The Spurs took a different team-building route than the Knicks. While Leon Rose and the Knicks focused on trades and free agency to construct their core, San Antonio mostly became a contender again by maximizing its draft capital.
Ahead of the NBA Finals, The Post dissects how the Spurs took shape.
How he was acquired: Selected No. 1 overall in 2023.
How he’s helped them get here: The Spurs’ fortunes changed when they won the lottery and took Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 phenom who has already become a face of the NBA and is averaging 20.9 points — along with 10.8 rebounds — in his first postseason.
How he was acquired: Traded by the Kings in February 2025 in a three-team deal that included Bulls star Zach LaVine and three first-rounders — two from the Spurs — going to Sacramento.
How he’s helped them get here: Fox became the star to complement Wembanyama, averaging 18.6 points and 6.2 assists while making the second All-Star Game of his career during the regular season.
How he was acquired: Drafted No. 4 overall in 2024.
How he’s helped them get here: The guard has emerged as a key piece of the Spurs’ young core, someone capable of scoring (19 games with 20-plus points during the regular season) and facilitating (ninth-most assists in the NBA during the regular season with 502).
How he was acquired: Taken No. 11 overall in 2020.
How he’s helped them get here: Vassell signing the largest deal in Spurs history — at the time — in 2023 (five years, $135 million) captures the two-way wing’s value as someone capable of averaging 13.9 points while also contributing to containing Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
How he was acquired: Signed a two-way deal in February 2023 after getting waived by the 76ers.
How he’s helped them get here: The former St. John’s star has hit 39.3 percent of his 3s in the playoffs and carved out a starting role despite being undrafted to start his career.
How he was acquired: Drafted No. 2 overall in 2025.
How he’s helped them get here: The guard from Rutgers earned votes for Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year before averaging 13.1 points per game during the postseason.
How he was acquired: Selected No. 29 overall in 2019.
How he’s helped them get here: Johnson, the longest-tenured Spurs player and the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year this season, recorded the most bench points in a season in franchise history (1,081).
How he was acquired: Inked a four-year, $41 million deal in free agency last summer.
How he’s helped them get here: A former Knick, Kornet won a ring with the Celtics and became Wembanyama’s backup — averaging 6.1 points and 6.5 rebounds during the regular season.
How he was acquired: Landed in San Antonio from the Kings as part of a three-team deal in July 2024.
How he’s helped them get here: Perhaps most known for helping the Warriors win the title in 2015, Barnes has been a needed source of experience on the bench.
How he was acquired: Drafted No. 14 overall in 2025.
How he’s helped them get here: Bryant’s postseason moment occurred when he leveled Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 6, but the small forward also flashed potential — including a career-best 17 points April 8 — and chipped in throughout the playoff run.
How he was acquired: Acquired from the Wizards in July in exchange for Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham and a second-rounder.
How he’s helped them get here: The 35-year-old averaged 8.6 minutes and 3.2 points per game, and logged more time when Wembanyama was injured. This will mark his second trip to the Finals — with the other in 2020 with the Heat.
How he was acquired: Turned a 10-day contract into a deal for the rest of the season after getting waived by the Thunder in February.
How he’s helped them get here: Plumlee, 36, is one of the veterans in the final stage of their career stashed on the bench, appearing in 12 games for them across the regular season and playoffs.
How he was acquired: Signed a one-year deal last summer worth nearly $2.5 million.
How he’s helped them get here: Waters gave San Antonio shooting depth despite limited minutes (7.1 per game) and production (2.4 points per game) during the regular season, including when he hit three 3s March 17.
How he was acquired: Turned two 10-day contracts in February 2025 into a deal for the remainder of last season before returning on a one-year pact.
How he’s helped them get here: On his seventh NBA team and in his 15th season, Biyombo appeared in 34 games for San Antonio across the regular season and playoffs as frontcourt depth.
How he was acquired: Arrived as part of the Fox deal in February 2025.
How he’s helped them get here: McLaughlin averaged 2.0 points and 6.4 minutes for the Spurs in the regular season, but in Game 2 of the Thunder series, he logged seven minutes and hit a pair of 3s while filling guard minutes.
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