It's been a mixed-bag for the San Antonio Spurs at Summer League. No. 2 pick Dylan Harper only played in two games because of a groin injury and didn't exactly wow in his brief appearances — shooting 35.7 percent from the field, 1-of-8 from beyond the arc and racking up more turnovers (7) than assists (4).
They got some impressive defensive plays from the No. 14 pick, Carter Bryant, but he also showed how raw he was on offense, shooting 20 percent from the field and 16 percent from beyond the arc across five games.
However, they also found a diamond in the rough with, arguably, the most impressive player of the entire summer.
The Spurs can't let David Jones-Garcia get away
David Jones-Garcia played for three different schools (DePaul, St. John's and Memphis) in four college seasons and went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft. He caught on with both the Jazz and 76ers on Two-Way contracts but didn't play in a single NBA game.
He wasn't on the radar coming into Summer League, but he definitely is now.
Across six games for the Spurs, Jones-Garcia has averaged 23.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals in just 25.2 minutes per game. He's shooting 55.1 percent from the field and has made 20-of-36 (56 percent) from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-5 wing has demonstrated dynamic shot-making ability, and he absolutely deserves a shot at an NBA rotation this year.
The problem for the Spurs is finding room for him. As Cal Durrett at Air Alamo pointed out, they have the roster spot and the cap space to sign him without luxury tax implications.
"As far as a potential contract, they could offer him a minimum three-year deal with the first two years guaranteed, starting out at around $1.2 million. That would move the Spurs closer to the luxury tax line, but they would still have about $4 million in wiggle room. That is important, in case the Spurs look to make a move before or during next season."
The problem is what they do with him once he's on the roster. Garcia-Jones could probably play some small forward, but the Spurs are loaded in the backcourt and on the wing with De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Dylan Harper and Keldon Johnson already on the roster. However, if they believe in Jones-Garcia, this presents the opportunity to swing a trade and use their strength to address a weakness.
As Durrett pointed out in a separate piece at Hoops Habit, Johnson for Corey Kispert of the Wizards works salary-wise and could be a big win for both teams.
"Despite playing hard, he [Johnson] is a poor defender, and that has contributed to his ever-diminishing role. In 2021-22, he averaged nearly 22 points per game while also drilling almost 40% from deep. That shows his potential value to the Wizards.
Since then, he has become a Sixth Man and an energy guy off the bench. His decline as a 3-point shooter has essentially stunted his offensive game, with him relying on bullying his way to the rim."
Johnson has upside as a complementary creator and scorer, something the Wizards could absolutely use as they rebuild. Kispert, meanwhile, is a fantastic 3-point shooter and off-ball threat who can help create space in the Spurs offense. He's made 38.2 percent of his 3s and has the size, at 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds, to play more as a 3/4, helping eliminate a logjam in the backcourt. There wouldn't be big minutes for him with the Spurs, but he certainly adds a different dimension to the pairing of Jeremy Sochan and Harrison Barnes as big 3s and small-ball 4s.
Kispert's contract is also a year shorter, which saves the Spurs some money and could potentially open up more room for a big move next offseason. On paper, Johnson is a much "better" player, but Kispert is a better fit for what the Spurs need. And if the Spurs still feel like they need to extract more value to balance things out, they could probably get a second-round pick from the Wizards to make it work.
And, remember, this isn't just about the trade. It's about opening minutes for Garcia-Jones and injecting a whole lot more shooting into a roster that really needs it.