In 2016, it was never part of the plan. In 2018, they tried to stave it off, but by 2022 they couldn’t deny it any longer: it was time for the Spurs to start over. It was something they hadn’t done since the 1980’s thanks to winning the top overall pick in two of the best seasons to win it and some shrewd drafting in the late first and second rounds in between.
After thinking they had found the next player to smoothly transition into another generation of success, they got hit by the star trade request bug that had been sweeping the league, proving even the most successful franchise in all of sports was no longer immune from drama.