In just one offseason, the San Antonio Spurs bolstered their roster drastically with the addition of an NBA star and two North Carolina Tar Heels.
Chris Paul, a fellow ACC basketball alumni who starred at Wake Forest from 2003-2005, joined the Spurs after one season with the Golden State Warriors. Paul is a 12-time NBA All-Star who, despite not winning a championship, should be in the Hall of Fame when he retires.
Before Paul came to San Antonio, the Spurs added their first former UNC basketball standout: Harrison Ingram, who heard his name called 48th overall (second round) in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Around the same time Paul joined San Antonio, a fellow former Tar Heel in Harrison Barnes did the same. If you remember Barnes’ name, he led North Carolina to a pair of Elite 8 appearances – in 2011 and 2012.
It’s always exciting watching former UNC standouts play on NBA squads, but to have two on the same team is pretty rare.
Looking at the Spurs’ roster, how likely is it Barnes and Ingram play on the court together?
Off the top of our heads, we know Barnes will be San Antonio’s starting small forward. He’s a reliable, consistent scorer who’s averaged double-digit points in each of the last 12 seasons.
Ingram’s spot on the roster isn’t guaranteed, though. The Spurs are four deep at small forward – Ingram could play power forward, but at 6’5″, he’s undersized at the NBA level.
I could see Ingram signing a 2-way contract. That way, he’d be on the roster while getting playing time in the G-League.
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