2. San Antonio Spurs
A team that's had a quietly good offseason, the San Antonio Spurs have established themselves as a dark horse playoff contender after drafting Stephon Castle, signing Chris Paul, and acquiring Harrison Barnes in Sacramento's 3-team sign-and-trade with the Bulls. The Spurs also traded the No. 8 pick to the Timberwolves for a future first-round pick and a pick swap. With more draft capital and veterans in the building, the Spurs are poised to surprise the NBA community in 2024-25.
However, the Spurs have the opportunity to go all-in with their current roster, taking a short-term risk with Brandon Ingram. On a one-year contract, Ingram can serve as a low-risk, high-reward for the franchise, who could extend him into the future if all goes well. He would provide offensive firepower alongside Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama, making an interesting trio in San Antonio.
The Spurs have established a competitive nine-man rotation in the Western Conference, with enough depth to stand pat or use their depth and assets to make a move at an All-Star or better player. Ingram may not be an upgrade defensively for San Antonio, but he's a major upgrade in talent and offensive skill, which the Spurs need more of. Playing next to Victor Wembanyama, Ingram's defensive weaknesses become less of a concern with the defensive stalwart in San Antonio.