A terrific performance after terrific performance has resulted in San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama looking more and more like a superstar. His recent play has increased his scoring average to 25.2 points after initially struggling on offense to start the season.
Pair that with 10.1 rebounds and a league-leading 4.0 blocks per game, and he could be a top-10 player by the end of the season. That puts pressure on the Spurs' front office to make win-now moves to take advantage of his strong play, and Wembanyama himself recently chimed in on the thought of them making a big trade.
I asked Victor Wembanyama if the Spurs should be active before the trade deadline. His answer is... interesting:
— Maxime Aubin (@MaximeAubin1) December 28, 2024
« One thing for sure : our roster won’t stay the same over the next years. Every roster change a little bit. I don’t know… I should look at those things more…
With a team such as the Sacramento Kings suddenly back to their dysfunctional ways and Wembanyama rapidly improving, the Spurs may have to look hard at a big in-season trade. Even though they are technically ninth in the West standings, they are only three losses back of the four-seed.
With Wembanyama's recent play and potentially another star to pair with them, that is not insurmountable. They also have the most trade assets in the NBA and are the most well-positioned to make a big move, but they also don't have a track record for doing so.
The San Antonio Spurs should strongly consider making a big in-season trade to try and win now with Victor Wembanyama.
When discussing whether they should make a move, it is important to note that Wembanyama is only 20 years old. Building a contender around a 20-year-old is almost unprecedented, but the Spurs are already on the clock with Wembanyama.
While he will almost certainly sign a four- or five-year extension after next season, not every star makes it to the end of his second contract with the team that drafted him. After all, some demand to get traded, i.e., former Spurs star Kawhi Leonard. Worst case scenario, that would give them only a few seasons to build a winner around him.
Going the slow route and developing their talent is an option, but that assumes that they have the right talent around Wembanyama to begin with. Taking a swing at a star such as De'Aaron Fox or Brandon Ingram makes the most sense. Particularly Fox, though the Kings asking price may be too high for the Spurs to consider.
Adding Ingram would give the Spurs the chance to retool their roster by trading Keldon Johnson and Zach Collins, neither of whom are a part of their future, for more scoring punch in Ingram. No matter what, if they acquire a star, it appears that they will have to get Wembanyama's approval first.