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker
Trading Murray was a tough decision for the Spurs, who now have no star power in the cupboard. Walker left in free agency. We’ll see how San Antonio uses the draft assets it got back in the Murray deal, but the Spurs have to nail their draft picks after finally opting to go down this path.
Season expectations
The Spurs still have some young players who are looking at contract extensions. They’ve already inked Keldon Johnson to a deal, so now the focus will be on evaluating the likes of Devin Vassell, Jakob Poeltl and Tre Jones. The latter two are expiring deals.
Projected starting lineup
Johnson, Vassell and Poeltl should be in the starting lineup as key holdovers. Doug McDermott has Gregg Popovich’s backing for now but this could eventually be Sochan’s spot. Tre Jones should be the lead point guard to start the season, with Wesley and Branham fighting for playing time.
Fantasy basketball player to watch: Devin Vassell
The shooting guard enters his third season looking to cement his spot as part of San Antonio’s future. Vassell’s per-36 numbers improved considerably, and he’ll be second only to Johnson as an offensive option this year. Vassell could average 20.0 points per game this season if he gets consistent playing time, which offers great value given his potential ADP in fantasy basketball formats.