For years upon years, summer free agency was something of a snap for the Spurs.

They had a long-running core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, the winningest trio in NBA history. All they had to do was fit pieces around them.

“Built vs. bought,” a billboard in San Antonio declared during the 2014 NBA Finals against Miami, contrasting the way each team’s roster had been constructed.

Three years later, as the Spurs prepare for a season that could open without any of their erstwhile Big Three in uniform, built isn’t looking so bad.

“We’re happy with the group we have,” Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. “If we can make it better, we will do it at any opportunity we can. But it’s more than just players. It’s the fit for our group.”

As the 2017 NBA free agency period begins, the Spurs find themselves at a consequential crossroads.

More Information Spurs free agents Here is a list of players who became free agents as of 11:01 p.m. Friday: Manu Ginobili: Faces another decision about whether to return for another season or retire. May earn much less than his 2016-17 salary of $14 million. Patty Mills: Spurs would like him back but will be hard to retain if Spurs also plan to chase significant outside free agents. Jonathon Simmons: Due for a hefty pay raise after a breakout postseason, restricted free agent could become this year’s version of Boban Marjanovic. Pau Gasol: Opting out of $16.2 million deal gives the Spurs flexibility in the free agent market. Should return at a lower annual salary. David Lee: Seeking more lucrative offers elsewhere after opting out of $2.3 million to become a free agent. Dewayne Dedmon: Opted out of $3 million deal to seek larger contract elsewhere. Not expected back. Jeff McDonald

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They have a roster that has won 128 games in the past two seasons, posting back-to-back 60-win seasons for the first time in club history.

And it still might not be good enough in the super-team era.

Houston became the NBA’s summertime clubhouse leader even before free agency began late Friday night, landing All-Star point guard Chris Paul in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.

The deal, which united Paul with All-Star guard James Harden, gave the Rockets a leg up in the formation of the Western Conference’s next great super team to take on the four-headed monster still looming in Golden State.

It also removed one marquee name from the Spurs’ offseason wish list.

The Spurs, too, have been aggressive in the lead-up to this season’s free agency period, in apparent attempts to add star power around perennial MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard.

They explored trade options involving power forward LaMarcus Aldridge — the prize of the 2015 offseason — in hopes of landing a top-10 pick in last week’s draft. They reached out to Indiana about disgruntled All-Star forward Paul George, who has made no secret of his desire to leave the Pacers.

Had Paul made it to the free-agent market, the Spurs were considered a legitimate contender for him.

The goal, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, is not exactly to match the Warriors All-Star for All-Star.

“I don’t think it’s just about one specific team,” Popovich said. “It’s difficult to match their talent. It’s more about the way the game is being played these days. So many teams are basically playing the same way.”

Where the Spurs go from here could become one of the more intriguing storylines of the summer.

Pau Gasol’s surprising decision to opt out of the $16.2 million owed him next season created flexibility for the Spurs to go a number of ways.

The Spurs have about $75 million on the books for next season. Without making any trades, they would have roughly $24 million in cap space to spend if they find a piece worth adding.

They could still generate maximum salary cap space this summer by trading some combination of Aldridge, Parker and Danny Green.

They could bring back the bulk of a team that was still one of the best in the West last season, holding their cards for next summer when they could have space to add two maximum level players.

Or they could split the difference between two extremes.

“You just put together the best plan and hope you can execute it,” Buford said.

Other prominent free agents available this summer include Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry, Utah forward Gordon Hayward and guard George Hill, Golden State forward Andre Iguodala, Atlanta forward Paul Millsap and Paul’s former “Lob City” partner in Los Angeles, Blake Griffin.

Among the issues the Spurs must first resolve: the futures of their own free agents, particularly Patty Mills, Jonathon Simmons and Gasol. Ginobili is still weighing whether to retire or return for a 16th season.

Gasol is expected to return to the Spurs on a longer-term deal at a lesser annual salary. The Spurs have interest in re-signing Mills and Simmons, but likely will not be able to if they chase a big name on the market.

Also looming large over the Spurs’ offseason is the health of Parker, the 35-year-old point guard who suffered a ruptured quadriceps tendon in Game 5 of the conference finals against Houston in May.

The track record of a player Parker’s age returning at full strength from such a catastrophic injury is practically non-existent.

Parker has said he intends to be back in action by January, a timetable that seems optimistic.

“I don’t know if there’s clarity on what his situation is,” Buford said. “There’s too little history on this. The expectation is it will be a cautious approach. It will impact some of the decisions we make.”

If the Spurs fail to re-sign Mills and don’t address the position in free agency, they would open the season with second-year pro Dejounte Murray as the only point guard on the roster with NBA experience.

With Paul off the table, the Spurs could try to fill that hole with a lower-cost but proven veteran, such as Utah’s George Hill. Hill played his first three NBA seasons with the Spurs, and his wife is from the Rio Grande Valley town of Los Fresnos.

In the wake of Houston’s trade for Paul earlier this week, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey framed the league’s shifting landscape this way, telling reporters “It’s a weapons race in the NBA. You’re either in the weapons race or you’re on the sidelines.”

The next few weeks will tell which way the Spurs will go. This much is certain: They have a chance to join the race, if they want to.

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN