Heading into the 2025/26 season, the San Antonio Spurs have one of the more unique rosters in the NBA. On one hand, they have a group of players seemingly ready to compete in the postseason, and on the other, raw, undeveloped talents.
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The superstar of the team, Victor Wembanyama, will enter his third season and will now have a slew of weapons to play alongside. Veterans like De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes, and Jordan McLaughlin provide much-needed experience for the storied franchise. In addition, they have Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle and this year’s No. 2 pick, Dylan Harper, to add energy and spark.
Having both youth and experience gives the Spurs a luxury problem to manage. What will the identity of this team be? NBA insider Brian Windhorst has two theories, and neither may be what San Antonio fans want to hear.
Windhorst suggested that the Spurs will be the tale of two squads. “They need experience, ya know? Because they kind of got two different teams. They’ve got some veterans on their roster,” stated the analyst, mentioning Fox, Barnes, and McLaughlin as guys who will bring that experience to what is mainly a young team.
The Spurs could rely on their experienced stars this season, allowing the young players to develop away from the spotlight. At the same time, Windhorst can’t help but notice the young talent in San Antonio and wonders if the organization might instead prioritize giving these future stars as much playing time as possible.
“You’re looking at committing to playing two very young guards. If you’re talking about the recipe for winning in the NBA, it’s not playing young guards,” Windy said, referring to Harper and Castle.
“To me, they’re going to have to walk the line a little bit between developing their young guys who they drafted to put next to Victor, and whether they actually want to win in a very highly competitive Western Conference,” added the 47-year-old.
This isn’t a completely new approach. The Spurs are shaping a roster similar to what the Golden State Warriors did in the mid-2010s. The Warriors paired young stars like Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green with experienced players such as Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut.
San Antonio is taking a comparable path by pairing Wembanyama, Castle, and Harper with veterans like Fox and Barnes. This balance allows the young core to develop while keeping the team competitive. It worked remarkably well for the Warriors, and if it clicks, the Spurs could follow a similar path to sustained success.
Windy later mentioned how much the Spurs do, in fact, value their younger core. “The big thing with the Spurs is they’ve got three guards with Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, and De’Aron Fox, and they’re gonna wanna play all three. They value those three guys.”
Wembanyama, of course, despite being just 21, fits into both categories, standing out as the generational talent that he is. That said, Windhorst doesn’t expect the Spurs to climb the ranks too much in the West.
“I am a big believer in the Spurs’ future. I’m not sure that this is the year that they leap into the Top 6. But you know I’ve got a rule…no no ceilings on Victor Wembanyama.”
It’s hard to disagree with Windhorst on that front. The Spurs should be fun to watch, but competing in a conference that includes the Thunder, Timberwolves, Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Grizzlies, and a reformed Mavericks team will be a tough challenge. Still, as Windhorst pointed out, Wembanyama is a game-changer on his own. Perhaps in his third season, he will show just how magical his impact can be.
