San Antonio reached the Finals last season at 62-20 before losing to the Knicks in five games, then opened this preseason 0-2, falling to the Hawks and the Suns. The season's defining question is whether health across the roster, and the money left under the tax, let this exact group chase that result again.
Does last season's run still mean anything right now?
The 62-20 finish and the trip to the Finals, where the Knicks won in five games, set the bar for this group. San Antonio has opened this preseason 0-2, losing 116-123 to the Hawks and 102-98 to the Suns. Preseason results don't erase a full regular season, but they are a reminder that nothing from last year carries over automatically.
Is the core actually healthy right now?
Tobias Harris, dealing with a left calf issue, is not expected back until October 20, when the Thunder visit for the regular-season opener. Malik Williams carries an undisclosed issue of his own, with no clearer timeline than Fox's. Lauri Markkanen and Kyle Filipowski carry similar questions on the other side for Utah. Nobody around this roster is ruled out for long, but nobody is fully cleared either.
Can the front office afford to keep this roster together?
Payroll sits at $198.3M, over the cap and $2.1M under the $200.4M luxury tax line, with Fox's $49.8M the largest number on the books, Vassell at $27.0M and Wembanyama at $16.9M behind him. San Antonio already owes its 2027 first-round pick to Sacramento, and every swap right still on the books narrows the margin further. There is room to operate this season — not much of it.
Where does the rookie class fit once games count?
Dylan Harper is the one rookie with a real box score, scoring 16 against the Hawks and 15 against the Suns on 6-for-9 shooting in 24 minutes. Carter Bryant, David Jones Garcia, Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Taelon Peter and Jayden Quaintance still have nothing logged. Two preseason losses say little on their own, but the minutes going to a 20-year-old guard say plenty about where Mitch Johnson's rotation is headed.
What would a result against Utah actually prove?
The Jazz finished last season 22-60 with a net rating of -8.2, the kind of opponent San Antonio should handle regardless of who is or isn't available. A win in Utah settles nothing about health or the tax line, but a third straight preseason loss, against a team that far off the pace last year, would be harder to dismiss as noise.
Is De'Aaron Fox playing against the Jazz?
Fox is listed with an undisclosed issue and is targeting an October 12 return, which lines up with the trip to Utah.
How close are the Spurs to the luxury tax?
San Antonio is $2.1M under the $200.4M tax line, with Fox's $49.8M contract the largest on the books.
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Morning · Sun, Oct 11Fox's Return Date Lines Up With the Trip to Utah
Postgame · Sat, Oct 10Spurs Fall to Suns 102-98, Second Straight Preseason Loss
The big question · Thu, Oct 8The Big Question: Can the Spurs Finish What They Started?
The big question · Fri, Oct 2The Big Question: Did San Antonio Do Enough to Close the Gap on New York?
The big question · Tue, Sep 29The Big Question: Can the Same Group Go Further?
The big question · Fri, Sep 25The Big Question: Is This Core Built To Finish The Job?