Spurs Offseason: Would San Antonio 'Change Places' With 'Contending' 76ers?

In what might be considered the hottest take of the offseason yet, 76ers majority owner Josh Harris claimed that a majority of NBA teams would change places with the Philadelphia "in five minutes," but does that list include the Spurs?

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In most situations, five minutes is not a lot of time. 

Yes, that is how long each NBA team has to make its first-round selection during the draft, but the "on the clock" time usually consists of checking off the next highest player on the front office's extensive scouting report. 

Likely the only exception in basketball is the amount of time remaining down the stretch. Five minutes is more than enough time for the course of the game to play. 

But if the San Antonio Spurs had five minutes this offseason, would they "switch places" with another team in the league? 

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It's a strange query, but Philadelphia 76ers majority owner Josh Harris presented the idea, stating that "most teams" would do so with the 76ers on the basis that they were a "contending team." 

"The situation with James Harden is unfortunate," Harris said in an interview with ESPN. "I want this to work out for all sides, including James. But we have to keep our eye on the big picture, which is that we're still a contending team and most teams in the NBA would change places with us in five minutes."

Harris can say that all he wants, but the real question is whether or not San Antonio would willingly inherit Philadelphia's situation ... for the good and bad.

First things first, the Spurs would have to consider their new roster situation. A lineup featuring Joel Embiid and James Harden — for the time being — is certainly enticing, especially when young pieces like Tyrese Maxey and De'Anthony Melton are also present around the two stars. 

A mixture of youth and experience is also something to take into account. Veterans like Patrick Beverely, P.J. Tucker and Tobias serve as supporting pieces for the 76ers both on the field and in the locker room. 

But the determining factor for the Spurs against Harris' comments are simpler than that. What they have that no other team in the NBA does is a No. 1 prospect with a ceiling higher than ever seen before. Victor Wembanyama is a game changer in this debate, but for good reason. 

If the 7-4 giant performs anything like he's expected to, San Antonio will be a much improved squad next season. Combining his talent with the upcoming impact from coach Gregg Popovich's other young stars will make for a stronger team overall. 

Despite that, however, the 76ers still do have a more loaded roster. They've advanced further in recent years than the Spurs have and they consistently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings behind Embiid. But that's not without a catch. 

If San Antonio needed any convincing to not take a switch-deal with Philadelphia, it could simply look at the outcomes of those seasons. Despite having a former Rookie of the Year in Ben Simmons, a now All-Star caliber forward in Jimmy Butler and a top-10 point guard in James Harden this past season to sit next to Embiid, the 76ers couldn't advance past the second round ... and they haven't since 2000. 

That's not to say that the Spurs have found a myriad of success in recent years following Tim Duncan's success, either. San Antonio has found itself near the bottom of the West for multiple seasons now, also moving from player to player that it hoped would bring change. 

LaMarcus Aldridge helped, but couldn't get the Spurs over the top. Same with DeMar DeRozan, Dejounte Murray and even the Derrick White, Keldon Johnson and Jakob Poeltl trio. What's different this season, however, is that Wembanyama has a ceiling higher than any of those players did. 

On Philadelphia's side of things, it is also facing a dilemma. James Harden wants out, but even if he's resigned to stay with the 76ers, a disgruntled All-Star doesn't typically make for a championship-winning roster. Embiid will continue to dominate opposing offenses, but since he's been in Philadelphia, it hasn't been enough. 

So, sure. San Antonio could make the switch, be in contending position instantly, but it would still face the same issues that Philadelphia is. Or, it could continue to build a franchise around Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson and Gregg Popovich as it hopes to re-enter the Western Conference conversation. 

Obviously, making the decision to switch isn't actually on the table, but that isn't a bad thing. The Spurs have always been known to "trust the process" — though they aren't so vocal about it. That's exactly what they've done since Kawhi Leonard left for Toronto, and that's what they'll continue to do behind the French phenom. 

If Wembanyama pans out, the next few seasons could look a lot different than the last few have been, and all of a sudden, the Spurs may be in a position that "most teams" would take five minutes to take for themselves. 

In fact, if Philadelphia doesn't figure something out in the near future, its version of the process may officially die out, leaving it wondering what went wrong. And chances are, Harris and company will spend much longer than five minutes debating that.