The San Antonio Spurs have officially pulled back the curtain on their preparations for the upcoming campaign, announcing a loaded 21-man roster ahead of training camp. With Media Day kicking things off on Monday and camp officially opening Tuesday at the Victory Capital Performance Center, head coach Mitch Johnson is ready to lead a deeply talented group into his second full season at the helm.
Coming off a stellar run to the NBA Finals last season, the franchise opted for continuity by returning 12 players from that roster, including all 10 of their leading scorers. However, with the front office fine-tuning the squad, the final weeks of September bring plenty of intrigue regarding roster battles, financial positioning, and coaching staff changes.
Roster Breakdown and Financial Standing
San Antonio’s training camp roster is structured with 14 players on standard NBA contracts, three occupying two-way slots, and four joining as training camp invites.
Financially, the Spurs find themselves in a flexible position. The team payroll sits at approximately $197.6 million, keeping them comfortably $2.84 million below the $200.43 million luxury-tax threshold and $11.42 million below the first apron ($209.02 million). While the front office currently holds one open standard roster spot, they must trim the active group down to 18 total players by October 19th, just a day before the regular season tips off.
The full standard contract list features a strong blend of established veterans and exciting young talent:
- Guards & Wings: De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Jordan McLaughlin
- Forwards & Bigs: Victor Wembanyama, Harrison Barnes, Tobias Harris, Luke Kornet, Carter Bryant, Jayden Quaintance, Tarris Reed Jr.
Notable physical updates on the sheet include sophomore forward Carter Bryant, who has bulked up to 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds (up from 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds last year), while superstar center Victor Wembanyama remains listed at his towering 7-foot-4 and 240 pounds.
Meanwhile, the two-way contract slots belong to rookies Maliq Brown and Ja’Kobi Gillespie, alongside David Jones Garcia. The four training camp invites—R.J. Davis, Jon Elmore, Taelon Peter, and Malik Williams—will compete fiercely for final roster consideration or potential G League opportunities with the Austin Spurs.
Coaching Staff Shakeup: Enter Billy Donovan
Beyond the player personnel, the Spurs have made a high-profile addition to their sidelines. Former Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan has joined Mitch Johnson’s coaching staff.
Donovan fills a massive void left by former associate head coach Sean Sweeney, who departed San Antonio during the offseason to take over as the head coach of the Orlando Magic. Donovan will join returning assistants Corliss Williamson, Mike Noyes, Scott King, and Matt Nielsen on the bench as the Spurs gear up for another deep postseason push.
What’s Next?
Following Media Day, the Spurs will hit the practice floor for training camp beginning September 29. Fans won’t have to wait long to see the new-look squad in action, as San Antonio opens its five-game preseason slate against the Atlanta Hawks on October 8 at the Frost Bank Center.
Do you think the addition of Billy Donovan to the coaching staff will help push the Spurs back to the NBA Finals this season?
