SAN ANTONIO — The Spurs will look different at the start of the 2021 season after saying goodbye to mainstay veterans and bringing in fresh faces as they built around their young core.
Here's a look at each of the six players San Antonio added in the offseason, from Al-Farouq Aminu who may not make the roster to Doug McDermott who will begin his run here replacing DeMar DeRozan in the starting five. Click in for a deeper dive on each player.
If you’re looking for the most notable addition to the Spurs’ roster this summer and the player who has the best chance to crack the starting lineup out of the gate, Doug McDermott is your guy.
The 29-year-old forward is coming off his best season in the NBA as he averaged 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 24.5 minutes per game, all career highs. He started 29 games for the Pacers last season, and grew his offensive game beyond the reputation he’s earned as a deadeye shooter.
RELATED: 'We don't have superstars' | Popovich says team lacks superstar players, and that is exciting
Thaddeus Young is the best player that the Chicago Bulls sent to San Antonio to acquire DeMar DeRozan, and since then the question of whether or not we’ll see him in Silver & Black has loomed over the remainder of the Spurs’ offseason.
He's a veteran big man who fits well with the group the Spurs have, but his veteran leadership, steady production and expiring contract may be sought out by contending teams.
RELATED: How will Thaddeus Young fit and can Jock Landale make a push for rotation minutes? | Locked On Spurs
Every NBA team should have exactly one player whose entire job is to come off the bench and drain threes, and the Spurs brought Bryn Forbes back to play that role after he won a title with the Bucks.
In Milwaukee last year, Forbes averaged 19 minutes mostly coming off the bench. He was at his best in his ideal role as a reserve shooter, averaging 10 points per game while hitting 47% from the floor and 45% from three, both career highs. He was the fourth-most accurate shooter in the league last season.
In one of the most under-the-radar acquisitions of the entire NBA offseason, the Spurs signed Jock Landale of Australia.
After the departure of LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio struggled a bit with center depth and big-man shooting. Bringing in the versatile Landale should help address those concerns.
At 25 years old, Landale was one of the top players in Australia’s NBL, which is one of the best pro basketball leagues in the world. Last year he led the NBL in blocks, field goal percentage (.545), and effective field goal percentage (.607). He was sixth in the league in points and second in rebounds and was named Grand Final MVP after leading Melbourne to a title in the championship series.
One of the more interesting signings for the Spurs this offseason was that of Zach Collins, a former lottery pick and 6’11” shooter who has spent the last several years dealing with injuries.
The Gonzaga star was selected tenth overall in the 2017 draft and traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. Collins spent his first two years developing with the Blazers, improving his accuracy and getting comfortable with the physicality and speed of NBA competition coming off the bench.
Just when he hit his stride, a broken bone in his ankle kept him out of the game for a long time. The Spurs are betting on his ability to rehab that injury, and if he can get healthy, they're getting a seven footer who can space the floor and play solid defense.
Al-Farouq Aminu came to San Antonio from Chicago as part of the sign and trade for DeMar DeRozan this summer, and he may never suit up for the Spurs.
The 30-year-old NBA veteran has played for six teams in his 11-year career, and the defensive-minded wing has been a solid role player on decent teams. However, he hasn't been healthy enough to contribute consistently in the past few years.