How to manage rise of Dylan Harper one of five key questions Spurs must address

A little more than a week ago, Victor Wembanyama signed off for the summer with three words.

“See you never,” he told reporters as he left the interview podium after the Spurs’ out-of-nowhere NBA Finals run ended in Game 5 against the New York Knicks.

“Never” seems to be an exaggeration.

Wembanyama and the Spurs will be back in the fall to continue the chase for the franchise’s sixth NBA championship.

The 7-foot-4 Frenchman will come back with a heftier bank account.

One of the first orders of business for the Spurs his offseason will also be the easiest. Wembanyama, the 22-year-old epicenter of what the Spurs hope is a dynasty in the making, is eligible for a five-year, $251-million extension this summer.

That number escalates to $301 million if Wembanyama wins an MVP, Defensive Player of the Year award or makes an All-NBA team next summer.

The only question the Spurs have for Wembanyama: How quickly can you sign?

Once the centerpiece is locked in place, Spurs general manager Brian Wright can go about the task of rounding out a roster built to make another Finals run. With the offseason officially underway, here are five burning questions Wright and his front-office team must answer before the Spurs return to the practice gym in the fall:

1. How will the backcourt logjam sort itself out?

The Spurs will enter the offseason with a logjam of star guards in the backcourt, each of whom bring something different to the table.

How to allocate minutes between All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox, former Rookie of the Year and defensive ace Stephon Castle and up-and-coming star Dylan Harper could be the team’s defining issue of the summer.

Harper thrived coming off the bench as a rookie, and would be a prime candidate for next season’s NBA Sixth Man of the Year award if he stays there.

How long a talent like Harper will remain content as a reserve remains to be seen, however. The 20-year-old could be knocking at the door of the Spurs’ starting lineup as soon as next season.

That gives rise to the question of what to do with Fox, whose four-year, $229-million extension hits the books in the fall. The Spurs could eventually look to offload Fox’s contract via trade, which would also free up backcourt minutes for Harper and Castle.

With the Spurs committed to Fox as their starter for the near future, that could be a question for a different offseason, however.

2. Will ‘The Senator’ reup for another term?

Of the Spurs’ top 10 scorers this season, only Harrison Barnes is set to become a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the month.

The 34-year-old veteran forward saw his role diminish throughout the season and then disappear entirely by the end of the Finals. The Spurs would certainly welcome back the erudite Barnes – who has earned the nickname “The Senator” — as a locker room presence, provided he is willing to accept limited minutes and a steep pay cut from the $19 million he earned last season.

Five other veteran end-of-the-bench players are also poised to become free agents. Of that list, point guard Jordan McLaughlin is considered most likely to return.

3. What other pieces can the Spurs add?

Wright’s wish list for the offseason seems simple enough. The Spurs would like to add a traditional-sized power forward type to play alongside Wembanyama, a rim-running backup big man and another “3-and-D” shooter.

Filling all of those needs could be easier said than done. The Spurs have a mid-level exception worth about $15.1-million with which to lure outside free agents beginning June 30.

That could be enough to make a run at a player like the L.A. Lakers’ Rui Hachimura, the L.A. Clippers’ John Collins, Portland’s Robert Williams III or Golden State’s Kristaps Porzingis.

As last summer’s signing of Luke Kornet showcased, the Spurs are willing to be patient and strategic when adding pieces around Wembanyama.

4. Will Sean Sweeney prove irreplaceable?

The Spurs have important additions to make this summer that go beyond the court.

Associate head coach Sean Sweeney left at the conclusion of the Finals to become the head coach in Orlando, leaving a massive void on Mitch Johnson’s staff in San Antonio.

Sweeney’s impact on the Spurs cannot be overstated.

In only one season on the bench, the 41-year-old Sweeney helped construct a top-3 defense around Wembanyama. That unit only grew more stout during the Western Conference playoffs.

Now Sweeney is coaching Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner in Orlando, and the Spurs will spend the summer searching for a replacement.

 5. How much help can the Spurs expect from the draft?

The Spurs arrive at Tuesday’s NBA draft armed with the No. 20 overall pick, thanks to a swap with Atlanta stemming from the 2022 Dejounte Murray trade. They also own three picks in Wednesday’s second round (No. 35, No. 42 and No. 44).

Unlike the past three seasons – when the Spurs drafted No. 1, No. 4 and No. 2 overall – they should not expect to add a game-changing rookie from the 20^th slot.

The club could choose to target a big man with their first-round pick, with Santa Clara’s Allen Graves, Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., Arizona’s Koa Peat and Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance considered possibilities at that slot.

It is unlikely the Spurs use all three of their second-round picks and could look to trade one or more.