San Antonio Spurs GM Brian Wright has been in his role for five years, shaping the team’s current roster. While the Spurs show a lot of potential, fans have questioned Wright’s performance, with some believing he hasn’t done a great job.
Despite making several solid moves, some puzzling decisions give his critics ammunition. Here’s a look at the five worst moves of the Wright era, starting with a questionable contract extension.
5) The Zach Collins Extension
One of Wright’s recent moves, extending Zach Collins, has so far appeared to be a mistake. At the time, Collins was a starter, and his two-year, $35 million deal seemed reasonable for a starting center. However, his performance as a starter was underwhelming, leading to his demotion to the bench, where he’s now an overpaid backup to Wembanyama.
Wright seemed to have miscalculated Collins’ value to the team, as Wembanyama quickly proved he could handle the center position, averaging 22.4 points, 11 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 3.9 blocks in 52 games last season. Collins now looks more like a hindrance than an asset to Wembanyama’s development.
Though Collins could still rebuild his value with better performances off the bench or as a fill-in starter, and the rising salary cap might make his contract less burdensome, his future with the team remains uncertain.
4) Not Trading Veterans for Picks in 2019
Early in his tenure, Wright missed an opportunity to trade key veterans for valuable draft picks. In 2019-2020, the Spurs had expiring contracts for DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, and Patty Mills, as well as a team option for LaMarcus Aldridge. Despite the team being clearly out of playoff contention, Wright opted not to trade these veterans and let Mills and Gay walk in free agency without gaining any return.
Although Wright executed a solid sign-and-trade for DeRozan, he failed to trade Aldridge, who was still a productive player at the time. The Spurs eventually waived Aldridge, leaving potential picks on the table.
Since then, Wright has improved at trading veterans while they still hold value, but this was a missed opportunity to stockpile future assets.
3) The Marcus Morris Debacle
The Marcus Morris saga wasn’t entirely Wright’s fault, but it was a significant misstep. The Spurs traded Davis Bertans in a three-team deal, paving the way to sign Morris with their mid-level exception. However, Morris backed out of the agreement and signed with the New York Knicks instead.
Meanwhile, Bertans flourished in Washington, while DeMarre Carroll, acquired in the same trade, didn’t fit in with the Spurs and was eventually waived. Wright’s efforts to add shooting and defense around DeRozan and Aldridge backfired, contributing to the Spurs missing the playoffs for the first time in over 20 years.
2) The Kawhi Leonard Trade Return
Though this technically falls under the RC Buford era, Wright helped negotiate the terms of the Kawhi Leonard trade as assistant GM, making him partly responsible for its outcome. Leonard and Danny Green were traded to the Raptors for Jakob Poeltl, DeMar DeRozan, and a first-round pick that became Keldon Johnson.
Trading Green was a mistake, as his perimeter defense could have helped the Spurs build around DeRozan and Aldridge. Instead, the Spurs had to rely on less effective options, weakening their defense and overall team performance. Green went on to help the Raptors win a championship, while the Spurs struggled.
1) Drafting Joshua Primo
Wright’s decision to draft Joshua Primo 12th overall in 2021 was a huge gamble that didn’t pay off. Primo had off-court issues that led to the team cutting ties with him, effectively wasting a lottery pick. The Spurs could have selected Alperen Sengun, a promising big man, instead of Primo.
Had Primo panned out, the Spurs might have secured a long-term solution at point guard. Instead, they’ve had to rely on stopgap options like Tre Jones and 38-year-old Chris Paul, with no clear long-term answer at the position, though Stephon Castle could eventually fill that role. Wright’s reach for Primo over a more reliable prospect like Sengun proved to be a major blunder.
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