The San Antonio Spurs have been swept up in trade rumors, although building organically might be the better course.
The San Antonio Spurs, more so than almost any other team in the NBA, have their future lined up. They are linked to Victor Wembanyama, the formidable two-way force who is poised to rival Michael Jordan and LeBron James by the time his career ends.
The Spurs’ sole mission for the foreseeable future is to maximize Wembanyama’s prime, surround him with excellent players, and build a long-term winner.
San Antonio has the assets needed to make a blockbuster trade with the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. If the Spurs can pair Wembanyama, Antetokounmpo, and De’Aaron Fox while keeping a depth piece or two, they will emerge as title favorites as soon as next season. However, it might not be the best move.
If the Spurs add Antetokounmpo via a trade this season, the deal will be centered on the second overall pick, and the Spurs would have to match his $54.4 million salary by slashing their depth. That said, it would make the Spurs title frontrunners next season, even in a loaded Western Conference.
De’Aaron Fox is up for a contract extension this summer, and both Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo can be extended after next season. It stands to reason that the Spurs would give all three players the max, or at least close to it, resulting in 90% of the salary cap being committed to three players.
With very little cap space to round out the roster, the Spurs would have to rely heavily on their three stars. While it’s hard to imagine a better Big Three, the modern NBA is not built on superstars teaming up, it’s built on depth and maximizing your one star.
Adding Fox was supposed to be the move that took Wembanyama to the next level while keeping the rest of the core mostly intact, and trading for Antetokounmpo, even with the added title hopes he brings, would slash the decades-long vision the Spurs have for a very narrow window.
Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker are vastly different players from Wemby, Fox, and Antetokounmpo, but the result could be similar. Booker and Beal play a similar game, and Durant needs the ball in his hands. Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama bring more on the defensive side, but they both play fairly similar roles, and Fox is at his best with a high usage rate.
Much like the Phoenix Suns, the Spurs wouldn’t have the means to add any supporting talent.
While a lineup of Antetokounmpo, Fox, Wembanyama, Julian Champagnie, and maybe Stephon Castle is solid, it lacks shooting, and there would be very little depth behind them.
A full rotation of Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, Fox, Devin Vassell, Castle, Harrison Barnes, Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, and whoever they select with the 14th pick is deep, well-rounded, and built for both sides of the ball.
