3 San Antonio Spurs who definitely won't be back next season

The San Antonio Spurs have one of the brightest futures in the NBA after they drafted French sensation Victor Wembanyama, yet they still haven't seen the playoffs since 2019.

The Spurs finished with a regular-season record of 22-60 and finished second to last in the Western Conference. It's evident that the front office in San Antonio needs to make some moves for next season if they want to cater to Wembanyama and build around his strengths.

Many of the Spurs players who were around this season to endure the pain of losing game after game will most likely not be there next season. If the Spurs hope to make a leap in the league in the next few years, they need significant roster turnover.

The Spurs will have to decide on the long-term future of second-year players such as Jeremy Sochan, Blake Wesley, and Malaki Branham. They will also have to decide whether some of the players under long-term contracts, like Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell, are important pieces to the team or more valuable as trade assets.

There may be more than three players who won't be on the roster next season, but here are the three most likely to be gone.

1. Cedi Osman

Osman came to the Spurs from Cleveland over the summer. However, for the final four games of the season, Osman was not on the floor due to an ankle sprain.

This summer he will be an unrestricted free agent, and while he has not ruled out a return to San Antonio, they could likely use his roster spot and minutes on a young player with more long-term potential. The small forward averaged 6.8 points in 72 games played and shot 38.9 percent from 3-point range.

Osman is a solid spot-up shooter who can also use his size in the paint against smaller wings. Except the Spurs already have that size in the paint with Wembanyama and Keldon Johnson. In addition, he is one of the two oldest players on the roster.

Once July 1 comes around his $6.7 million contract will expire and he will become the only player on the Spurs' roster eligible to enter unrestricted free agency. He was useful this year as a veteran presence but the Spurs will probably be looking for more upside next year.

2. Sandro Mamukelashvili

Mamukelashvili will become a restricted free agent, and the Spurs will retain the right to match outside offers. Last season, he was in similar shoes as he re-signed on a one-year, $2 million contract last July.

This season, he has not made significant progress, averaging 3.4 points and 2.9 rebounds off the bench. He hasn't really delivered on his potential as a floor-spacing big man and doesn't the Spurs might be looking for more rebounding and shot-blocking from a backup big who also can't shoot. With the arrival of other younger players, he has seen a decrease in his time on the floor and that smaller role is an indication that he's not a part of the Spurs' long-term plans.

However, he is a fan-favorite player, and the coaching staff, players and fans love when he is on the floor. But if the organization does want to pursue younger and more versatile players, he will have to go.

3. RaiQuan Gray

As a two-way player for the team, Gray is already 24 years old and has not been with the Spurs long. He only appeared in three games and put up some decent numbers but in garbage time.

He averaged 15.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in the G League, playing for the Austin Spurs. Already at the age of 24, the Spurs look like they won't continue with the contract as they gear up for this year's draft and look into new prospects.