The San Antonio Spurs walked into the 2017 offseason with depth issues at center and power forward. Dewayne Dedmon and David Lee opted out of their contracts for the 2017-18 season, which left Davis Bertans as the only backup big man, despite his knack for being a stretch four more than a player that works under the basket.
The only signing the Spurs made at center or power forward was Joffrey Lauvergne, unless Matt Costello’s two-way contract counts. Lauvergne wasn’t a big-name signing, as he developed into a journeyman center over his three NBA seasons.
The French big man debuted for the Spurs in their first preseason game, and ever since, he made an impression.