Previewing the San Antonio Spurs for the 2026-27 Season
The Spurs may have had a pretty disappointing appearance in the Finals, and it became disastrous on multiple levels, but going into last season, no one thought the team would make that kind of leap.
They should only have a much-improved roster this season, with their young players getting another offseason to develop and the addition of Tobias Harris, who gives them a major veteran presence that this team really needed.
Nothing less than a championship will be considered a successful season for the Spurs, and the expectations are sky-high once again.
The Roster
Point Guards — De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Jordan McLaughlin, Taelon Peter, Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Two-Way Contract)
Shooting Guards — Stephon Castle, Keldon Johnson, David Jones-Garcia (Two-Way Contract)
Small Forwards — Devin Vassell, Carter Bryant, Harrison Barnes
Power Forwards — Tobias Harris, Julian Champagnie, Maliq Brown (Two-Way Contract)
Centers — Victor Wembanyama, Luke Kornet, Tarris Reed Jr., Jayden Quaintance (Two-Way Contract)
Biggest Questions
I think the biggest question is an obvious one: what is going to happen with the point guard room, specifically the two highest players on the depth chart, De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper?
Dylan Harper played much better in the Finals, while Fox’s performance was disastrous in a lot of ways. At times, it almost felt like Fox was the rookie when he was supposed to be the veteran presence this team desperately needed.
De’Aaron Fox will likely be the starter on opening night, and there have been plenty of reports that the Spurs want to increase his trade value because of his difficult contract situation. I could honestly see the Spurs structuring the offense early in the season to help boost Fox’s play, build his confidence, and potentially increase his trade value.
I think this situation will be a lot more impactful than people think, and there could be some serious issues surrounding it if things do not go smoothly.
Another question, though not quite as big, is the addition of Tobias Harris. Harris had a very good year for the Pistons and was one of their most reliable options in the playoffs.
He should be a great fit as a starter for San Antonio and gives them another excellent piece to pair with Victor Wembanyama. I think people are really downplaying this addition, but we will see how good it actually ends up being as the season progresses.
Something else intriguing about this team is the development of Stephon Castle, Victor Wembanyama, and Dylan Harper.
These are three of the best young players in the NBA, and they have already shown that they can play at an extremely high level. Victor Wembanyama is only 22 years old but is already entering the season as one of the favorites for MVP.
Dylan Harper showcased last season that he has sky-high potential, and Stephon Castle is only entering his third season while already becoming the established starting shooting guard for the team.
This young core, as everyone knows, has sky-high potential, but I honestly think even that phrase undersells it. If all three of these players take another step forward, the rest of the league could be in some serious trouble this season and for the near future.
Prediction Markets
Some of the current future betting lines for the Spurs are as follows:
Regular-season win total: 60.5
To win the NBA Finals: +270 (tied for best odds)
To win the Western Conference: +160 (2nd-best odds)
To reach the Conference Finals: -185 (2nd-best odds)
To reach the Conference Semifinals: -650 (2nd-best odds)
To win the division: -1200 (best odds)
To make the playoffs: -20000
To miss the playoffs: +10000
To participate in the Play-In: +3500
To win the NBA Cup: +425 (2nd-best odds)
These are some of the best odds in the entire league, just slightly behind the Oklahoma City Thunder overall.
The prediction markets are expecting the Spurs to finish as a top-two seed in the Western Conference and be one of the favorites to win the NBA Finals.
Those are sky-high expectations, but the question is whether San Antonio will be able to match them. We will see as the season progresses.
Final Prediction and Outlook
The Spurs have sky-high expectations, and for good reason. After making the 2026 NBA Finals, anything less than a championship would be considered a disappointment.
I believe the team could be a little sluggish during the regular season simply because they played so deep into last year and had such a quick turnaround. That is usually pretty common for teams coming off a Finals appearance.
I think Dylan Harper takes a major step forward, though, and sometime during the season becomes the starting point guard.
I have the Spurs finishing just under their projected win total and falling short of expectations in the postseason.
Final Prediction
60-22 — 1 Seed — Western Conference Finals Loss
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