How Spurs built NBA Finals roster through draft, from winning Wemby sweepstakes to Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle picks originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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What the 2025-26 San Antonio Spurs have already accomplished breaks the unwritten rules and trends of modern NBA history.
No matter the type of star a team lucks out with in the draft, it’s a rite of passage of sorts for that star to first learn from at least one, but typically multiple, playoff eliminations. Those lessons also allow the franchise to build around that star over time, seeking to maximize their talents before going all-in on championship contention.
For the most part, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs skipped those steps — they took the elevator straight to the NBA Finals. In Wembanyama’s third NBA season and first playoff run, San Antonio’s young, deep and guard-heavy rotation has reached the league’s biggest stage, setting a new standard for how quickly a team can go from the top of the lottery to the NBA’s greatest heights.
Draft luck certainly played a role in the Spurs’ success — but the excellent picks they made, a timely trade for an All-Star point guard, development from previous roster holdovers and a few veteran signings added up to Mitch Johnson’s Western Conference-champion roster.
Here’s a look at how the Spurs assembled their 2026 Finals unit.
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How the Spurs built NBA Finals roster
(Getty Images)
Winning Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes in 2023
- Lottery date: May 16, 2023
- Draft date: June 22, 2023
Of course, there’s no way to break down the Spurs’ unprecedented ascension without first acknowledging the immense luck they received on May 16, 2023, when the ping pong balls bounced in their favor and resulted in their right to select a 7-foot-4 French center who could shoot, dribble and pass like a guard.
Before Wembanyama stepped foot on an NBA court, he was a sensation. Once clips of his unfathomable length and skill set began going viral in the years prior, he was penciled in as the next superstar No. 1 pick — and the kind of player that teams should tank for.
The Spurs, who won just 22 games under Gregg Popovich in 2022-23, entered the lottery tied with the Rockets and Pistons for the best odds at the No. 1 pick, 14%. But Wembanyama wasn’t destined to join Cade Cunningham in Detroit, nor lead Houston back to the playoffs for the first time since James Harden’s departure.
Instead, the Spurs landed another generational big man, with Wembanyama’s lottery result being compared to David Robinson and Tim Duncan in the 1990s. He entered a terrific situation: join a historic franchise with room to learn under a legendary head coach in Popovich, who had plenty of experience working with skilled big men.
Wembanyama was as surreal as advertised once he got to the NBA, winning Rookie of the Year at age 20 by averaging 21.4 points and 3.6 blocks per game off the jump — he immediately made an argument as the most impactful defender in the league, even if the offense needed a little time to develop.
By Year 2, Wembanyama — who also had the guidance of a high-IQ Hall of Famer in Chris Paul — was an All-Star and made the Spurs more competitive, but a blood clot issue ended his 2024-25 season.
That all led to the past year, where “The Alien” has already stamped himself as one of the NBA’s best players by leading the Spurs to 62 wins, becoming the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year winner ever, averaging 25.0 points per game, being named First-Team All-NBA and now leading San Antonio back to the NBA Finals.
It began with some lottery luck. But Wembanyama’s explosion from “hyped prospect” to “best player on a championship contender” was also the product of the Spurs’ development and his drive to compete at the highest level, seemingly improving in every game he appeared in.
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Drafting Stephon Castle at No. 4 in 2024
- Date: June 26, 2024
Wembanyama, of course, is not the only Spurs lottery pick who is now shining on the playoff stage.
There is still a lot of time for things to change, but right now, Stephon Castle looks like he should have been the No. 1 overall pick in what was an otherwise lackluster 2024 NBA Draft. The Spurs, who again went 22-60 in Wembanyama’s first season in 2023-24, may not have gotten the lottery luck — but they found an excellent fit at No. 4 overall.
After Zaccharie Risacher went to the Hawks, Alex Sarr to the Wizards and Reed Sheppard to the Rockets, the Spurs decided upon UConn product Stephon Castle, who has since become one of the best two-way guards in the league. Not only did Castle go on to win Rookie of the Year honors — he’s virtually lapped Risacher, Sarr and Sheppard already, making contributions to a title contender as they continue their respective developments elsewhere.
Castle, who put up 14.7 points and 4.1 assists per game as a rookie, leveled up for his age-21 season in 2025-26 by playing more minutes, becoming more efficient and averaging around two more points, two more rebounds and three more assists per game.
On top of his responsibility of defending players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards and Jrue Holiday, Castle’s playmaking skills have shone in these 2026 playoffs — and his assist numbers are not just the benefit of playing with Wembanyama. On the postseason stage, Castle had a 33-point performance vs. Portland in the first round, a 32-point performance against Minnesota in the second round and a 25-point performance against Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals.
STEPHON CASTLE, OH MY GOODNESS 🤯
A MONSTER POSTER SLAM! https://t.co/ocRp6Jhhhupic.twitter.com/G4v5cxUVqN
— NBA (@NBA) May 21, 2026
He’s a budding star, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see Castle named a first-time All-Star next season.
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Landing De’Aaron Fox in 3-team trade
- Date: Feb. 3, 2025
- Spurs received: De’Aaron Fox, Jordan McLaughlin
- Kings received: Zach LaVine, Sidy Cissoko, three 1st-round picks, two 2nd-round picks
- Bulls received: Zach Collins, Tre Jones, 2025 1st-round pick, Kevin Huerter
Typically, a rising young team doesn’t pounce for a veteran star on the trade market until they’ve established themselves as a playoff threat. Even with the Spurs being below .500 in the 2024-25 season, and Wembanyama being done for the year due to his blood clot issue, they decided to pursue an All-Star point guard.
De’Aaron Fox has been one of the more underrated elite NBA players for years, partially due to playing in Sacramento. By the time he was traded, Fox had two All-Star selections, one All-NBA selection, a Clutch Player of the Year Award and a 60-point game to his name, becoming one of the best players in Kings history — but with a lack of team success to show for it, Sacramento finally parted ways with him halfway through his age-27 season to kickstart a deeper rebuild.
San Antonio benefited from a ridiculously fast, elite two-way point guard being on the trade market, and Fox accelerated the Spurs’ timeline for contention immediately. Paired with Wembanyama, he’s been a terrific fit, able to make precise passes or get in transition as the 7-4 trails on the 3-point line. Defensively, he and Castle make for a nice backcourt duo, capable of poking the basketball free at any point.
Fox has found a winning environment for the first time in his NBA career in San Antonio, and he’s sacrificed some of his individual numbers (4.9 PPG drop from 2024-25 to 2025-26) for team success. The Spurs are certainly satisfied with their decision to strike at the 2025 trade deadline.
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Drafting Dylan Harper at No. 2
- Date: June 25, 2025
If you knew nothing about the Spurs in the 2026 playoffs, you’d be stunned to find out Dylan Harper is a rookie.
Dylan Harper — Every Made Bucket This Playoff Run 🔥🍿🎬 pic.twitter.com/R2AFv7rGN2
— Not Locked On Fantasy Basketball (@MaarkyBoy) May 31, 2026
Even if San Antonio’s decision-making process wasn’t very difficult in the 2025 NBA Draft, landing the No. 2 pick with Harper viewed as the consensus second-best prospect, it at least took some planning for the franchise to take a guard that high when the Spurs already had De’Aaron Fox and Castle.
Despite those more proven players blocking his path to a starting role, Harper has been terrific for the Spurs in his first season. The per-game numbers — 11.8 points, 3.9 assists and 0.8 steals per game — aren’t quite a fair assessment, log-jammed in a deep guard rotation. It’s Harper’s combination of poise, scoring efficiency and playmaking that has elevated San Antonio’s second unit into being title-worthy.
In the long-term, the Spurs may find themselves in a Thunder-James Harden type of situation with Harper — he’s too young and talented to be a sixth man for more than a year or two. But for now, San Antonio has the luxury of one of the NBA’s best rookies coming off the bench.
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Development from Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell
- Johnson drafted: June 20, 2019
- Vassell drafted: November 18, 2020
While Fox and the recent lottery picks are the headliners for the Spurs, the team’s now-elite depth has also been built over the longer-term.
Long before Wembanyama showed up in 2023, San Antonio may have lacked star power, but both Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell proved themselves as capable NBA rotation wings. Johnson, drafted at No. 29 overall out of Kentucky in 2019, is now in his seventh season in San Antonio — and after once averaging 22.0 points per night on a bad Spurs team, he’s accepted a more impactful role off the bench, winning 2025-26 Sixth Man of the Year honors by averaging 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists across all 82 games in the regular season.
IT’S RAINING TRIPLES IN OKC ☔️
Keldon Johnson 3.
Keldon Johnson 3.Spurs with the lead in the first few minutes of Q4! pic.twitter.com/Gj3HfzpdOU
— NBA (@NBA) May 31, 2026
As a strong finisher and all-around player, Johnson was there for the Spurs’ ugly seasons between the Kawhi Leonard and Wembanyama eras. Vassell has also been around since 2020, when he was selected at No. 11 overall in the draft.
Vassell has blossomed into a knockdown shooter, averaging at least 13 points per game in every year since 2021-22. And like Johnson, as the Spurs got better, Vassell excelled in a better-fitting role off the bench.
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Finding hidden gems
- Champagnie claimed off waivers: February 16, 2023
- Bryant drafted: June 25, 2025
Elsewhere in the Spurs’ playoff rotation, two more younger players, Julian Champagnie and Carter Bryant, have found meaningful minutes for a title contender — and like most of the Spurs’ roster, neither fit the conventional stereotypes for NBA playoff contributors.
Champagnie went undrafted in 2022, started his career as a two-way player for the 76ers, then was claimed off waivers by the Spurs in 2023 and has since earned a standard NBA deal. With his 6-7 frame, Champagnie doesn’t just bring some added defensive length; he’s also been a knockdown shooter for the Spurs, making a career-high 195 threes in the regular season while becoming a starting forward.
Julian Champagnie (20 PTS, 6-10 3PM) played a HUGE part in the @spurs‘ Game 7 win tonight!
He joins Klay Thompson (2016) and Stephen Curry (2x) as the only players in NBA history to knock down 6+ 3PM in a Conference Finals Game 7 🚨 pic.twitter.com/zoWkyAmR3p
— NBA (@NBA) May 31, 2026
Bryant, meanwhile, was a bit more of a known commodity — he was a lottery pick last June, taken No. 14 overall by the Spurs out of Arizona. But even with Bryant having little room to play on a deep team, he’s carved out a role as a defensive stopper and athletic finisher, playing in 11.5 minutes per game off the bench and appearing in 17 playoff games.
Carter Bryant TWO-HAND FLUSH.
Devin Vassell BIG-TIME STUFF.THE SAN ANTONIO CROWD IS FIRED UP ‼️ pic.twitter.com/kYJFvna9se
— NBA (@NBA) May 29, 2026
Both Champagnie and Bryant have taken on significant playoff roles for the Spurs by playing to their strengths.
MORE:Why Victor Wembanyama was named SN’s 2025-26 Player of the Year
Signing veteran voices
- Olynyk acquired via trade: July 9, 2025
- Biyombo signed: February 9, 2025
- Plumlee signed: February 17, 2026
For the most part, the Spurs are a very young team. Wembanyama, Harper, Castle and Bryant are all under the age of 23, while Fox is only 28, Vassell is 25 and Johnson is 26. But every NBA team, especially in a win-now mode, likes to keep some vets around to hold those young players accountable, and the Spurs are no exception
Their most notable signing last offseason was Luke Kornet, who surprisingly became one of the NBA’s best backup centers with the Celtics and earned a more significant deal in San Antonio. As Wembanyama’s backup, Kornet has brought similar length to the rim and offensive efficiency — and notably, he’s the only player at 30 or older to be playing double-digit minutes for San Antonio in these playoffs.
Harrison Barnes also deserves recognition — while he doesn’t play much at this point in his career, he is a former NBA champion who has long been one of the league’s most reliable 3-and-D weapons. The 34-year-old was traded to the Spurs in July 2024.
Rounding out the Spurs’ roster, despite not playing very often, are a couple of veteran big men that NBA fans may be familiar with from their respective contributions in the late 2010s. 35-year-old Kelly Olynyk, 36-year-old Mason Plumlee and 33-year-old Bismack Biyombo are all still around on the Spurs’ bench — and while Kornet is the backup center, any of those three names have been starters at a point in their careers.
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