The Spurs defeated the Thunder, 111-103, in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals and advanced to the NBA Finals.
The San Antonio Spurs have long been held as an example of clever construction, and this latest creation has one very big factor in common with the franchise’s five-time championship winner:
Tim Duncan (and David Robinson) then, Victor Wembanyama now.
That’s how a championship contender starts — get lucky enough to land the No. 1 overall selection in a draft featuring a generational talent, add the necessary pieces, then stir and let the concoction cook.
The architect in the Duncan dynasty was RC Buford, with a generous assist from coach Gregg Popovich. Fast forward to now: Buford serves as CEO, Pop is retired (but serves as “El Jefe”), and Brian Wright holds the GM keys. He was one of the few folks whom the organization didn’t groom (Wright earned his stripes in Orlando and then Detroit before joining the Spurs 10 years ago).
But the Spurs are in good hands with Wright. He has used his Draft picks wisely, added a few pieces in free agency and trades and created a team that has legs and, of course, got lucky, as most successful GMs do from time to time.
The Spurs were once projected to contend in a few years. Well, their time is now.
Here’s how the 2026 Western Conference Champions were built:
Victor Wembanyama
Acquired: Via No. 1 pick in 2023 NBA Draft
The backstory: In 2022-23, the Spurs had their worst season since 1997, going 22-60. And they chose the right time to bottom out. Because the 2023 draft had a once-in-a-generation prize. Much like in 1997, when the Spurs got lucky and landed Duncan, they were gifted a game-changer. This was pure fortune, nothing more involved. Suddenly, overnight, the starting center spot went from Jakob Poeltl and Zach Collins to a 7-foot-4 alien.
Stephon Castle
Acquired: Via No. 4 pick in 2024 NBA Draft
The backstory: The Spurs were still in development during Wembanyama’s rookie season. At one point, they lost 18 straight games, the longest in franchise history, and finished 22-60 again. That placed them back into the lottery in a 2024 draft that, unlike the previous year, lacked a consensus No. 1. Castle was coming off a national championship at Connecticut but wasn’t attractive enough for the hometown Atlanta Hawks to be selected first overall. Alex Sarr went No. 2 to Washington and when the Rockets, drafting third, took Reed Sheppard, the Spurs at No. 4 had their man. They needed backcourt help and weren’t sold on Tre Jones. As a combo guard, Castle was seen as the ideal running mate for Wembanyama. He just needed seasoning.
De’Aaron Fox
Acquired: Via three-team midseason trade with Kings in 2025
The backstory: From a player standpoint, this was one of the most satisfying transactions in history. Two years ago, the Spurs craved a solid veteran point guard to pair with Wembanyama. Fox wanted out of Sacramento because, after helping the Kings to a brief renaissance, the team stagnated and he was due an extension. Fox, who’s from Texas (Houston), came home in a trade where the Spurs surrendered nothing major of value. He then signed a max contract, leaving California taxes for a no-tax state. He also left a Kings team that won 22 games in 2025-26 for one with Wembanyama and, perhaps, will have championship-contending status for the next decade. His timing was ideal because last spring, the Spurs drafted Dylan Harper. If they had Harper a year earlier, there’s a chance Fox would still be in Sacramento.
Dylan Harper
Acquired: Via No. 2 pick in 2025 NBA Draft
The backstory: Wembanyama missed the last few months of 2024-25 because of a blood clot issue. His absence became a blessing in disguise since the Spurs weren’t ready to contend anyway. By finishing 34-48, they had another spot in the Draft lottery. They had a 25% chance to move into the top five — and once again, Spurs’ luck came through and the No. 2 overall pick was secured. They missed out on Cooper Flagg, but the selection of Harper was a virtual no-brainer. He came ready-made for the NBA and it helped that his dad, Ron, played 15 NBA seasons and won titles with Michael Jordan in Chicago and Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in L.A. Suddenly, the Spurs had an embarrassment of riches in the backcourt with Harper, Fox and Castle.
Devin Vassell
Acquired: Via No. 11 pick in 2020 NBA Draft
The backstory: The Spurs had the 11th pick in 2020 and Vassell and Tyrese Haliburton were available. They took Vassell. While Haliburton later became a star and was one game away from a championship last season, Vassell gradually developed into a solid player. He’s not getting as many touches as a few years ago, when he averaged 19.5 points and the Spurs weren’t as loaded with offensive players. Yet his defensive tenacity, especially during this playoff run, has proven invaluable.
Keldon Johnson
Acquired: Via No. 29 pick in 2019 NBA Draft
The backstory: In 2019, the Spurs and former NBA Finals hero Kawhi Leonard had an infamous fallout. That was resolved when they shipped him to Toronto, where he won a championship. In return, the Spurs received DeMar DeRozan and Poeltl. The Raptors also tossed in a protected No. 1 pick, which became the next-to-last choice in the first round that year. DeRozan and Poeltl are long gone, but that pick became Johnson, the freshly named Kia NBA Sixth Man of the Year. After averaging 22 ppg in 2022-23, Johnson was moved to the bench and has flourished.
Julian Champagnie
Acquired: Signed via waivers in 2023
The backstory: Yes, it’s true — the Sixers handed the Spurs a solid rotational player because they wanted to elevate Mac McClung from the NBA G League so he could compete in the 2023 Dunk Contest. McClung won … and so did the Spurs, who claimed Champagnie off waivers and developed him. Interestingly, his career high in points came against the Knicks, his hometown team, last New Year’s Eve: 36 points, including 11 3-pointers. The Spurs would love for him to duplicate that in the Finals.
Luke Kornet
Acquired: Signed as a free agent in 2025
The backstory: Because their payroll was peppered with young players making marginal money, the Spurs had enough room on the salary cap to add help in free agency last summer. They wanted backup center help for Wembanyama and Kornet was available after helping the Celtics win a title in 2024. He specialized in defense and his chase-down swat of Isaiah Hartenstein late in Game 7 was a signature moment in the Western Conference Finals victory.
Carter Bryant
Acquired: Via No. 14 pick in 2025 NBA Draft
The backstory: Four summers ago, the Spurs positioned themselves for both pain and ultimately a jackpot by trading their best player, Dejounte Murray, to the Hawks. It was a clairvoyant move by Wright. That’s because the next season, they won 22 games and drafted Wembanyama. Murray fetched three first-rounders and a swap from the Hawks. The 2025 Hawks pick went to the Spurs, who used it on Bryant, an energetic forward whose development has been gradual enough this season to warrant a spot in the playoff rotation. He’s only 20, cheap, and should get better. By the way, the Spurs own the No. 20 pick this month courtesy of that Murray trade, and also the Hawks’ pick next year.
Harrison Barnes
Acquired: Via three-team trade with Kings in 2024
The backstory: He arrived in the DeRozan trade and immediately gave the Spurs a veteran presence on the court and in the locker room. He’s smart and brings leadership, though his role and minutes are understandably reduced now that the young talent has improved.
Coach Mitch Johnson
Acquired: Replaced Gregg Popovich as coach in May, 2025
The backstory: When Popovich suffered a stroke in the fall of 2024, the Spurs tabbed Johnson to serve as interim coach. He rose from the team’s G League operation in Austin (where he won the league championship) and was hired as a Spurs assistant in 2019, replacing Duncan. Once it became evident that Popovich’s health prevented him from returning to the bench, the job became Johnson’s, even after other more experienced candidates were speculated. So far, so good for Johnson, who earned the respect of the players in a short time. He’s the son of former SuperSonics star John Johnson, who won the 1979 title.
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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at spowell@nba.com, find his archive here and follow him on X.
