San Antonio Spurs make Austin inroads

Spurs rookie Jeremy Sochan — a lone bright spot in a dim season for the San Antonio NBA squad — was in Austin this week bagging groceries at the H-E-B on East Riverside Drive.

The big picture: The Spurs are playing a couple games in April at the Moody Center, with the team eager to expand its branding reach into Central Texas.

• Sochan came to dispense free merch and build excitement for the Austin matchups.

The intrigue: After years of championship success, the rebuilding Spurs are in a tight race for the worst record in the NBA.

• The bottom teams are hoping to land the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft, certain to be French wunderkind Victor Wembanyama — who would team nicely with a player like Sochan, a Polish-American power forward known as "The Destroyer."

Flashback: Last year, as plans were crystallizing for the Austin games, the Spurs' owner swatted away rumors of a full-on relocation.

• The Spurs "are here to stay," Peter Holt wrote in an open letter to San Antonio last May.
• Plus, we doubt the UT Longhorns would want to share their territory — and jersey sales — long-term with a professional squad.

What's next: A "Casa de Spurs" at Native Hostel with photo ops, games and exclusive giveaways from April 2-8.

• A free Spurs Fan Fest on April 7 at 5pm at Republic Square, featuring headlining musical act Shakey Graves.

Also: The Spurs play April 6 at 7pm at the Moody Center against the Portland Trail Blazers and April 8 at 3pm against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Tickets are still available.

💭 Our thought bubble: How the mighty have fallen.

• Not long ago we could name all the Spurs bench players — let alone their stars — and now we can't even tell you their starters.