The San Antonio Spurs are pointed in the right direction, but Victor Wembanyama's deep vein thrombosis put their winning plans on hold. As long as he returns true to form next season, the Spurs should be able to make a run at the playoffs, especially with De'Aaron Fox in town.
However, the Spurs won't be content with just making the playoffs, at least long-term. The team is going to try and compete for championships, and by trading some of their draft picks and young players for a star, they can open up a title window right now.
Rookie Stephon Castle has played his way into "untouchable" territory, but the Spurs have plenty of expendable (or replaceable) players, and with two lottery picks in the 2025 draft, San Antonio could flip their picks for proven win-now talent.
Here are the three best options they could take a look at this summer.
Feb 25, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) dribbles against San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. © Stephen Lew-Imagn Images © Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
1. Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
When he's healthy, Zion Williamson is a top-15 player in the NBA. No one is more physically dominant in the paint, and no one is more explosive. His weight has been a concern since his days at Duke, but he has slimmed down in recent months and is allegedly playing at his lowest weight ever, 264 pounds.
If the New Orleans Pelicans decide to blow it up and rebuild, Williamson is their hottest asset, and the Spurs could cash in before his value skyrockets. After missing the first part of the season with injuries, Williamson has been consistently available and is a bright spot in a bleak Pelicans' season.
Over his last 20 games, he has averaged 25.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while playing very underrated defense. He looks the part of an All-Star and could play close to the basket on offense, allowing Wembanyama to space the floor.
The Spurs would likely have to part ways with more draft picks than players to land Williamson and would have to make room for his $197 million contract, but where there's a will, there's a way.
Zion's name will be worth monitoring throughout this offseason.
2. Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
Here we go again! Up until he signed a contract extension in August, Lauri Markkanen was the name to watch in San Antonio Spurs' trade rumors. The sweet-shooting power forward would open up the offense for Wembanyama and give De'Aaron Fox an elite threat to kick the ball out to.
This season, Markkanen has regressed a little from his All-Star form of the last two seasons, although the Utah Jazz are very, very bad and did not enter this season wanting to win games. If the Jazz land one of the top three picks, expect them to be fully ready to rebuild, and if the Spurs are willing to part with some of their draft capital, Markkanen could be on the table.
This season, the Finnish forward is averaging 19 points on 35 percent shooting, but it stands to reason that as the third option on an oversized offense, he would be able to improve his effecency numbers in San Antonio.
Just two years ago, he posted 25.6 points per game and was the runaway winner of the Most Improved Player award. On a winning team, finally, he could unlock his game even more.
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3. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Kevin Durant is the most talked-about name on the Phoenix Suns' roster, but his age and contract simply do not fit with the Spurs' timeline. Booker had his best seasons playing off-ball with Chris Paul running point, and swapping the Orange and Purple for the Silver and Black and Paul for Fox would be an upgrade in so many ways. Deandre Ayton was a solid center who could run the pick-and-roll with Booker, but Wemby is the teammate players dream about.
If the Spurs trot out a starting five of Fox, Booker, Wemby, Sochan, and Castle next season, it's hard to imagine them not being title favorites. Swap out Sochan for Barnes, and it's more of the same story.
Booker is quietly still a top-20 player in the league, he's just been on a dysfunctional team for the last three seasons. San Antonio, meanwhile, has been the pinnacle of consistency since the 1990s.
Booker would be a lot more expensive than Williamson or Markkanen, but the Spurs have the means to go big-game hunting this offseason, and the fit would be unquestionably good.
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This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 2:04 PM.