The Spurs are 0-0 with training camp still weeks away, so the closest thing to a scouting report is last season's numbers. Payroll, shooting efficiency and net rating from 2025-26 show where the roster stands and what still needs answering.
How tight is the Spurs' salary sheet right now?
San Antonio carries $198.3 million in payroll across 15 contracts, above the $165.0 million cap but below the $200.4 million luxury tax line. Fox ($49.8 million), Vassell ($27.0 million) and Johnson ($17.5 million) lead the sheet. That gap to the tax leaves some breathing room for the front office, but it says nothing about whether the roster stays intact once decisions on Vassell's extension and others come due.
Why does De'Aaron Fox's finish to last season matter?
Fox's true shooting dropped 13.3 points over his final 10 games of 2025-26, down to 42.7 percent after a far higher mark the rest of the season. That is a real fade in a small window. It does not erase the season itself, where he averaged 18.6 points and 6.2 assists over 72 games; ten games is a fade, not a verdict on the shot going forward.
Is Keldon Johnson's shooting slide a real concern?
Johnson's true shooting sank to 45.8 percent over his last 10 games of 2025-26, also 13.4 points below his season number. Paired with Fox's fade, it points to a roster that wore down late rather than one player alone. Sixteen combined points of efficiency lost over the same stretch is worth watching in camp, but it is one late-season sample, not two years of decline.
What do the Spurs' minutes late last season tell us?
San Antonio's starters averaged 35.3 minutes a game over the final five games of 2025-26, a heavy workload that arrived just as the team was losing more. Heavy minutes and losses showing up together is worth flagging. It does not prove the minutes caused the losses; Mitch Johnson has a full training camp now to manage the rotation differently this time.
How good were the Spurs, by the season-long numbers?
Last season San Antonio finished with a 118.7 offensive rating and 110.4 defensive rating, both third in the league, for a net rating of 8.4, second-best in the NBA, at a pace of 100.7. Those marks carried a 62-20 record and a trip to the Finals. They describe a team built to contend; they say nothing about whether that level holds once games in 2026-27 actually count.
What is the Spurs' payroll for the 2026-27 season?
San Antonio's payroll is $198.3 million across 15 contracts, above the $165.0 million salary cap but below the $200.4 million luxury tax line.
Did De'Aaron Fox's shooting efficiency really decline last season?
Yes. Fox's true shooting dropped 13.3 points to 42.7 percent over his final 10 games of 2025-26, though his full-season averages of 18.6 points and 6.2 assists over 72 games held up well.
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