After several years of being a perennial lottery team, the San Antonio Spurs are back in the playoff mix. Be that as it may, they are still far from a complete product, with them in need of reinforcements to solidify their roster. They could use a more consistent second option behind Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, and they could also use more shooting with them having five rotation players who are non-factors from outside.
The best way for them to address those issues is by scouring the trade market for help. They currently have the most draft picks in the NBA with more than 30 selections over the next 7 years. Combine that with several big contracts that they can move, and they could pursue a big fish to pair with their rising superstar.
That would accelerate their timeline and potentially allow them to make the playoffs this season and even potentially advance to the second round depending on who they can add near the trade deadline. There are several clear trade targets that the Spurs should monitor ahead of the February 6th deadline, though they will have to balance between making a leap into playoff contention this season and being able to build a sustainable winner around Wembanyama.
Opting not to make a trade this season may result in the Spurs failing to make the playoffs. After all, they are currently on pace to go 41-41, which may not be enough for them to make the play-in tournament in the tough Western Conference. Last season, the 10th seed won 46 games, with the Spurs currently falling short of that pace.
On the one hand, taking a slow approach could give their young core, consisting of Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Stephon Castle, more time to develop. Patience could pay more dividends with the Spurs being able to hold onto their core and also their picks while potentially adding another lottery pick to the fold this summer.
Be that as it may, that would assume that the Spurs are on the right track and already have the players that they will need to be able to contend. The jury is still out on Vassell, who has shown some elite shot-making ability but has struggled to stay healthy and is only averaging 15.2 points per game this season. Then there is Sochan, who has taken a major step forward this season but is still an awful 3-point shooter.
Castle shows promise as a two-way guard who can attack the rim, finish through contact, and defend on the other end of the floor. Then again, his jumper is questionable at best, and it's doubtful whether he will actually become a good 3-point shooter.
If Vassell maxes out as a third option, Sochan and Castle don't learn how to shoot and thus can't play together, then that would be a big problem. As a result, the Spurs should explore the trade market just in case and see if they can improve their roster now. Next, we will take a look at six trades and see whether they make sense for the Spurs.