As teams complete their seasons, ESPN Insider's NBA team will take a look at the offseason picture and priorities for all 30 teams. Below, Kevin Pelton offers a snapshot of the San Antonio Spurs.
2014-15 record: 55-27
Pythagorean record: 57-25
Offensive rating: 106.2 (7th)
Defensive rating: 99.6 (3rd)
Draft picks
Own first-round pick (26th)
Own second-round pick (55th)
Projected cap space
Maximum: $29.3 million
Minimum: $0
Likely: $0
What's returning
The Spurs have just five players under guaranteed contract, including a pair of starters. In August, point guard Tony Parker signed a three-year, $43 million extension that looked like a bargain at the time. Parker's future is more uncertain after a down season that saw him battle injuries (most notably to his hamstring) and post his lowest PER (15.9) in more than a decade. Parker, who will soon turn 33, might be heading toward a more even timeshare at the point with backup Patty Mills, who is a year removed from the shoulder surgery that sidelined him through late December and hampered his shooting percentages.
Up front, the complementary duo of Boris Diaw and Tiago Splitter returns. Diaw played his way into shape in time to be a major factor in the postseason. Splitter dealt with a mysterious nerve injury that affected his calf, and a calf injury limited him in the playoffs. When he was healthy, however, Splitter was as good as ever.
Rookie Kyle Anderson spent most of the season in the D-League, where he saw just 358 minutes of action -- all but 19 of them before the All-Star break.
Free agents
Coming off winning Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard made the leap at age 23 and emerged as San Antonio's go-to player in the second half of the season after working through a hand ligament injury. Leonard won Defensive Player of the Year honors and boosted his scoring average from 15.8 to 18.7 points per 36 minutes. The Spurs declined to sign Leonard to an extension the past fall to preserve cap flexibility, given that he counts just $7.2 million against the cap until re-signed. Expect San Antonio to make Leonard a maximum qualifying offer, which would guarantee him five years at the maximum salary if he accepts it and would force other teams to offer him at least three guaranteed years rather than the usual two.
With Leonard sure to return, the big question for the Spurs is whether veterans Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili plan to continue playing. At 39, Duncan remains one of the league's better players on a per-minute basis, and Ginobili (38 in July) is still a useful reserve. If they do retire, San Antonio can clear about $14.5 million under the cap. If the Spurs were to lure a max free agent, they'd surely be able to create enough room via trade. There's also the possibility one or both players could take a large pay cut to clear cap space.
The last starter hitting free agency is shooting guard Danny Green. Although Green had a disappointing series against the Clippers, as a premier 3-and-D specialist he's sure to get a huge raise from the $4-plus million he made in 2013-14. If Green's price tag skyrockets, San Antonio might have a tough choice to make.
Several reserves are also on the market. Young point guard Cory Joseph might look elsewhere for more playing time after competing with Mills to back up Parker. Marco Belinelli has given San Antonio cost-effective shooting off the bench. Aron Baynes stepped in capably during Splitter's injury, and veteran Matt Bonner is likely to be back as a stretch 4.
Biggest need: A younger star
Age is the Spurs' biggest weakness at this point, and if Duncan and Ginobili retire, this offseason will give them the opportunity to reload with a younger cast. Parker's health and effectiveness remain a concern, but in Leonard, San Antonio has one star for years to come. Adding another in the prime of his career would allow the Spurs to extend their run beyond Duncan's eventual retirement.
Biggest question: How long will Duncan and Ginobili keep playing?
Really, the decisions Duncan and Ginobili make about retirement will drive everything San Antonio does this summer. If they want to come back, it's possible the Spurs will return a relatively similar core next season in the hopes that better health and better luck -- they were a win away from the No. 2 seed and home-court advantage until the Western Conference finals -- change the outcome of their season.
Ideal offseason
Duncan and Ginobili decide to hang it up, and San Antonio deals Diaw to make way for LaMarcus Aldridge to return to Texas as Duncan's heir apparent. With the rest of the core intact, the Spurs stay in the hunt for home-court advantage in the first half of the season. At the All-Star break, Duncan announces his return to play for the veteran's minimum (hat tip to Bill Simmons on that notion), which gives San Antonio its deepest frontcourt since Duncan played next to David Robinson. With Parker staying healthy and Mills providing scoring punch off the bench, the Spurs win their sixth championship of the Duncan-Popovich era.