Spurs March Headstrong Towards 2023 NBA Draft With Latest Move

The NBA offseason has been gripped with Kevin Durant fever ever since the Brooklyn Nets star announced that he wanted to be traded to either the Phoenix Suns or the Miami Heat.

Teams close to title contention have also been linked to making an inquiry with the Nets regarding Durant’s availability, but one team is staying away from all of the Durant drama.

The San Antonio Spurs have been making moves this offseason to ensure that they stand a good shot at getting the top overall pick in the 2023 draft, which is expected to be French prospect Victor Wembanyama.

NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Spurs have claimed former Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Roby off waivers as they look to field a core focused on developing youngsters.

They made the shocking move to trade Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks for three first-round picks, a 2026 pick swap, and veteran forward Danilo Gallinari, whom they have already waived.

As it stands, San Antonio is likely to field a starting five of Tre Jones, Joshua Primo, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson and Jakob Poeltl on opening night.

Their ninth overall pick in the 2022 draft, Jeremy Sochan, is expected to break through the starting lineup at some point in the season.

Picking up Roby’s contract ensures that the Spurs have a wealth of big men as they also have Zach Collins and the newly re-signed Gorgui Dieng to serve as their main veterans.

Currently, the Spurs are bereft of point guards since Jones and Primo are likely to split time at the position, with no one else behind them on the depth chart.

Spotrac noted that they will have about upwards of $33 million in cap space this season, allowing them to absorb bad contracts plus picks as they march towards their goal of getting the best possible prospect in the 2023 draft.

Selected 45th overall in the 2019 NBA draft, Roby is laden with potential thanks to his showing last season where he averaged 10.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 assists, and 0.8 blocks in 45 games for the Thunder.

While his stats do not entirely light up the box score, the Spurs can develop him into a weapon that they can bring off the bench and provide presence inside the paint against smaller lineups.

Spurs fans are already buckling up for a rough season this time around, but they and the rest of the NBA know better than to question the methods of head coach Gregg Popovich and franchise CEO R.C. Buford.