The San Antonio Spurs appear primed to take a major leap during the 2025-26 season.
The Spurs finished last season out of the playoff picture at 34-48, but were rewarded with the No. 2 overall pick, which they used to select standout guard Dylan Harper.
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Harper is joining a team that already has last year's Rookie of the Year award winner in Stephon Castle. It also has the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year award winner in Victor Wembanyama.
Between those three and All-Star point guard De'Aaron Fox, who the Spurs acquired ahead of last year's trade deadline, San Antonio has a great young core ready to take the league by storm. However, they also might have one point guard too many.
With their influx of young guards, and the fact that San Antonio gave Fox a massive four-year, $229 million extension this offseason, it would make sense for them to move on from either Castle or Harper.
Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley proposed a trade in which the Spurs would do just that, while also adding an All-Star big man who would fit perfectly alongside Wembanyama. Here's the full trade:
"San Antonio Spurs receive: Bam Adebayo
"Miami Heat receive: Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, a 2028 first-round pick (via SAS or BOS) and a 2030 first-round pick (via SAS, DAL or MIN)."
The Spurs would be adding Adebayo, a three-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive Teamer who's finished top 10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of the last six seasons.
A front court with him alongside Wembanyama, a Defensive Player of the Year front runner, would be lethal for opposing offenses.
Adebayo is entering the final season of his five-year, $163 million deal, but already agreed to a three-year, $160.8 million extension that will kick in next year. Buckley thinks he would be the perfect big man to pair with Wembanyama.
"Adebayo isn't quite a tier-one superstar, but he's one of the NBA's best defenders and a near-20-point scorer who can finish, handle and create," Buckley wrote. "A frontcourt featuring him and Victor Wembanyama would cover all bases, since Adebayo could handle all of the interior banging while Wembanyama would punish defenses that don't follow him out to the perimeter.
"The loss of Castle would sting in the moment, but it seems inevitable one of him, De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper will have to go. And since San Antonio just drafted Harper second overall and gave Fox a max extension this offseason, Castle looks like the odd man out."
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