3 San Antonio Spurs players who won’t be back next season

The Spurs losing DeMar DeRozan is basically a given. Given that Kawhi Leonard is presumably unlikely to leave the Los Angeles Clippers, that leaves DeRozan as the best player available who can play at the small forward position.

DeRozan joined the Spurs in 2018 in the infamous trade that brought Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. While yes, the Raptors did win the trade since they won their first NBA title following that year, but DeRozan was solid during his time in San Antonio.

When playing under Popovich, DeRozan’s field-goal percentage drastically increased, especially in the 2019-20 season where he shot 53.1-percent. Not only that, but DeRozan became a facilitator with the ball, as he posted career-highs in assists in each of his three years with the Spurs.

This past season, DeRozan tallied 21.6 points, a career-high 6.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds through 61 games, all of which were starts.

DeRozan is going to cash in this offseason and is reportedly set to take a “wide-open approach” to free agency, and that could very well knock the Spurs out of the running.