Zach Collins Contract Conversation

The San Antonio Spurs cap space is as flexible as Victor Wembanyama. If the Spurs wanted to trade for a superstar player, they'd have enough cap space to absorb without giving up too many notable players. With that said, aside from the usual suspect, Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins' contract is perfect as a throw-in to facilitate a trade.

San Antonio is $27 million away from the first apron threshold. However, if the Spurs wish to trade for a star player during the 2024-25 or the following season, they could use the $34.8 million of Collin's contract to make a deal.

While Collins's deal is nowhere near the worst in the NBA, it made no sense for San Antonio. The franchise felt no pressure to provide such a contract for a player unlikely to do anything of note.

Collins worked on his 3-point shot this summer, but the results show he's not even an average producer from such a range. He shot 32 percent from behind the 3-point line and converted below-average on advanced shooting metrics.

The problem with Collins is that he doesn't complement Wembanyama or lift the second unit. Collins averages double-digit points, but the scoring is more empty calories than protein for the Spurs.

Perhaps Collins' offseason shooting workouts will pay dividends, as he returned to San Antonio early for practice reps.

Related: San Antonio Spurs Season Preview: Zach Collins Needs to Shoot Better

Collins isn't a bad player by any means, but if grading the roster, he is the unfortunate member of the Spurs with the contract that sticks out the worst.