The San Antonio Spurs have built one of the best rosters in the NBA, and a Western Conference rival is hoping to find the same success with some players the Spurs have tossed aside.
The San Antonio Spurs made it back to the NBA Finals in 2026. The Spurs built their roster largely through the NBA Draft. Key players like Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, and Keldon Johnson were all selected by the Spurs.
Julian Champagnie, meanwhile, was picked up on the scrapheap that is the NBA's waiver wire. Cut by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2023, he eventually signed a "prove-it" deal with the Spurs, exceeded all expectations, and became one of the better shooters on the roster.
The Spurs have a long history of building on the backs of rejects. In the Western Conference, one team is trying to give them a dose of their own medicine.
Trail Blazers Have Copied Spurs' Playbook
The Portland Trail Blazers would like to consider themselves the Spurs' top rival, and after their first-round playoff series got a little chippy, there's an argument to be made that there is some bad blood between the two teams.
Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, Toumani Camara, and Donovan Clingan all played key roles for the Blazers and were all picked up by Portland on draft night. Jrue Holiday, Matisse Thybulle, Deni Avdija, and Robert Williams also played big roles for Portland, and they were all given up by their former teams for pennies on the dollar.
Portland has a few overlooked former Spurs, too, and is hoping it can tap into their excellence.
Last season, the Blazers picked up Blake Wesley after he was cut by the Washington Wizards. This summer, they signed Micah Potter, who played for the Austin Spurs, as well as San Antonio's Summer League star Lee Hyun-jung. They joined a roster that also featured Jeremy Sochan and Sidy Cissoko, two players brimming with promise whom the Spurs gave up on.
Now, it's worth noting that there are more players who thrived with the Spurs than players who found success after their stints in San Antonio. Bruce Brown, Danny Green, Patty Mills, and Matt Bonner were all nearly out of the NBA before the Spurs picked them up.
The best example of a guy who became a star only after the Spurs gave up on him was Stephen Jackson. He went on to have some solid scoring seasons after the Spurs didn't re-sign him, but he was never a superstar.
Maybe the Blazers can buck that trend.
