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San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama is a generational player.
The San Antonio Spurs are now one week away from opening the 2026-27 regular season up.
The next step in realizing the 82-game regular season is a home contest against the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 13.
This is a return trip after the Suns took a 102-98 victory in Phoenix on Saturday night. The most intriguing discussion in the lead-up to the game revolves around the status of the core roster.
Read more on the expectations surrounding each core player’s status below.
Spurs Expect Core Pieces to Return Wednesday
GettySan Antonio’s core is expecting to be active Wednesday.
Tom Osborn (San Antonio Express-News) reports as of Wednesday that Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, and Devin Vassell expect to play against the Suns.
The four key players were inactive for San Antonio’s 119-109 loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday as part of a preseason plan in conjunction with the training staff.
This provides a major boost for a San Antonio squad that has yet to break into the win column during preseason. It also serves as a chance for the core to “get right” against a Suns team that did an exceptional job of defending Wembanyama.
Guard De’Aaron Fox (hip) and forward Carter Bryant (knee) are questionable. Beyond this, Tobias Harris remains out due to a hamstring injury. Rookie center Jayden Quaintance is also working his way back from multiple knee procedures.
San Antonio Facing Difficult Rotation Decisions
GettyHow will San Antonio’s Mitch Johnson navigate the beginning of the regular season?
Among the chief concerns for the Spurs heading into the regular season is up-in-air rotation spots.
In all likelihood, Fox will start at point guard, while Harper will relegate to a sixth-man role. The Spurs must tread this situation lightly, as both players are worthy of starting. However, the upside Harper possesses – as well as his connection with Wembanyama – make him the ideal candidate to start.
The other position facing questions is power forward. Incumbent starter Julian Champagnie should be the odds-on favorite to start again. Despite this, there are multiple avenues the Spurs can take in this process. Tobias Harris is in year one of a two-year deal, making him a candidate as well. The return of Harrison Barnes adds another wrinkle into the conversation in extension.
Ultimately, Champagnie is likely to remain the starting PF, if for nothing else due to the current absence of Harris.
Johnson could also opt to do something incredibly bold. What if the Spurs went with a three-guard starting lineup of Fox-Harper-Castle? This would either keep Champagnie in the starting lineup and push Vassell to the sixth-man role, or would render San Antonio rather undersized.
This might be the right decision to maximize an offense that is on an incredible trajectory. Things will figure themselves out in the weeks ahead, and San Antonio is fortunate to have the flexibility to mix-and-match.
The playoff success will be the ultimate judge of San Antonio’s season. The trajectory of a possible run likely comes down to how the regular season is managed.
Kevin Hicks Kevin is a 2024 graduate of Arizona State University. He has over three years of experience in media, having crafted his passion for multiple sports with a polished, distinct storytelling style. More about Kevin Hicks