NBA Notes: Spurs, Stephon Castle, Sixers, Quentin Grimes, Nets

Spurs

It’s been a season of too much sadness for the Spurs, having lost Victor Wembanyama (blood clots), De’Aaron Fox (finger) and coach Gregg Popovich (stroke) along the way.

But they do continue to play hard under interim man Mitch Johnson and they do have some signs of hope.

“With the club shutting down Fox and Wembanyama for the season, the spotlight shines brightly on Rookie of the Year candidate Stephon Castle, who averaged 22 points over his past three games,” wrote ESPN’s Michael Wright. “The Spurs say they’re playing to win, but they remain out of serious contention for a berth in the play-in tournament in the West — 13th in the standings.”

That could lead to some different lineups, Wright noted.

“Maybe now is the time for San Antonio to experiment with younger players and more creative lineups with an eye toward a future headlined by Fox and Wembanyama and perhaps another key contributor who will be added in free agency or the draft,” he wrote.

76ers

Meanwhile, it’s been a totally lost season for the Sixers. So they, too, are left clinging to the idea that they may have some help for the future already on the roster.

“The Sixers have nothing but ping-pong balls left to play for but Quentin Grimes has been a bright spot for the team after they shut down Paul George for the season,” wrote ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “Grimes, who is a pending restricted free agent, who came over from Dallas in a trade last month, has scored at least 25 points in his past five games — including a 46-point explosion in Monday’s thrilling overtime loss to Houston.”

• Could the Sixers potentially look to trade George this offseason? A Hoops Wire source says yes, absolutely. In fact, Philadelphia’s best plan might be to move on from both George and Joel Embiid … if possible.

Nets

The Nets took a massive hit after it was learned guard Cam Thomas is likely out for the season with a strained left hamstring. Basically, they can forget all about the postseason.

But Thomas is among the reasons to believe in 2025-26. Just ask him.

“When I got major minutes, I feel like I’ve been one of the best guards in the league at my position,” he told reporters when asked about the potential of being a core Nets performer, via ESPN’s Chris Herring. “When I have the minutes and a featured role, the sky’s the limit for me.”