The San Antonio Spurs made a blockbuster trade to add a co-star next to Victor Wembanyama, but they managed to keep plenty of pieces for future moves.
The San Antonio Spurs got in on the trade action this weekend, trading four first-round picks with various protections, Tre Jones, Zach Collins, and Sido Cissoko for De’Aaron Fox and Jordan McLaughlin. The Spurs, very clearly, want to surround Victor Wembanyama with as much talent as possible.
However, Fox isn’t exactly a deadeye shooter, and the Spurs still have enough assets to make another move before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Here are two players who should be on San Antonio’s radar.
The Spurs, after landing Fox, are roughly $4 million under the luxury tax and have a bit of room to work with, but they won’t be able to add a high-end, expensive player without parting with their own valuable pieces.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, meanwhile, have some difficult choices looming on the horizon. Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Naz Reid will be due for a contract extension soon, and if they want to keep him on the books, they will have to find ways to cut costs elsewhere. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is in the last year of his deal, and the Wolves could be inclined to trade him rather than let him walk for nothing.
Averaging 8.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists off the bench, Alexander-Walker could complement Stephon Castle, Julian Champagnie, and Jeremy Sochan as they come off the bench for the Silver and Black, building a lethal defensive lineup in the second unit for the Spurs.
If the Spurs are willing to part with more draft capital, throwing Malaki Branham in the mix would be enough to balance salaries.
So far this season, the Spurs have played four different centers behind Victor Wemanyama. Zach Collins and Charles Bassey are limited, with the former being traded to the Chicago Bulls in the deal for Fox. Bassey and Sandro Mamukelashvili are not long-term solutions, and Jeremy Sochan is clearly out of position when asked to play center.
If the Spurs believe that Keldon Johnson, Castle, and Champagnie can slot into bigger offensive roles, veteran Harrison Barnes suddenly becomes expendable. The Spurs could flip him to the Detroit Pistons, who could add some space for Cade Cunningham to work in.
In return, the Spurs would get the hard-nosed, defensive-minded Isaiah Stewart.
“Beef Stew” is averaging a career low in points and rebounds, but is playing the smallest role of his career thus far. He is quietly one of the better rim protectors around the league and could stop the Spurs from bleeding points when Wembanyama heads to the bench.
