The San Antonio Spurs dominated the NBA for about 20 years, they went to the playoffs every year for 22 straight years, won 5 championships, and beat everyone in their sight. Led by Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, the Spurs were to turn over the next era with Kawhi Leonard leading the charge, until Kawhi decided that would not be the case. Leonard wanted a trade so he was sent to Toronto (along with Danny Green) for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a 1st round pick. Gregg Popovich, who has been the coach since 1996, is still hanging around (which I am not sure why), they have talented young players with some guys who they can move. It is time for the Spurs to enter a rebuild, not a retool, a full rebuild around young guys and draft picks.
The first guy is the most obvious player the Spurs should trade, Thaddeus Young. Young is a journeyman forward who is a solid switching defender and can help any team. As he will become a free agent at the end of the season, it would be very surprising if Young was not traded by the trade deadline. Another player I think the Spurs should trade (but likely will not) is guard Dejounte Murray. Murray is a really good two-way guard who any team would want to have. Murray is averaging 17.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game this season. He can score, he can pass, he is an elite defender, and he is a really good NBA point guard who can help any team. A pair of protected first round picks seems like a fair return for a player who has 2 years left on his contract after this one, so that is potentially 3 playoff runs with Murray as your point guard. There are a lot of players who they can build around for the future that does not include Murray.
Keldon Johnson is really good. He is a 6 foot 5 inch wing who can play 3 positions and guard 4 or 5 pending who plays the center spot. Johnson, the 29th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft (acquired in the Kawhi Leonard trade), also provides the Spurs with another floor spacer who can put the ball on the floor and go to the basket. He is not a great offensive creator but the ability to shoot and dribble makes him a real offensive threat. Coupled with his ability to be a really good switchy defender, the Spurs have found themselves yet another draft steal.
Devin Vassell had an up and down rookie year. He was San Antonio’s first lottery pick since Tim Duncan in 1997 and has flashed the ability to be a good NBA player. As another 6 foot 5 inch wing, Vassell has shown he can put the ball on the floor and drive creating a good ability to score though he needs to shoot the 3 pointer better and needs to improve his ability to pass the ball. He also has the size ro be a good defender but not the strength that a player like Johnson has to guard 4 to 5 positions.
Derrick White is a good player, but he is not the future at the point guard spot for the Spurs. He is a great dunker and cutter but he does not shoot 3’s very well. He is a good passer but I like him as a 2-guard more. This may just make my “trade Murray” argument invalid but I do not love Derrick White as a player. He is a solid defensive player and a good NBA player, but not a great offensive player, as he needs to be a better scorer.
Jakob Poeltl is a good player, who can rebound, score around the rim, and defend the rim. Through 7 games (and 7 starts), Poeltl has averaged 13.9 points and 9.7 rebounds this season, both of which would be a career high. He does not shoot 3 pointers, only taking 2 in his career back when he was with the Raptors, and he needs to improve as a passer, but Poeltl is a talented young player who the Spurs can use as their center going forward.
Josh Primo was the Spurs first round pick out of Alabama just 18 years old (he turns 19 on December 24th), Primo has really good athleticism. He has only played 6 minutes this young season, so we have not seen him much against real NBA players but in Summer League he flashed potential to be a good NBA player. The ability to pass and shoot are still coming along but the Spurs believe Primo can be a real solid player for them for years to come.
The Spurs have a lot of other talented players as well. Doug McDermott is a really good sharpshooter, who over the past few years has improved his ability to pump fake a 3 and drive to the basket. Lonnie Walker is a talented ball handler who needs to improve his shooting ability but is unlikely a part of the Spurs future. Zach Collins has talent but is often injured. Tre Jones is an interesting young guard. Bryn Forbes is back after winning a championship with the Bucks last season and can also really shoot the 3 ball. There are some talented players on the Spurs roster.
The San Antonio Spurs had a great 20+ year run, they won 5 championships and made the playoffs 22 straight seasons. However, that ship has sailed and it is time for the Spurs to finally blow it up, which they have actually mostly done. Trading DeMar DeRozan to the Bulls and buying out LaMarcus Aldridge have really sped the process up but Gregg Popovich is still the head coach and that should no longer be the case, it has been a great run but time for the two sides to go in separate directions. The Spurs are beginning to understand the young talent they have, it is time to start losing and add to that young talent.
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