On April 6, the San Antonio Spurs lost to the Portland Trail Blazers 120-109, eliminating them from NBA playoff contention. To some, this season may look like yet another failure by the Spurs to revitalize themselves after their glory days have faded.

As for myself, however, I could not be happier with how the Spurs’ future is shaping up. To put it simply, the Spurs front office historically has been possibly the best in any professional sport, and all evidence over the past decade suggests that is still the case.

In fairness, this season the Spurs gave me my first opportunity to cover an NBA basketball game as a credentialed member of the press, so I could be accused of looking at the team through rose-tinted glasses. Nonetheless, speaking both as a journalist and as a lifelong Spurs fan, I remain completely unconcerned about the future of the Spurs franchise.

I will concede that Spurs fans have every right to be disappointed at missing the playoffs six seasons in a row, particularly considering that the Spurs had never missed the playoffs in consecutive years prior to 2021. Victor Wembanyama’s injury also poses some concerns, seeing as the Spurs’ loss of superstar Kawhi Leonard was related to a chronic injury.

The Spurs’ immense volume of winning in the 2000s and 2010s had a great deal to do with the big three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. As they neared retirement, the Spurs did an excellent job in planning for the new era.

After Duncan’s retirement in 2016, all the pieces seemed to be in place. Kawhi Leonard seemed a perfect centerpiece for the Spurs’ collectivist style of basketball, forward LaMarcus Aldridge from Portland was a good short-term solution for the void Duncan left in the paint and young guard Dejounte Murray seemed poised to pick up Parker’s torch.

Unfortunately, Leonard unexpectedly left the Spurs in 2018, and from there the rest of the Spurs’ well-laid plans collapsed like a Jenga tower. Nonetheless, the front office can hardly be faulted for the unpredictability of NBA drama and injuries.

As for how things have gone since, the Spurs have definitely been building through the draft. Scoring the number one pick in 2023 to draft Victor Wembanyama greatly lifted the Spurs’ ceiling of possible success. They only raised that ceiling further the next year by drafting 2024 NCAA national champion guard Stephon Castle with the fourth pick.

The Spurs have also done well to select not only players that have formed its long-term core through the rebuild — such as Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson — but also players that contributed to the team’s winning culture. Players like Derrick White, Malaki Branham and Tre Jones may not have contributed to playoff wins or championships, but they clearly left a lasting impact on the team.

Over the past few years, the Spurs have been tanking in order to get higher draft picks and not making many trades or signings in free agency. This year, though, I believe the Spurs made the correct calculation that this was their year to try to capitalize on their winning culture once again.

Signing future Hall of Famer Chris Paul to complement Wembanyama and mentor Castle was a great move, as was signing veteran forward Harrison Barnes. Most importantly, though, the Spurs’ incredible trade for star guard De’Aaron Fox cost them practically nothing and gives them even more scoring potential at the guard position.

Wembanyama’s injury — and Fox’s subsequent shoulder surgery — ultimately derailed the Spurs’ plans for a playoff push this year, but I believe the front office should be commended for their efforts. More importantly, I believe that next season will be a very different story.

I firmly predict the Spurs will be solid playoff contenders next season analogous to the similarly young and rebuilding Houston Rockets this year. Considering the additional possibilities of retaining Paul, despite his age, and the Spurs front office making more shrewd trades or signings, I think San Antonio will be seeing playoff basketball next spring.