The San Antonio Spurs clearly need to add a power forward to the roster, and a former rumored trade target is about to hit free agency. San Antonio could make him an offer.
Against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, and even against the OKC Thunder in the Conference Finals, it became incredibly clear that the San Antonio Spurs need a power forward.
Outside of Victor Wembanyama, the starting lineup doesn't have a ton of size, and when Wemby gets drawn out to the perimeter, their rebounding takes a massive hit. Julian Champagnie is a great rebounder for his size and position, but against the likes of Chet Holmgren and OG Anunoby, there wasn't a lot he could do.
This offseason, the Spurs will have ample cap space and have the trade assets to address their needs. Plus, they'll pick 20th overall and could land Yaxel Lendeborg or another win-now player.
In the event that they don't make a splash in the draft, the Spurs should instead turn to free agency, where they could land a player they have long been linked to.
Spurs Should Target John Collins
The Spurs have been linked to Collins since 2022, well before their current core was established. Back then, Collins was a floor-spacing forward for the Atlanta Hawks. He has since played for the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers, and has averaged 15.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and shot 39.1 percent from 3-point range in the last three seasons.
His shooting would space the floor on offense for Wembanyama to work down low, and on defense, he can stay in or near the paint, allowing Wembanyama to roam or go for risky blocks, knowing that there's still a capable rebounder by the rim.
Signing Collins would mitigate second-chance points, and having Collins on the floor would have stopped Anunoby's putback game-winner in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Collins is coming off a $26.6 million salary last season, which is a slight overpay. Between Harrison Barnes and Kelly Olynyk's salaries coming off the books, the Spurs will have an extra $32.4 million in cap space, making signing Collins incredibly feasible.
A starting lineup of Wembanyama, Collins, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper with De'Aaron Fox, Keldon Johnson, Luke Kornet, and Champagnie coming off the bench (with Carter Bryant and the 20th pick lying in wait) would have enough size and versatility on both ends of the floor to get the Spurs back into the Finals.
Plus, imagine the oversized pick-and-rolls San Antonio could run with Collins screening for Wembanyama.
