The San Antonio Spurs have already given their fans a season to remember, but the biggest story surrounding the franchise may be what comes next.

After winning 62 games, taking control of the Western Conference and reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014, San Antonio enters the 2026-27 campaign with expectations that are significantly higher than they were just 12 months ago.

And there are two major reasons why optimism around the Spurs has continued to grow.

The first is obvious: the young core that powered last season’s remarkable run is still developing.

The second might be even more intriguing.

San Antonio somehow managed to strengthen its roster without sacrificing any of its key rotation pieces.

That combination has experts wondering just how much better this team can become.

Wembanyama and the young core are only getting started

It is difficult to discuss San Antonio’s future without starting with Victor Wembanyama.

The French superstar was already operating at an elite level last season, yet the belief around the league is that he still has another level to reach.

Wembanyama is joined by Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, giving San Antonio a young trio with enormous upside. Even more importantly for the Spurs, all three remain on rookie-scale contracts, allowing the franchise to continue building around them while maintaining financial flexibility.

Castle and Harper also showed encouraging development as perimeter shooters as last season progressed, adding another dimension to a group that already possessed plenty of athleticism and defensive versatility.

Wembanyama, meanwhile, has spent the offseason concentrating on strength and conditioning as he prepares for another demanding NBA campaign.

If those improvements translate onto the court, San Antonio could enter the season with a version of its young superstar that is even more difficult for opponents to contain.

San Antonio added without losing its foundation

The second major development came during the offseason.

Rather than tearing apart the roster after the Finals defeat, the Spurs managed to add veteran quality while keeping their core intact.

Tobias Harris arrived in free agency, giving San Antonio another experienced frontcourt option and a player capable of contributing both on the court and inside the locker room.

That addition has received plenty of attention around the league.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix questioned where San Antonio’s weaknesses actually are, pointing to Wembanyama, the team’s guard depth and Harris’ arrival as reasons why the Spurs could remain extremely difficult to handle.

Mannix even suggested that a healthy San Antonio team could challenge the franchise’s previous high-water mark of 67 regular-season victories, set in 2016.

That does not mean such a season is guaranteed. The Western Conference remains extremely competitive, and last year’s success creates an entirely different level of expectation.

But it shows how dramatically perceptions of this team have changed.

The supporting cast gives San Antonio another layer

The Spurs are not relying exclusively on their young stars.

De’Aaron Fox remains a crucial part of the backcourt, while Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson provide additional scoring options. Luke Kornet and Julian Champagnie also remain part of the supporting group.

Then there are the younger players and rookies who could push for larger roles.

That depth could become particularly important during an 82-game season.

San Antonio’s 62-win campaign proved that the team could consistently perform at a high level. The challenge now is maintaining that standard while dealing with increased attention from opponents who have had an entire offseason to study them.

The Finals defeat against the Knicks could also provide additional motivation.

The Spurs now know exactly how close they came to the ultimate prize.

For Wembanyama and the rest of the young core, that experience could prove invaluable.

The expectations have completely changed

Not long ago, San Antonio was viewed primarily as a promising young team building toward the future.

That conversation has now disappeared.

The Spurs are entering the new season as an established contender, and the rest of the league will be preparing accordingly.

That brings pressure, but it also creates an opportunity.

If Wembanyama takes another step forward, Castle and Harper continue developing, Fox and the veterans maintain their production, and Harris provides the expected experience, San Antonio could look considerably different from the team that already won 62 games.

In other words, last season may not have been the peak.

It may have been the warning.

The Spurs have retained the foundation that carried them to the NBA Finals, added another proven veteran and have several young players capable of improving internally.

That is precisely why the 2026-27 season could reveal whether San Antonio’s extraordinary rise was simply a breakthrough campaign — or the beginning of something much bigger.