The Spurs traded Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, and a second-round pick for Kelly Olynyk. It’s a minor move in the grand scheme of things, but it continued the pattern of smart transactions and decisions from the front office.
Let’s take a look at all the aspects in which this trade is beneficial for San Antonio.
### The Spurs cleared a logjam without adding long-term salary
It was a little curious to see the Spurs pick up the fourth-year option on both Wesley’s and Branham’s contracts last October, considering neither could get consistent rotation minutes in their first two years. Still, rookie deals are cheap and at the time, the two guards offered affordable depth and at least some untapped potential that could be intriguing to explore in the 2025/26 season, when Chris Paul and Tre Jones were expected to enter free agency and potentially leave. Once San Antonio traded for De’Aaron Fox and drafted Dylan Harper to join Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell in the backcourt, things changed. There were no minutes for the two young guards going into the season.
Moving them made a lot of sense, and since they didn’t make much and were on the last year of their contracts, it wasn’t expected to be all that difficult. The only challenge was to do so without taking long-term salary back. Expiring deals are not as valuable as they used to be — although that could change soon, with the new CBA restrictions — but they can be useful trades, especially with rebuilding teams. Keeping a considerable amount of expiring money was likely worth a second-rounder on its own to make sure there is enough ballast to make a deal happen with a trade partner that is trying to clear its books, or to be able to trim salary going into next offseason.
### Olynyk can play, fits well, and fills a position of need
Olynyk is more than just an expiring contract. The veteran big man can still play. He’s a career 37 shooter from outside who has hit over 40 percent in the past two years in an admittedly low amount of attempts. He can also pass, posting elite assist percentages for a big throughout his career when given the chance to be a playmaker. He doesn’t have vertical pop, but he’s a crafty inside finisher who has a surprisingly decent offensive rebound percentage for a guy who spends so much time in the perimeter. Offensively, he’s what the Spurs hoped Zach Collins could be and could be a great partner for Jeremy Sochan, as he would allow the young forward to operate inside, like Wembanyama does.
The problems come on the defensive end, where Olynyk doesn’t offer rim protection or switchability. The good news is that San Antonio should only ask him to be the only big man on the floor for short stretches, in which his offense should make up for his limitations on the other end. With Wembanyama and Luke Kornet in tow, Olynyk is a change of pace option as a sole big instead of the main backup, and his range and feel for the game should allow him to play next to a center on massive lineups. He’s not a difference-maker, but he gives the Spurs the ability to throw out different looks against certain matchups, as well as have a big body to sop up minutes in case of an injury.
### The extra roster spot gives the Spurs valuable flexibility
Had the Spurs kept Branham and Wesley, they would be sitting on 13 guaranteed contracts, with a need for a third big man. The trade has trimmed their commitments to 12 guaranteed contracts and has given them a full rotation, which also affords them flexibility when it comes to the open roster spots.
The Spurs could simply add someone for the minimum, carry the minimum 13 players into the season, and be ready to either take on more players than they send out in a trade or use the approximately $5 million left on their mid-level exception to absorb contracts from teams desperate to cut some salary while getting an asset back. They could also use both the mid-level and bi-annual exceptions to add two more quality players and still have a spot open. They can gamble on some young guys or add veterans as insurance while still having room to maneuver.
It’s a minor thing, but balancing the roster in this way while opening a spot is smart management, which is becoming a staple of the Brian Wright-led front office.