The Spurs have completed their roster. Stephon Castle, Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes are the big additions, and the front office brought back some familiar faces to round out the roster. Barring an unexpected trade, the 15 players that will be on the main roster on opening night are set, and all that’s left to decide is who takes the two-way spots.
The curious thing is that the Silver and Black used only cap space and minimum salaries to complete their roster, so they still have the room exception. In past years that would have been a sign of cheapness or a waste, since there are rarely players who clear waivers during the season that are worth the $7.9 million San Antonio has available, but a rule change has made it useful to hold on to the exception.
Normally having a medium-sized trade exception wouldn’t be a huge deal, but with the draconian rules of the second apron, the reduced flexibility of the first apron and the onerous penalties of the luxury tax, teams have already looked to cut salary and will continue to do so. If moving away from a seldom-used prospect or veteran signing that didn’t pan out is the difference between avoiding the repeater tax or the harsh penalties of the aprons, teams will do it. We’ve seen a contending franchise like the Nuggets preemptively avoid overspending even at the expense of putting together the best team possible in Nikola Jokic’s prime, which shows how serious the consequences are. Front offices will make sacrifices and San Antonio will be one of the few teams ready to capitalize on them.
As an example, if the Warriors have a slow start and want to duck the tax, they could send Moses Moody, a young wing still in his rookie deal, to San Antonio. The 76ers could send out KJ Martin along with a pick if they can’t use him to upgrade their roster. A few apron teams would likely also be potential trade partners, as would be the franchises that are close to it and would love more room under it and the flexibility that comes with it. Other teams also have exceptions, but the Spurs have one of the lowest payrolls in the league, so there should be no concerns about adding salary in the right circumstances. The lack of an open roster spot could be an issue, but a few players are making the minimum or close to it, and Brian Wright likely won’t be afraid to waive someone if an opportunity to add talent or assets presents itself.
There’s no guarantee the mid-level room exception will get the Spurs a good player or a pick. It’s more useful now that it works essentially as a trade exception, but a lot of trade exceptions are never used and expire. San Antonio’s front office is not the only one that will have this tool since most brain trusts held on to their exceptions as well.
It’s still encouraging to see the Spurs’ decision-makers keep up with the changing landscape of the league not only in big, forward-thinking ways, like trying to set up a pipeline of future picks and swaps that should help them avoid apron issues, but also in smaller, more immediate ones, like in this case.
