How the Spurs were built to be an NBA Finals contender

The Spurs took a different team-building route than the Knicks.While Leon Rose and the Knicks focused on trades and free agency to construct their core, San Antonio mostly became a contender again by maximizing its draft capital.Ahead of the NBA Finals, The Post dissects how the Spurs took shape.How he was acquired: Selected No.

1 overall in 2023.How he’s helped them get here: The Spurs’ fortunes changed when they won the lottery and took Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 phenom who has already become a face of the NBA and is averaging 20.9 points — along with 10.8 rebounds — in his first postseason.How he was acquired: Traded by the Kings in February 2025 in a three-team deal that included Bulls star Zach LaVine and three first-rounders — two from the Spurs — going to Sacramento.How he’s helped them get here: Fox became the star to complement Wembanyama, averaging 18.6 points and 6.2 assists while making the second All-Star Game of his career during the regular season.How he was acquired: Drafted No.4 overall in 2024.How he’s helped them get here: The guard has emerged as a key piece of the Spurs’ young core, someone capable of scoring (19 games with 20-plus points during the regular season) and facilitating (ninth-most assists in the NBA during the regular season with 502).How he was acquired: Taken No.

11 overall in 2020.How he’s helped them get here: Vassell signing the largest deal in Spurs history — at the time — in 2023 (five years, $135 million) captures the two-way wing’s value as someone capable of averaging 13.9 points while also contributing to containing Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.How he was acquired: Signed a two-way deal in February 2023 after getting waived by the 76ers.How he’s helped them get here: The former St.John’s star has hit 39.3 percent of his 3s in the playoffs and carved out a starting role despite being undrafted to start his career.How he was acquired: Drafted No.

2 overall in 2025.How he’s helped the...