The next move was allowing Jonathon Simmons and Dewayne Dedmon to leave and sign with the Magic. They both played really well for the Spurs. It's unclear why they allowed them to go, but they did not sign large deals. My thinking is that Dedmon, Pau Gasol, Aldridge, and David Lee had to play significantly fewer minutes against the Warriors and maybe the idea was that you only need one or two of those guys. Jonathon Simmons is a little trickier. Maybe the Spurs felt like he would want more time and more touches, etc. after having a breakout playoffs. Simmons is a good player. A good defender that plays hard. He did not shoot it great from outside, but he was good enough to help your team win. I am not sure if he will be appreciated on a losing team like the Magic. Dedmon joined the Hawks and will gladly run the pick and rolls and play the defense that Dwight Howard did not want to last year.
The final move is the most puzzling. The Spurs signed Rudy Gay to a 2 year contract. Rudy Gay is a great athlete and has a had a fine NBA career, but he has played in 7 career playoff games. All of them happened in 2012 on a Memphis team that got better the next year after they traded him. He was traded to the Raptors, another team that got better after he was traded to the Kings, who now that he has left in free agency might make the Finals (joking). He has never been a great shooter and he can be a bit of a ball stopper. That does not mesh well with what San Antonio tries to do on offense. Also, they already have a wing that can go one on one in Kawhi Leonard. I am not sure what the idea is with Rudy Gay, but I am skeptical.
Having said all of these things it is difficult to doubt Popovich. He knows how to get the most out of his players. They also still have Kawhi. However, some of these moves are puzzling and it makes you wonder if there is something big on the horizon for the Spurs. They can immediately become contenders to the Warriors if they could get something in return for Aldridge. Kawhi is enough to get you 50 wins. They still have Danny Green, Tony Parker, Patty Mills, Pau Gasol, Kyle Anderson, and many other guys that can plug in and get the job done. The worry with the Spurs is are they going to compete with Golden State and the answer at the moment seems to be no. The Spurs will still be the Spurs, but there might be time between now and the next time they are in the Finals.