The San Antonio Spurs are still one of the top teams in the Western Conference heading into the season despite the retirement of Tim Duncan this summer. The Spurs are not the favorites unlike the Golden State Warriors or Cleveland Cavaliers but they can be if they can sign Russell Westbrook or DeMarcus Cousins in the summer of 2018.
In a recent mailbag by Arthur Hill of Hoops Rumors, he was asked by a fan if the Spurs will go after "Russ" or "Boogie" in the 2018 offseason. It should be noted that Westbrook can opt out of his new three-year deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder at the end of the 2017-18 season.
On the other hand, Cousins' contract will expire at the end of the same season but his future is much murkier than Westbrook. This season proves to be vital for the future of Cousins since he has his sixth head coach in seven years.
Hill noted that Westbrook is a better fit in San Antonio since the Spurs' starting point guard, Tony Parker, is clearly declining. The team has LaMarcus Aldridge, who might not work well with Cousins and his shaky attitude.
"Cousins seems like a shaky fit with a tough coach like Gregg Popovich, and it seems likely that the Kings will trade him before he reaches free agency. If you're going to bet on either of those players one day joining the Spurs, put your money on Westbrook," Hill answered.
The Spurs already have a possible replacement for Parker in rookie Dejounte Murray but he might not be ready in 2018. In a recent interview with ESPN, Parker revealed that he is adapting to his new role with the Spurs now that Duncan has retired.
"I love my role, and I'll try to do the best I can this year to keep winning games. You know, we won 67 games last year. We'll try to do the same thing and go further in the playoffs," Parker said.
Kawhi Leonard is entering his prime while Aldridge is clearly on his so 2018 is the right time for the Spurs to make the right moves. San Antonio is not known for their free agency prowess but it changed in the past couple of years.
They signed Aldridge from the Portland Trail Blazers last year while they went for Kevin Durant this summer before he chose the Golden State Warriors. Check out the video below for the Spurs' Top 10 Plays of the 2015-16 NBA season.