SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 3: Harrison Barnes #40 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball during the game against the New York Knicks during Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 3, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images Free agency won’t start until June 30th, but as soon as the Finals ended, teams have been able to negotiate with their own free agents. It’s an exclusive window that, on paper, allows incumbent franchises the opportunity to lock up guys they want to keep around before they get on the market. In some years, the period is extremely important, as a team might have key pieces whose contracts expire. It’s not the case for the Spurs this offseason. In fact, it wouldn’t be a major shock if they don’t actually bring anyone back. Let’s take a look at San Antonio’s free agents, how they performed in the regular season, and whether it seems likely that they’ll return. Harrison Barnes | Unrestricted free agent 2025/26 stats: 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 39 percent from beyond the arc Barnes was a starter for part of the season, and he looked like a solid placeholder. He didn’t make many mistakes, could play without the ball, and hit enough threes that the fact that opponents often left him open or parked their centers on him wasn’t a major problem. He ended the season as a bench piece, and the numbers suggest that he could be a solid backup who does a little bit of everything without compromising the team in any way. But the splits show a different picture. The veteran forward started the season well before going ice-cold from beyond the arc and not being able to get to the bucket after closeouts. Just as the Spurs were finding their identity as a young, athletic team that applied rim pressure, Barnes looked like he had aged five years in a month. He lost his starting spot, and while he regained his touch from deep eventually, he never seemed like a dangerous weapon. Combine his lack of offensive presence with middling defense, and it’s no surprise he fell out of the rotation as the playoffs progressed. Likelihood of returning: Medium Barnes didn’t play in a few playoff games and got negligible minutes in others. He’s still just 34 and a good enough shooter to potentially get an offer with guaranteed playing time from someone else. There are two reasons why the Spurs might try to keep him. First, he has been incredibly generous with the San Antonio community, with multiple donations and appearances in charitable events, which means he has the character the franchise has always coveted. And second, replacing a still useful player won’t be easy with the tools the front office will have available to them. If he takes a pay cut and is fine with limited but consistent minutes in the regular season, a compromise seems possible. Kelly Olynyk | Unrestricted free agent 2025/26 stats: 3.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists on 8.6 minutes a game. There was a moment in the summer, right after Olynyk was acquired in exchange for Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley, when there were reasons to be optimistic about his addition. The veteran big man had clear weaknesses, mainly as a rim protector, but his passing and decent outside shooting made him a good match to share the floor with Jeremy Sochan. As Sochan lost favor with the coaching staff, however, it was unclear how Olynyk fit. He wasn’t nimble enough to be a power forward next to Wembanyama or Kornet, and as a sole big man, his lack of athleticism made him a sieve on defense. In the end, Olynyk played under 10 minutes a game and suited up for just 42 games. The Spurs didn’t use his expiring contract at the trade deadline, and now he’ll enter unrestricted free agency with a very limited market. Likelihood of returning: Low The Spurs were smart to kick the tires on a big man with a skill set the others lacked, but it became clear Olynyk didn’t fit their guard-oriented, rim-pressure-heavy attack and had a bad year as a shooter, which was the weapon that might have kept him useful. At age 35, his NBA career might be over unless some team wants a good locker room guy to fill their roster. It seems unlikely that the team will be San Antonio. Jordan McLaughlin | Unrestricted free agent 2025/26 stats: 2 points, 0.9 assists, 42 percent three-point shooting on 6.4 minutes a game. McLaughlin was a throw-in in the De’Aaron Fox trade who somehow managed to make a big enough impact in his short time with the franchise in 2024/25 to earn a fully guaranteed minimum deal with the team the following offseason. With a crowded backcourt, San Antonio seemed comfortable bringing in a journeyman who would not cause issues if he didn’t get minutes and who, in case of emergency, could handle the ball, guard with intensity, and shoot the three when open. In that tiny role, he delivered. The Spurs didn’t rely on him heavily at all, but when he was on the floor, he did what was expected of him. Likelihood of returning: Medium The Spurs will need a guard with McLaughlin’s profile, so why not just bring the veteran back? At age 30, he’s likely a finished product and might regress, but since he’ll only play in the regular season when someone else is hurt, or the game is out of reach, it won’t matter. At the same time, maybe bringing in a more dynamic, multipositional option could be a smarter move. Plus, maybe there’s actually someone willing to play McLaughlin, which is something the Spurs can’t promise to do. Lindy Waters III | Unrestricted free agent 2025/26 stats: 2.4 points, 0.7 rebounds, 34 percent on three-pointers in 6.4 minutes a game. Can you really be disappointed with a guy on a partially guaranteed minimum contract that stuck around? If it’s possible, Lindy Waters III would fit the bill. Waters arrived as a shooting specialist, and while he was rarely on the court for long enough to develop a rhythm, he shot a career-low from beyond the arc. Considering shooting is his one NBA skill, it’s safe to say he wasn’t good even for the small role the Spurs had in mind for him. Likelihood of returning: Low Small-ish wings who can shoot decently are not hard to find in the NBA. Unless Waters was more important in the locker room than anyone has reported, it seems unlikely he’ll get another chance with the Spurs. Mason Plumlee | Unrestricted free agent 2025/26 stats (only with Spurs): 0.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 0.6 assists in just six games. Plumlee arrived late in the season to occupy the roster spot left vacant after Sochan was waived. He took a while to get into shape and ended up playing just 47 total minutes wearing Silver and Black in the regular season. The most memorable moment in his stint with the Spurs was probably a hard foul on Jared McCain, as Mitch Johnson preferred to go small rather than play Plumlee when the team needed a backup center. Likelihood of returning: Low Plumlee, 36, has been declining for a while and might be done as an NBA player. It’s hard to come up with any scenario in which a return to San Antonio makes sense. Bismack Biyombo | Unrestricted free agent 2025/26 stats: 0.9 points, one rebound, 0.3 stocks in 5.6 minutes a game. Biyombo sat in free agency for the better part of the last year before the Spurs added him when Victor Wembanyama was out. They played him 19 minutes a game and, unsurprisingly, he wasn’t good, as the agility and athleticism that made him a solid defensive center with decent finishing ability had disappeared by then. This year, he was even worse, but the difference is that he didn’t actually play much and was mostly around to provide veteran leadership. Likelihood of returning: Medium (but should be low) Biyombo shouldn’t be in the NBA at this point. He can’t move well enough to defend the pick and roll, and his shot-blocking is gone. He was never a good offensive player, but his lack of range and horrendous free-throw shooting make him a liability. There are no basketball reasons for him to be on the Spurs next season. That said, the Spurs will need to fill out the bottom of their roster with players who have no expectations to get playing time and who seem like good locker room presences. Wembanyama appears to like Biyombo, so he might get a spot. If it happens, hopefully, there will be quality depth ahead of him, because he should only see the floor in garbage time. ...read more read less