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We take you back to his peaceful place in Texas

It's Spring Branch, Texas, north of San Antonio. I've got about seven acres, but it's like I have 50 because my neighbor who owned it all had already done so much work on a ton of it and I have really good neighbors. Everybody has big plots of land, and behind us is pretty much nothing. The beauty of it is that it's a clear water river that's spring-fed, and the spring is like a half a mile from my house. So the water is just crystal clear (laughs). You wouldn't believe this place is that close to San Antonio. We've got cedar trees that are darn near 100 feet tall. It's just amazing.

Fishing river?

Oh yeah, I've got bass in there. I just re-stocked it. I've got bass, catfish, all kinds of perch, snapping turtles about the size of this table, which my boys won't leave alone. And deer all over the place. For me, everything starts should start with a level of gratitude for what the Lord has allowed me to do, and that's what I had to get back to. I was so hurt and kicking myself for every decision that I didn't make well, you kind of lose sight of the fact that we were in that position to win and what has transpired in Phoenix over the last 18, 19 months, you know what I mean? From the start of training camp until the buzzer in Game 6, it was like, 'Man, a lot of good has happened,' and I needed to get away and just kind of think and pray and study the Word to have a level of peace about all of that. A lot of good friends Nate was huge for me (laughs), he and Pop and Doc.

Nate was like, 'So if you could do something different, what would you do?' And I really couldn't come up with anything. And he was like, 'Exactly, so shut up and stop crying.' Nate has always been able to shoot straight with me that way. Pop was just unbelievably supportive.

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Last one gone 😔 pic.twitter.com/2rinHW3yHv

— Kai ☔️ (@KayakInQc) August 25, 2021

StillNotAnAggie said:

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Last one gone 😔 pic.twitter.com/2rinHW3yHv

— Kai ☔️ (@KayakInQc) August 25, 2021

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Enzo The Baker said:

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Markkanen to make $16.5MM/yr over 4 with Cavs. Glad we dodged that bullet.

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Phoenix Suns

The Suns are among the contenders who have pursued Spurs forward Thaddeus Young, sources said. San Antonio acquired Young in a sign-and-trade along with a first-round pick and two second-round picks and now are expected to receive strong interest in the veteran forward from competitive teams. Young averaged 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists while playing in 68 games (23 starts) and shooting 55.9 percent from the field a season ago.

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ESPN story on seven-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge agreeing on a one-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets, including a statement on his return: https://t.co/RQFBmOFXlQ

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 3, 2021

The San Antonio Spurs have officially announced they have waived Chandler Hutchinson.

The 25-year-old forward was initially acquired from the Washington Wizards in a five-team trade.

— Noah Magaro-George (@N_Magaro) September 4, 2021

Trying this again: The Spurs are set to re-sign Keita Bates-Diop to a two-year deal. Not two-way. Either way, he will be in camp with the Spurs when it opens later this month.https://t.co/LK1GGFsnLM

— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) September 7, 2021

West Texan said:

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The San Antonio Spurs have officially announced they have waived Chandler Hutchinson.

The 25-year-old forward was initially acquired from the Washington Wizards in a five-team trade.

— Noah Magaro-George (@N_Magaro) September 4, 2021

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It is hard to find anyone who thinks the Spurs have a foundational star among Murray, White, Johnson, Walker, Poeltl, Devin Vassell, Luka Samanic, Joshua Primo, and the rest. It's early, but that assessment seems correct. It's possible one or two cracks an All-Star Game; there have been lots of one- and two-time All-Stars, and there is a giant chasm between those players and perennial All-Stars who determine championships.

The best-odds pathway to those players is at the top of the draft. It's a common criticism of the post-Leonard Spurs that in dealing for a win-now floor-raiser (DeRozan) and keeping its veteran bench together, San Antonio missed its window for Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and Cade Cunningham. (The Spurs have also -- justifiably -- turned down offers of single protected first-round picks for some of their core young guys, sources said.)

Critics dinged the Spurs for hanging on to Aldridge and DeRozan too long. They got nothing for Aldridge, but they were redeemed with DeRozan; snaring Thaddeus Young, one future first-round pick, and two seconds from the Chicago Bulls is a nice return.

Now, the thinking goes, San Antonio's young players have improved to the point that it's too late for these Spurs to bottom out.

Are we sure? There are reasons for pessimism about this single-season San Antonio team -- to wonder if the Spurs, almost by accident, have positioned themselves for a real chance at a top-five pick. Which teams in the West are you certain will win fewer games than the Spurs? That list ends at the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Spurs profile as a bad offensive team that will have to work really hard for clean looks -- many of which will be long 2s. (Their old-fashioned shot profile didn't shift much when DeRozan and Aldridge sat.)

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Given roster turnover and their overall youth, I'm a little skeptical the Spurs will have an elite defense -- as stingy overall as they were in the minutes DeRozan sat. A lot of those minutes came against backups, and San Antonio's bench -- long an efficiency machine -- has been overhauled. Young seems like an obvious trade candidate; contenders have already inquired about him, sources said. (He would be a great fit with the Phoenix Suns playing the Dario Saric role.)

If this really is a top-five defense, the Spurs will be in the play-in race. If it's closer to 10th or average, this could be a painful season -- though with the reward of a high draft pick. It would seem almost impossible for the Spurs to be worse than Houston, Oklahoma City, Detroit, or the Orlando Magic. Beyond that, nothing is guaranteed. The Cleveland Cavaliers should add some wins, and everyone else is chasing the play-in. Landing in the No. 5 or 6 lottery slot brings better odds of moving up under revised rules.

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The Spurs have more future cap room than basically anyone. Re-signing their own guys will chip away at that; they could be pretty near the cap in the summer of 2023 if they re-sign Walker, Johnson, and Poeltl. Chasing restricted free agents -- the ones who best fit San Antonio's timetable -- is usually a losing game. (If the Grizzlies can't agree to an extension with Jaren Jackson Jr., the Spurs loom as an intriguing option.)

Aldridge aside, there is no indication superstar free agents want San Antonio's cap money. The Spurs have the means to trade for stars: all their future first-round picks, a bundle of extra draft assets, and good players on movable contracts. But dealing a bunch of stuff for some star with one or two years left on his deal is an enormous risk without ironclad assurances.

That's why Simmons -- with four years left on his contract -- is a logical target despite his finicky fit. It's unclear if the Spurs really want to re-engage Philadelphia, or if they have enough to trade without tossing in so many draft picks as to imperil the future.

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