Rarely are the San Antonio Spurs the team going out and dominating the free agency market. Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford have built this dynasty with a bit of luck in the drafting process, impeccable scouting for bargains -- both domestic and international -- and preaching sacrifice for the greater good. That sacrifice hasn't just come on the basketball court with the way the players are foregoing the spotlight for team success, but it's also come with their bank accounts.
Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and now Danny Green have all given up earning the most money possible throughout various contracts in order to save a little bit for the flexibility of adding more talented players. It paid off especially this summer as they've agreed to terms to bring LaMarcus Aldridge into the mix on a four-year deal. They've also found a way to convince David West to take a veteran's minimum deal after opting out of his $12 million owed to him by the Indiana Pacers. This is the Spurs' culture of sacrifice in motion.
This isn't the only bit of sacrifice the Spurs have had to deal with during the offseason though. San Antonio has possibly sacrificed depth it's relied on for years as it has built an engine with interchangeable parts always in motion and always a danger to opponents. In finding new homes for Aldridge and West, the Spurs have seen Tiago Splitter (traded to the Atlanta Hawks), Cory Joseph (signed with the Toronto Raptors), Marco Belinelli (signed with the Sacramento Kings) and Aron Baynes (signed with the Detroit Pistons) all depart from the team.
This may not seem like a huge loss for the Spurs considering the talent they've retained and the talent they've brought in, but trading out four players for two from the rotation will definitely hurt most cores. It currently leaves the Spurs with issues of depth they'll have to figure out how to fill.
At point guard, Tony Parker's health leaves cause for concern. He hasn't played 70 games or more since the 2010-11 season, and we've seen him hobbled in the past few postseason appearances. Joseph and Belinelli both saw time at the backup point guard position last season. Patty Mills is under contract for next year, but he's much more of an out-of-control wrecking ball on offense than he is a precision backup point guard. Between him and Parker, the Spurs still need another point guard, and there aren't a lot of options out there.
Someone like Aaron Brooks could be superfluous with Mills on the roster, or the Spurs could turn toward a veteran like Jameer Nelson. San Antonio has done well with mining talent in their D-League team before, but they'll want to rely on a more experienced option next to Parker and Mills.
On the wings, the Spurs will rely on their mix of veterans and youth if they feel last year's first-round pick Kyle Anderson is ready to contribute. Anderson is a versatile perimeter threat with the size to play inside. He's a solid outside shooter and very good at moving the ball and finding teammates with the pass. However, he lacks in athleticism, and may not be quick enough to take advantage of the Spurs' system right now.
Luckily for him, he'll be next to Kawhi Leonard, Green and Ginobili -- making the responsibility of producing not so heavy for his inexperience. The Spurs also have Reggie Williams on the roster, and he can definitely provide some outside shooting and scoring from the perimeter as long as they can get him to be a decent defensive presence within the team concept. There are still plenty of wing players out there to add depth to the roster too.
Convincing someone like Alan Anderson, Marcus Thornton, Dorell Wright, Wayne Ellington or Rasual Butler to come be a shooter on this championship-chasing roster would be something that fits in with the Spurs' history of preaching sacrifice.
For the big men, the Spurs are just about set. Duncan is coming back at a discount and Boris Diaw is still under contract for the Spurs. They also have Aldridge and West coming aboard, and they could re-sign Matt Bonner to a minimum deal if they'd like. They don't need to do a lot of shuffling there because this team is now being focused around the interior depth of the roster, and they're great talents in an NBA world of perimeter focus.
If the Spurs have taught us anything over the years, they respect the depth of their roster and the interchangeable nature of their rotation and attack above anything. It's the system that is the star for them, which has tagged them with the stigma of being boring to the casual observer. The stars aren't stars; they're simply cogs in the machine. Pop is the star. The Spurs' jersey is the star. And the team is the packaged deal for the TV audience.
That's changed this offseason though, as they've gone from "built" to "bought" -- something LeBron James and the Miami Heat were teased about during their back-to-back Finals matchups in 2013 and 2014. The Spurs have skewed largely toward free agency for the first time in a long time, and they've reaped the benefits of such a venture. Now like any other franchise that has to reshuffle a bunch of parts in order to bring in a star in free agency, the Spurs have to hope their are veteran options out there willing to take a discount to join the ride.
At least for them, they have plenty of experience in asking for sacrifice from the players they want on their team.
