Should San Antonio Spurs Have Signed Houston Rockets Free Agents This Offseason?

The Houston Rockets' free agents have gotten them out of the gutter in the Western Conference, while the San Antonio Spurs remain at the bottom of the standings.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 7, 2023

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San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are in the midst of a 15-game losing streak, one shy of the team's franchise-worst 16-game skid suffered last season.

While the Spurs drafted Victor Wembanyama this offseason, they didn't change too much of their 22-win roster from a year ago. It's a far different approach than what their Lone Star State rival Houston Rockets did, signing several veterans to help support their young core.

Like the Rockets, the Spurs had a lot of cap space and could have operated under this notion. Therefore, Bleacher Report has given them some criticism for their early-season free agency grade.

Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) dries to the basket past San Antonio Spurs center Zach Collins (23) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. — Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) dries to the basket past San Antonio Spurs center Zach Collins (23) during the second half at Frost Bank Center / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

"The Spurs aren't gunning for a quick turnaround, so there was no reason to throw cash at the likes of Dillon Brooks, Fred VanVleet or any of the other high-dollar choices," Bleacher Report writes.

Perhaps the Spurs will take a similar approach a year or two from now once they realize exactly which players will fit next to Wembanyama. And even though the Spurs weren't necessarily wrong in not signing Brooks or VanVleet in free agency, they could use both of those guys right now.

Two of the Spurs' biggest grievances during this losing streak has been point guard play and defense.

Victor Wembanyma Determined to Not Miss Any More Games

VanVleet would have given the Spurs a true point guard to run the offense around, putting their players in position for success. Meanwhile, Brooks would have given a true perimeter stopper on the defensive end. The Spurs rank 27th in the league in defensive rating; the Rockets are in 4th after being one of the worst defenses a year ago.

All the Spurs can do is play the "what if?" game and hope that the players on the roster can develop into true NBA options down the line.

Published Dec 7, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.