At 5 p.m. CT on Monday, June 30th, NBA reporters will flock to social media to rapidly fire off reports of free agents signing with new teams or re-signing with their own. The San Antonio Spurs are sure to be in the thick of those reports. After drafting Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant, they have a solid group of guards and wings. What they lack are big men to back up franchise cornerstone Victor Wembanyama.

According to reports, the Spurs are set to be a major player in the big men market during the free agency period. With three roster spots left, the Spurs will fill at least two of those with a big of some kind, whether it be a power forward or center. Making those last moves should give the Spurs enough firepower on their roster to contend for a playoff spot this season.

The list of big men free agents ranges from starters on playoff teams to “break in case of emergency” depth pieces. San Antonio needs a true backup big man to hold down the paint when Wembanyama is on the bench (and potentially play some minutes with him). Ideally, that big man would be able to provide floor spacing along non-floor spacers like Jeremy Sochan and Stephon Castle. They could also use another end-of-the-bench big man who could provide depth in case of injury issues. While not a necessity, another young big on a two-way contract would be the cherry on top of their big men depth.

Let’s break down the big men who fit those roles stated above.

Stretch targets who may look for bigger roles

Brook Lopez, Clint Capela, Al Horford, Bobby Portis

The Spurs will be over the cap this summer, and $40.5M from the first apron. They’ll have access to the $14.1M non-taxpayer mid-level exception and $5.1M bi-annual exception. They could also execute a sign-and-trade to add players, but those can be harder deals to make happen. Luckily, only the Brooklyn Nets have the cap space to sign players outright, and they are unlikely to go after win-now players.

San Antonio could court veteran needle-movers like Lopez, Capela, Horford, and Portis, but they are unlikely to offer them the role they may desire. Rumors are that the Los Angeles Lakers covet at least one of these big men and could offer a chance to catch dump-offs and lobs from Luka Doncic and LeBron James. The Boston Celtics need a center after they traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks, which means Horford could return. Portis would likely be able to recoup more money and play a key role by re-signing with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Spurs would greatly benefit from getting one of these players. They have the size, defensive ability, and, besides Capela, three-point shooting to slot behind or beside Wembanyama. The odds are stacked against them signing one of the top bigs on the market, but the possibility shouldn’t be ruled out.

The rumored targets

Guerschon Yabusele, Luke Kornet

Jeje Gomez wrote two pieces about the Spurs’ rumored interest in both Yabusele and Kornet. Both make perfect sense for San Antonio.

Yabusele’s history playing next to Wembanyama is well-known. His dunk on LeBron in the Olympics was legendary. In his return to the NBA, he averaged 11 points and 5.6 rebounds, while shooting 48.9% from the field and 38% from three. He’s a solid passer and has enough strength to bang with bruisers on the interior. He’s a bit undersized at 6-foot-8, but makes sense as a versatile big man who can play next to Wemby as a forward, or back him up as a center while providing enough floor spacing to play next to someone like Sochan.

Kornet was a key piece for the Celtics this season as Porzingis struggled with injuries. His per-game stats won’t wow you, but he does everything a backup center should. He protects the paint, sets hard screens, and finishes around the hoop. He hasn’t shot threes in a long time, but early in his career, he knocked down 36% of his threes on nearly 4 attempts per game. It’s unlikely, but possible he could hit threes in San Antonio.

Kornet and Yabusele haven’t made a lot of money in their careers. Both are entering their early 30s with under $15M in career earnings. This offseason is their opportunity to get a payday. San Antonio could be competitive with its $14.1M MLE, but it may be hard to get both bigs to sign. Yabusele closely resembles what San Antonio’s front office values, but Kornet would give them some added size they desperately need. It’ll be interesting to see who they pursue first on Monday afternoon.

Other backup options

Day’Ron Sharpe, Chris Boucher, Larry Nance Jr., Kevon Looney

If San Antonio strikes out on Kornet or Yabusele, they should kick the tires on this group of players. None of them will make headlines or put up numbers that jump off the stat sheet, but they are solid veterans who will have a positive impact.

Sharpe is not a floor spacer, but he’s one of the league’s best backup bigs. He’s an awesome offensive rebounder, grabbing 3 a game. He defends the paint at a high level. At 24 years old, Sharpe could be a part of the Spurs’ rotations for years to come. The catch is that Sharpe is a restricted free agent, which means the Nets could potentially match any offer the Spurs could make.

Nance Jr. is one of the most underrated bench bigs in the NBA. When healthy, he’s a plus defender who can knock down 40% of his threes. While his eye-popping athleticism is not where it used to be, he’s strong and savvy on the boards. He’s a steady hand you can plug in for 18-20 minutes a night.

Boucher experienced a return to form last season, averaging 10 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 36.3% from deep. He’s a decent rim protector at 6-foot-9, and in his best seasons has been a real difference maker on that end. He could be an interesting option on this roster.

Looney is a well-known commodity thanks to his role as a bruiser on the Golden State Warriors over the years. Somehow, he is still only 29 years old, meaning he’d fit the Spurs timeline. He’d give them a big, strong interior defender who can do damage offensively as a screener and finisher at the rim.

Depth pieces for the bi-annual exception or vet min

Mason Plumlee, Isaiah Jackson, Thomas Bryant, Tony Bradley, Paul Reed

A trio of Indiana Pacers big men, a vet, and “bball Paul,” make up this category. There isn’t a lot out there for vet-minimum depth pieces on the free agent market.

Plumlee played in 74 games for the Phoenix Suns last season, but he wasn’t incredibly productive. He’s still a decent defender going into his age-35 season, but his days of being an impact player are likely over.

Jackson, Bryant, and Bradley all spent time as the Pacers’ backup center this season, with Jackson providing the most potential. However, after a torn achilles, whatever team signs him will be taking on injury risk. Bryant and Bradley are big bodies who can be depth pieces, but were clearly outmatched by the Oklahoma City Thunder’s bigs in the NBA Finals. Bryant could be an interesting depth piece thanks to his three-point shooting ability.

Reed could be a cheaper, interesting swing if the Spurs are looking for depth. He’s an impact defender who hasn’t found a consistent role in the NBA. There is a lot of talent to be tapped here. San Antonio could be the spot.

Re-signing options

Charles Bassey, Bismack Biyombo, Sandro Mamukelashvili

The Spurs could look internally to bolster their frontcourt depth. Biyombo was solid for San Antonio in a time of desperation. He was effectively the only center on the roster in the last quarter of the season. Bassey has talent, but he’s inconsistent and unfortunately injury-prone. Mamukelashvili is a fun offensive player and locker room staple, but his defense limits his ability to stay on the court.

Bringing one or two of these players back may make sense. But if the Spurs simply bring back all three and leave their big man rotation as it stood at the end of the season last year, that would likely signify a failure to bring in more talented options in free agency.