NBA Trades: 16 deals the Spurs must consider before the deadline

8) Spurs acquire former #1 pick in a mock deal with Nets.

Brooklyn Nets point forward Ben Simmons hasn't played in months and doesn't have a timeline for his return, dampening what was supposed to be a bounce-back season for an all-NBA player. To his credit, he played surprisingly well when healthy this season but with another year on his contract that will pay him $40 million, the Nets would likely prefer to move on from him.

The Spurs could help with that, for a price, with them offering Graham, McDermott, and Osman for Simmons, a Mavericks 2029 unprotected first-round pick, a 2025 second from the Heat, and a 2029 pick swap with the Nets.

For the Spurs, they'd get a skilled playmaker, defender, and rebounder. And while he can't shoot worth a darn, he can play power forward next to Wembanyama and also serve as a second-unit creator.
While they would be giving up all of the cap space to make the deal happen, they'd get a far-out first that could be a lottery pick, a pick swap that could also be a lottery pick, and a potentially decent second-rounder from the Heat.

For Brooklyn, they'd finally get off of Simmons' contract, clearing out $40 million in salary for next season, allowing them to build around star Mikal Bridges, albeit at a steep cost. If offered, the Nets would possibly agree to the deal, and the Spurs might be open to the deal given that they could add a much-needed playmaker while adding three assets that they can use to build around Wembanyama.