At first glance, the San Antonio Spurs trading Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, and what will amount to be the Oklahoma City Thunder's 2026 2nd-round pick to the Washington Wizards didn't move the needle much. They picked up journeyman backup Kelly Olynyk.
And while he gives them some much-needed depth and shooting at power forward and center, he also has a big expiring contract that could be useful in a trade.
Olynyk's expiring $13.6 million contract can't be aggregated in a larger trade for 2 months, which should give Giannis Antetokounmpo plenty of time to decide whether he wants to stay with the Milwaukee Bucks.
If he opted against returning to Milwaukee for another season, the Spurs would seemingly behigh on his list of potential landing spots. After all, they have plenty of picks to offer, two stars to play with, and plenty of tradeable salary to make a deal happen.
What could a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to the Spurs look like?
A projected trade could include Olynyk, Devin Vassell, and Stephon Castle. Additionally, San Antonio could include the Atlanta Hawks' 2027 first, the Spurs' 2029 first, and a 2030 Sacramento Kings pick swap, which could very well be a lottery pick, as well as three second-round picks.
That could be enough to net the Spurs Giannis and turn them into an instant contender. A projected starting lineup of Fox, Dylan Harper, Harrison Barnes, Giannis, and Wembanyama would be a perfect fit with two shooters and three slashers.
The Spurs' depth would be compromised. However, they could give both Fox and Harper 30+ minutes per game at point guard and shooting guard, and Giannis and Wembanyama 33+ at power forward and center, respectively. That would minimize the need for a deep bench and allow them to maximize their best players.
They would still need a backup point guard in that scenario after trading Blake Wesley to the Wizards, but would have a reliable backup shooting guard in Julian Champagnie. Meanwhile, longtime Spur Keldon Johnson would continue to play backup small forward.
Jeremy Sochan would still play backup power forward, and they would have plenty of size at backup center with Luke Kornet. They could also round up the roster by bringing back backup center Charles Bassey, signing Riley Minix to an NBA contract after being on a two-way deal, and scouring the free agency market for a backup point guard.
With three stars in Fox, Giannis, and Wembanyama, along with a rising star in Harper, San Antonio would immediately surge to near the top of the West. Considering that Giannis is only 30, Fox is 27, and Wembanyama is 22, the Spurs could have a three- or four-year window with that core to win a championship.
Given how wide open the NBA is, that could very well happen if Giannis became available and the Spurs were able to land him.