The San Antonio Spurs were four quarters away from a championship. Actually, they were four fourth quarters away. Against the New York Knicks in the 2026 NBA Finals, the Spurs blew winnable games in stunning fashion — becoming the league’s punchline after a five-game series loss that could have easily gone the other way.
But here’s the thing nobody’s saying loud enough: that collapse wasn’t a sign of a broken team. It was a sign of an unfinished one.
The core of Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle is untouchable. The front office has made that clear. But the roster around them has holes that were exposed at the worst possible time. And the NBA has a brutal way of punishing teams that assume their title window will stay open. Just ask the 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder — they traded James Harden, convinced they’d be back, and never saw the Finals again with that group.
The Spurs don’t need a rebuild. They need two specific upgrades.
A Wing Who Can Guard Everyone
What the Spurs lacked most against New York was a multi-positional defender in that sweet spot — 6’7″ to 6’10”, strong enough to body up forwards, quick enough to switch onto guards, and capable of scoring when the offense stalls. Think Aaron Gordon’s role in Denver.
That’s where Kawhi Leonard enters the conversation, even if it sounds like a fever dream.
According to team insiders, the Clippers are quietly open to moving Leonard. He’s 34, in the final year of his deal, and LA missed the 2026 playoffs entirely despite him putting up 27.9 points per game on ridiculous shooting splits (51/39/89). The Clippers hold the No. 5 pick in this year’s draft. A rebuild makes sense.
A proposed three-team trade would send Leonard to San Antonio, De’Aaron Fox to Orlando, and Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, plus multiple picks and swaps to the Clippers. The Spurs would add a proven playoff killer — someone who’s won two Finals MVPs and arguably saved his best basketball for the biggest moments. Leonard’s injury history is real, but so is the reality that San Antonio’s title window with Wembanyama won’t last forever.
Fans online have already started debating whether a Leonard return would heal old wounds or reopen them. Gregg Popovich is no longer on the sideline. The roster is completely different. And Leonard would walk in as the veteran star, not the ascendant sidekick he was in 2014. The emotional calculus is complicated — but the basketball math is simple.
The Backup Center Problem
Luke Kornet will be remembered in San Antonio for his Game 7 block on Isaiah Hartenstein. That moment alone earned him a place in franchise lore. But over the course of a seven-game Finals series, the Spurs’ non-Wembanyama minutes turned into a liability.
By Game 5, Wembanyama was visibly exhausted. Coach Mitch Johnson couldn’t afford to sit him more than a few minutes at a time because the drop-off was too steep. The Knicks, by contrast, had Mitchell Robinson backing up Karl-Anthony Towns — a blueprint the Spurs need to replicate.
Enter Daniel Gafford. The Mavericks big man is available, and Dallas would have a hard time refusing an offer built around the 20th overall pick in this year’s draft (via Atlanta) plus Luke Kornet heading the other way. Gafford brings rim protection, rebounding, and enough defensive versatility to keep the Spurs afloat when Wembanyama catches a breather. It’s not a glamorous move. It’s the kind of move that wins championships in the margins.
The Spurs have two clear paths to upgrade. One brings back a familiar ghost. The other fills a quiet but critical hole. If they get both right, last season’s collapse becomes a footnote — not a warning.
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