Spurs Free Agency: Kristaps Porzingis Teaming Up with Victor Wembanyama?
By winning the NBA Draft Lottery, the San Antonio Spurs may have "gotten lucky" once again, earning the rights to draft Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick.
Lucky or not, Wembanyama is set to answer one of the Spurs' biggest offseason needs, now following in the steps of the two great center's to come before him. But while his game varies from the old-school style of Tim Duncan and David Robinson, one key characteristic remains in common, specifically Duncan:
Wembanyama would thrive best playing elsewhere than center.
"Wembanyama expressed a desire not to suit up at the center position in February," Air Alamo wrote of the 19-year-old."With him standing 7-foot-5 and weighing in at around 230 pounds, he doesn't have the frame to battle on the block with traditional frontcourt bruisers."
The good news for the Spurs? He doesn't have to be able to do so. Zach Collins currently plays a traditional center role, grabbing boards and blocking shots effectively in the latter half of last season. From the trade deadline on, Collins averaged eight rebounds and a block in 19 games — establishing himself as a strong front-court presence.
But should the Spurs feel that Collins may not be the way to go, or should Collins himself decide he wants more playing time elsewhere with Wembanyama set to arrive to San Antonio, Kristaps Porzingis could be a potential target for the young team.
Last season for the Washington Wizards, Porzingis suited up for 65 games — more than he has since his second year in the league in 2016 — and became a true big-man with the ability to space the floor.
At the rim, Porzingis is an established shot-blocker, averaging 1.5 blocks per game to earn a top-15 average in the league. He averages more than eight rebounds, while also bringing a strong 3-point shot to any team, shooting nearly 40 percent over the last two seasons.
Injuries have plagued the 7-1 center, however, so pairing him with Wembanyama, who has yet to see NBA minutes, could prove to be disastrous if the young Frenchman proves to struggle with staying healthy. The last thing the Spurs want are two injury-prone big men, though the upside would be strong.
Having two seven footers with spacing ability would allow for the Spurs to rotate the roles of each player, finding a spot for both to make noise around the rim, especially if Wembanyama's low 3-point percentage follows him to the league.
Getting Porzingis to San Antonio would be a challenge in of itself, however, as the center is currently will be on the last year of his contract — a player option — next season, and he doesn't seem keen to leave the Wizards.
"I feel at home here," Porzingis said. "Believe it or not, I love the city. I know a lot of people are saying it's not a sexy destination for a lot of free agents, but I really like the city.
"Just seeing how people are around the organization, especially people at the top, how proactive they are and I see how the willingness to get this to a better place, that in my eyes has a lot of value," he added. "That kind of gets me excited."
Regardless of who fills in the five spot, the Spurs will undoubtedly be looking to build around the 19-year-old, meaning that whoever would work best around him may be the go-to for San Antonio, even if it means losing Collins.
But while Porzingis may be a long shot, pairing up two "unicorns" would be a unique challenge for coach Gregg Popovich, and could prove to be a solid option around some of the Spurs' other guards and forwards.
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