Where Does San Antonio Spurs' Roster Stand After Kelly Olynyk Signing?

SAN ANTONIO — Kelly Olynyk barely missed the cut. Still, he knows what a 7-foot generational talent looks like.

"Seven footers are a lot more skilled than they used to be," the 34-year-old said on a public ESPN broadcast, speaking from experience.

In 14 seasons, Olynyk has seen it all. A year after he was selected by the Dallas Mavericks and immediately traded to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft, he watched Joel Embiid go top three and Nikola Jokić sneak under the radar in the second round.

Embiid sets the bar for what an offensive powerhouse looks like when healthy, and Jokić has his name on just about every statistical record he can in Denver. Most recently, Olynyk joined Lauri Markkanen on the Utah Jazz and saw what a nimble 7-footer who doesn't classify as a center is capable of.

Now he can add Victor Wembanyama to his list.

"It's like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Olynyk said of playing with the Frenchman. "Obviously, he changes the game on both ends of the floor with his size and length and his ability to play ... I'm really excited about that."

Jan 17, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) dunks the ball in front of Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) in the second half at Frost Bank Center. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Olynyk brings a skill set of his own to the table in San Antonio. After a year of injuries, including another lost year for the Spurs' intended backup center, Charles Bassey, it was clear that bolstering the front court was a top priority.

Signing former Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet — another 7-footer — to a four-year, $41 million deal in free agency was Step 1. They followed it up by trading Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley for Olynyk, offering Wembanyama a two-man accompaniment near the rim.

Where Kornet shines defensively, Olynyk makes up for in two ways. While he stands only 6-foot-11, his size affords San Antonio a floor spacer. The center, in 44 games last season for the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans, averaged 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists on 50 percent shooting from the floor and 42 percent from 3.

And while Olynyk's experience slightly ages the Spurs, the young franchise isn't averse to adding veterans.

"The stuff they see," Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan began, "they see a lot more because they're experienced. It's ... great."

One of the primary concerns facing San Antonio as it transitions from Summer League to training camp in the fall is finding a role for all three of De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. In the same vein, cycling between Kornet, Olynyk and Sochan, at times, creates a slight logjam.

Olynyk isn't disquieted by that.

"I think that we all complement each other in different ways," he said. "We all have a little bit of a different game. ... (I'm) just trying to add a veteran presence that can be versatile on both ends of the floor. Especially offensively. I want to try to be a connector for those guys and then stretch the floor."

Apr 8, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Kelly Olynyk (13) takes a three point shot in the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

After San Antonio signed the Canadian center, its roster shrunk by one more player. Mitch Johnson now has two open roster spots and three available three-way contracts — two of which are reserved for Riley Minix and Harrison Ingram, who were both tendered qualifying offers in June.

Beyond them, David Jones-Garcia has impressed the Spurs at NBA 2K26 Summer league with several impact performances, including a 28-point outing against the Utah Jazz while Olynyk and Wembanyama watched.

"Whatever contract he gets coming out of Summer League he deserves," Spurs Summer League coach Mike Noyes said that evening.

On the free agency front, Charles Bassey, Chris Paul and Bismack Biyombo remain unsigned. Adding a third center this offseason is an unlikely move for San Antonio, which leaves only Paul, who has reportedly been eyeing a move back West to be nearer his family in Los Angeles.

If San Antonio chooses not to bring any of its remaining free agents back, it'll look elsewhere to fill the remaining two roster spots, which, in turn, keeps the door open for any of Minix, Ingram or Jones-Garcia to upgrade their two-way deal to a standard contract.

A little more than two months separates the end of Summer League and the beginning of training camp. By that point, the Spurs will have a much stronger idea of their roster and rotations.

Like everything else, they'll keep those in-house.

But one thing Olynyk, the newest Spur, couldn't, was his excitement about playing next to Wembanyama. He joins the crowd.

"When you have someone like him protecting the rim behind you," Olynyk said, "it makes you a lot more confident on that end of the floor."