Spurs Prep for NBA Cup

Whether or not the San Antonio Spurs make the 2025 NBA playoffs, the Emirates NBA Cup will be a legitimate challenge during the regular season. San Antonio finished with a combined 44 wins in the past two seasons, leaving much to be desired, especially with an awakened Victor Wembanyama on the roster.

Three of the four Spurs' opponents in Group B are playoff caliber.

The group play of the NBA Cup for the Spurs starts on Nov. 15, hosting the Los Angeles Lakers, and concludes on Dec. 3, playing at the Footprint Center against the Phoenix Suns.

Regardless of where both teams finished in the 2024 playoffs, the Spurs aspire to finish with a winning season.

Between the Lakers and Suns, the Spurs play the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz. Although Utah didn't finish as a playoff team, it won 31 games, nine more than San Antonio. In light of Lauri Markkanen signing a contract extension, barring injury, the All-Star forward will play against the Spurs on Nov. 26.

The most challenging opponent, though, is the Thunder. As the reigning Western Conference top seed, the Thunder fell to the Dallas Mavericks in six games during the second round of the postseason. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Rookie of the Year runner-up Chet Holmgren present a challenging two-man game, especially with an aged Chris Paul in the Spurs lineup.

While the Spurs finished as a lottery team last season, the silver-medal finish against Team USA pushed Wembanyama deeper into a ferocious, victory-starved competitor, perhaps prepping the Spurs for competitive Group B action.