It’s been an oddly buzzy May for the San Antonio Spurs. In the past, this time of year would be reserved for monitoring draft workouts or theorizing about free agent targets. In the franchise’s heyday, they’d be competing for championships around now. Instead, with an ascending star and plenty of assets, the Spurs find themselves amid major trade rumors.
Last week, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported “mutual interest” between San Antonio and Kevin Durant at the trade deadline, and stated the team is looking to upgrade the wing position. Later, Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe mentioned on their live show that they were hearing similar murmurings around the NBA. That’s multiple trusted sources pushing the same rumors, which means there is likely some validity to them.
A major upgrade like acquiring Durant or Giannis Antetokounmpo would take quality assets (much more of them for Antetokounmpo than Durant) and would plug up the Spurs’ salary books (much more for Antetokounmpo than Durant). Is there a middle ground here? San Antonio can upgrade the wing without depleting assets or creating an overly expensive roster. Let’s look at a few options.
The Draft
Whether he is selected by San Antonio or someone else, Dylan Harper appears to be a shoo-in for the number two pick. The combo guard will help the Spurs with some of their offensive troubles, but isn’t exactly big enough to consistently match up with NBA wings. They could find someone who is more positionally appropriate with the fourteenth pick.
There are a lot of interesting names on the wing at the end of the lottery. Cedric Coward is rising on draft boards with his combination of size, shooting ability, defensive potential, and budding athleticism. Carter Bryant is a bulldog defensive wing who knocked down 37% of his threes in his freshman season at Arizona, but may not be a day-one contributor like Harper. Rasheer Fleming may be more of a forward than a wing, but he’s a good athlete with a great motor who had a hot shooting season this year. Liam McNeeley, out of UCONN, was a sharpshooter in high school who struggled this season due to his role and injury luck, but the Spurs may be attracted to his shooting potential.
None of these players would be an upgrade over Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, or Julian Champagnie on day one. Maybe eventually they would become a key part of the core, but finding minutes for them in an already crowded rotation is hard to do. If San Antonio believes in a prospect and thinks they can develop with the G League squad, they could find an affordable, quality wing who can develop into more at fourteen. But the more likely option is...
A Trade
On the latest episode of the Spurs Insider podcast, the San Antonio Express-News team mentioned the Spurs could look to trade the 14th pick if they indeed select Harper at two. That asset could help them acquire an upgrade at the wing, without dipping too far into their treasure trove.
Rumors have been swirling about the Brooklyn Nets looking to make moves in the draft. They have four picks in the first round and veteran contracts they could trade to move up the board. San Antonio had a rumored interest in sharpshooting wing Cameron Johnson at the trade deadline. They could circle back on draft night.
This Johnson swap would allow the Nets to move up and grab their second lottery pick. If someone they like falls to fourteen, this would be a way to pick them before their next selection at 18. San Antonio would get Cam, who would instantly help their floor spacing and is a respectable enough defender to fit in with an improving defensive unit. The 27th pick could be thrown in as a sweetener to get San Antonio out of the lottery, where the Spurs could select a big man like Ryan Kalkbrenner, Maxime Raynaud, or Joan Beringer, depending on how the board shakes out. This deal could also be done without the Nets sending back 27.
San Antonio could also call a Western Conference team in a chaotic position. The New Orleans Pelicans have a superstar in turmoil, the 7th pick in the draft, and a glut of role players who aren’t as effective without a consistent star player to lead them. San Antonio could give them some assets to help them retool.
San Antonio can offer New Orleans another lottery pick in this draft, plus a valuable pick swap in a talented 2026 class for a lockdown wing defender in Herb Jones. Again, Johnson’s contract is used here to make the deal work. Jones is coming off an injury and a year where he shot 30% from three (albeit in just 20 games). San Antonio could acquire him at a discount and get one of the best wing defenders in the NBA, who has shown the ability to space the floor from three. A defensive unit consisting of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Victor Wembanyama, and Jones would be a nightmare for opposing offenses.
If the Pelicans want a player who can contribute right now, Vassell could be thrown into this package to make it more enticing for New Orleans. You could argue this would be a bit too much for Jones, though. The Kelly Olynyk salary would be added to match money, and would give San Antonio a big man who can play behind or alongside Wemby.
Free Agency
The Spurs will not have cap space, and therefore will only be able to negotiate sign and trades, or sign players to the minimum, or mid-level exception this summer. If they trade for a wing, this money could be spent on a backup big man. They could also use it to sign a wing, and then trade for or draft a big man.
There are a few attractive wing options for San Antonio. Luke Kennard, Sam Merrill, and Jake LaRavia would help with their shooting issues. Guerschon Yabusele was good for the Philadelphia 76ers this season and could give the Spurs a versatile forward to make things happen off the bench. Besides those names, other players seem to be out of San Antonio’s price range, or worse than their current wing position.
A trade is likely the best option to upgrade the position, whether it’s for a superstar or not. The position is extremely important. All around the league, you’ll find bigger wing players who San Antonio will need to be able to match up with if they want to compete for championships. Finding the answer could be an all-star, or the Spurs could moneyball this thing and create an even, quality wing rotation that doesn’t break the bank.