Trading away lanky sharpshooter Davis Bertans was deemed necessary when the Spurs brought in forward Marcus Morris. Adding a defensive-minded presence with floor spacing ability negated the need for Bertans, but Morris opted to sign with the Knicks instead of seeing his obligation through and San Antonio was left without one of their key rotation players.
His departure and the circumstances surrounding it have been on the minds of the fans and franchise pioneer Gregg Popovich alike since Morris backed out of his deal. Forward Trey Lyles, who was signed to replace the gap left by Morris and Bertans, made the most of his first start in the silver and black by racking up eight points and 11 boards in 24 minutes.