How the Spurs were built to be an NBA Finals contender

Nypost · Jun 03, 2026 · 885 words · By Andrew Crane

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What to know about How the Spurs were built to be an NBA Finals contender

The Spurs took a different team-building route than the Knicks.

Claims checked 33

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center80%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The Spurs took a different team-building route than the Knicks.

Why it matters

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.

Common ground

Ahead of the NBA Finals, The Post dissects how the Spurs took shape.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: How the Spurs were built to be an NBA Finals contender?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Barnes... helping the Warriors win the title in 2015?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/06/03/sports/how-the-spurs-were-built-to-be-an-nba-final…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 33 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 23

verified Verified By Reference 5

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 1

cancel Disputed 1

report Misleading 1

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Claim 1: “Barnes... helping the Warriors win the title in 2015”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 2: “Julian Champagnie: Signed a two-way deal in February 2023 after getting waived by the 76ers.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found regarding Julian Champagnie's two-way contract in February 2023.

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Claim 3: “Jordan McLaughlin: Arrived as part of the Fox deal in February 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 4: “This will mark his second trip to the Finals — with the other in 2020 with the Heat.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 5: “The former St. John’s star has hit 39.3 percent of his 3s in the playoffs”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 6: “The 35-year-old averaged 8.6 minutes and 3.2 points per game”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “Lindy Waters III: Signed a one-year deal last summer worth nearly $2.5 million.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 8: “the small forward also flashed potential — including a career-best 17 points April 8”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 9: “Stephon Castle: Drafted No. 4 overall in 2024.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and ESPN draft results explicitly confirm Stephon Castle was the 4th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024 NBA draft was the 78th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual draft. Unlike recent years, the 2024 draft took place over two nights. This was the first NBA draft held over mu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_NBA_draft

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2025–26 season and conclusion to the season's playoffs. The best-of-seven series ended when the Eastern C…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_NBA_Finals

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Stephon Javonte Castle (born November 1, 2004) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephon_Castle

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 10: “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).”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence provided for this claim consists of articles about the Russo-Ukrainian War, which are completely irrelevant to Stephon Castle's NBA stats.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Guerra Russo-Ucraniana[50] (em ucraniano: російсько-українська війна, transl. rosiisko-ukrainska viina) é um conflito contínuo e prolongado que começou em fevereiro de 2014, envolvendo principalmente …
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerra_Russo-Ucraniana

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Um novo estudo do CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies) revelou números surpreendentes sobre a guerra na Ucrânia, iniciada em 2022 com a invasão da Rússia ao país. Os numer…
https://www.sociedademilitar.com.br/2026/07/guerra-na-ucrani…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Baixas russas na guerra da Ucrânia superam o recrutamento de Moscou, que perde território e enfrenta ofensivas lentas enquanto Kiev amplia ataques com drones.
https://g1.globo.com/mundo/noticia/2026/07/02/russia-ja-soma…

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Claim 11: “Waters... limited minutes (7.1 per game) and production (2.4 points per game) during the regular season, including when he hit three 3s March 17.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

cancel

Claim 12: “Wembanyama... is averaging 20.9 points — along with 10.8 rebounds — in his first postseason.”

DISPUTED

The claim states he averaged 20.9 points and 10.8 rebounds. However, a web search result specifically detailing his first playoff run lists his stats as 23.8 PPG and 10.9 RPG, directly contradicting the specific numbers in the claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023 NBA draft, the 77th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual draft, was held on June 22, 2023, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The draft consisted of 58 picks instead…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_NBA_draft

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Victor Wembanyama ( WEM-bən-YAH-mə; French: [viktɔʁ wɛmbanjama]; born 4 January 2004), nicknamed "Wemby" and "the Alien", is a French professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the Na…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_Wembanyama

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 13: “The guard from Rutgers earned votes for Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year before averaging 13.1 points per game during the postseason.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 14: “Vassell... averaging 13.9 points”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found regarding Devin Vassell's specific scoring average of 13.9 points.

verified

Claim 15: “Fox... averaging 18.6 points and 6.2 assists while making the second All-Star Game of his career during the regular season.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While Wikipedia confirms Fox is with the Spurs, the provided evidence does not contain his specific 2024-25 regular season averages (18.6 pts, 6.2 ast) or confirmation of his second All-Star selection for that specific year.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 NBA All-Star Game was a round-robin tournament played on February 15, 2026, the 75th edition. It was hosted by the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. It was the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_NBA_All-Star_Game

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — De'Aaron Martez Fox (born December 20, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De'Aaron_Fox

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 16: “Harrison Barnes: Landed in San Antonio from the Kings as part of a three-team deal in July 2024.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 17: “McLaughlin averaged 2.0 points and 6.4 minutes for the Spurs in the regular season”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 18: “Dylan Harper: Drafted No. 2 overall in 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 19: “Plumlee, 36... appearing in 12 games for them across the regular season and playoffs.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 20: “Kornet... averaging 6.1 points and 6.5 rebounds during the regular season.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

report

Claim 21: “Vassell signing the largest deal in Spurs history — at the time — in 2023 (five years, $135 million)”

MISLEADING

The claim states the deal was for $135 million. However, multiple sources (Locked In, other web results) state the contract was actually for $146 million, though they agree it was the largest in Spurs history at the time.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oct 3, 2023 ... Devin Vassell secured the bag According to Matthew Tynan, his 5-year, $146 million deal is the most lucrative contract in San Antonio Spurs ...
https://www.facebook.com/Spurs/posts/locked-in-the-san-anton…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oct 4, 2023 ... Meanwhile, the $29.3 million Vassell is set to earn when the extension kicks in next year will mark the highest-paid single season in club ...
https://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/san-antonio…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oct 2, 2023 ... Vassell — an impressive young wing entering his fourth season who the franchise sees as part of the future next to Victor Wembanyama — and the ...
https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/spurs-agree-to-five-year-…

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Claim 22: “Biyombo appeared in 34 games for San Antonio across the regular season and playoffs”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 23: “Keldon Johnson: Selected No. 29 overall in 2019.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 24: “Bismack Biyombo: Turned two 10-day contracts in February 2025 into a deal for the remainder of last season before returning on a one-year pact.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 25: “Johnson... the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year this season, recorded the most bench points in a season in franchise history (1,081).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 26: “Kelly Olynyk: Acquired from the Wizards in July in exchange for Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham and a second-rounder.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 27: “Devin Vassell: Taken No. 11 overall in 2020.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and multiple news reports confirm Devin Vassell was selected 11th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — NBA draft. 2020: 1st round, 11th overall pick.three assists, from Vassell, the Spurs were defeated by the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in tournament with a 103–113 loss.[27] The loss eliminated th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devin_Vassell

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — I like it. He is a classic 3-and-D guy who shot above 40 percent from 3-point range in two different seasons. He was one of the best -- probably the best -- ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvVOoWdPbcc

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The San Antonio Spurs used their 11th overall pick on Devin Vassell. After months of wondering and waiting, the pick is finally in. With their first pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs s…
https://airalamo.com/2020/11/18/san-antonio-spurs-select-dev…

verified

Claim 28: “Victor Wembanyama: Selected No. 1 overall in 2023.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and multiple web search results explicitly confirm Victor Wembanyama was selected 1st overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs.

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 29: “Luke Kornet: Inked a four-year, $41 million deal in free agency last summer.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 30: “Mason Plumlee: Turned a 10-day contract into a deal for the rest of the season after getting waived by the Thunder in February.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 31: “Kornet won a ring with the Celtics”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 32: “Carter Bryant: Drafted No. 14 overall in 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 33: “De’Aaron Fox: 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.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia entries for De'Aaron Fox and the 2024-25 Sacramento Kings season confirm he is now a player for the San Antonio Spurs and departed Sacramento during that season. While the specific trade details (Zach LaVine/picks) aren't fully detailed in the snippet, the move to the Spurs is verified.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2024–25 Sacramento Kings season was the 80th season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and 40th season in the city of Sacramento. The season saw the departures of coac…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024–25_Sacramento_Kings_seaso…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_Kings

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.