Despite a promising start, the San Antonio Spurs have struggled of late, leading to concerns about whether they can make the playoffs this season. If they try to make a playoff push, then they may need to scour the trade market, and according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, they might be in the market for a star.
That is interesting if true since there is a lack of stars rumored to be available. The most prominent ones could be the Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls stars Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine, New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram, and possibly even Zion Williamson may be available. Of those players, none immediately jumps out as clear fits for the Spurs.
The Spurs are in serious need of more shooting with their rotation littered with questionable shooters, namely Jeremy Sochan, Stephon Castle, Blake Wesley, and Zach Collins. They could also use a backup center, but they have internal options for that.
Given those needs, Butler probably doesn't make any sense for San Antonio, even though he is a Texas native and has plenty of playoff experience. LaVine is the best shooter of the group but also has the worst contract, and acquiring him would mean that they would have to give up at least three rotation players to match salary.
That could include Keldon Johnson, Collins, and Harrison Barnes, but that might not move the needle as much for the Spurs with Johnson playing well of late and Barnes proving to be a helpful player.
NBA Rumors: Spurs expected to go star shopping ahead of the trade deadline
With many of the aforementioned names not seeming like ideal trade targets for the Spurs, they could instead pursue other candidates. One such candidate is Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons. Simons is having a down season after a career year in 2023-24.
NBA analyst Zach Lowe previously proposed a deal centered around Johnson for Simons, and that might make sense given that Simons is one of the better high-volume shooters in the NBA.
The Spurs have a lot of guards and fewer wings, so swapping Johnson for Simons might not solve all of their problems. Another option could be to offer Tre Jones and Collins as well as the Chicago Bulls' top-10 protected pick and possibly even the Charlotte Hornets' lottery protected first for Simons.
The Bulls pick is top 8 protected in 2026 and 2027, meaning that it may convey if it doesn't this season. Also, the Hornets' pick will likely turn into two second-round picks, presumably high second-rounders. That would probably be worth it to swap out Collins, who is on a bad contract for the next two years, and give the Spurs more shooting.
A rotation of Chris Paul, Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Jeremy Sochan, Victor Wembanyama, Simons, Castle, Barnes, and Sandro Mamukelashvili would make far more sense. When Paul retires, they could simply slot Simons in as starting point guard with him playing more of a sixth-man role now.
All in all, the Spurs are rumored to be scouring the trade market for help. Nevertheless, the potential available stars don't necessarily make sense for the Spurs, and they should instead target better-fitting players.