Heading into the offseason, it was worth wondering how much the Spurs’ free agency moves would reflect the reality that most teams face when forced to part with a franchise player. It’s not that anyone expected a rebuild, but Kawhi Leonard’s unwavering trade demands and the mix of mostly unproven youth and aging vets seemed like reason enough to temper expectations in the short and long term — and maybe to sacrifice a bit of immediate success for future-facing investments.
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The imminent Leonard trade may still yield a young piece or two, but the Spurs affirmed in their first couple of signings — Rudy Gay for one year, $10 million and Marco Belinelli for two years, $12 million — that remaining competitive now is a priority.