The San Antonio Spurs are taking an aggressive offseason strategy that could see numerous superstar trades and free-agent acquisitions.
San Antonio Spurs Taking Aggressive Offseason Strategy
Rumors indicate that the Spurs are looking to win as soon as possible. After star player Victor Wembanyama’s comments about looking to win immediately, the Spurs are reportedly inquiring about the availability of every major point guard.
“They’re gonna be in play, they’re gonna be rumored,” The Athletic insider Shams Charania said during The Pat McAfee Show. “They’re gonna be talked about with legitimately every top-flight point guard that we’re gonna see potentially on the marketplace.
“We don’t know yet, will the Hawks be open, are they open for business on Trae Young, what is his future there,” he continued. “But if a guy like that is available, they’re gonna express a level of interest. They’re gonna express a level of interest in any really top-flight guard in the league.”
The player that the Spurs are reportedly targeting the most is the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young. Fresh off a disappointing blowout loss against the Chicago Bulls in the play-in, the Hawks are openly shopping Young around the league. Higher-ups inside the StateFarm Arena see the backcourt pairing of Young and Dejounte Murray as unfavorable. Interest in Murray is low, but the Spurs and others are open to trades.
The Spurs’ frenzied approach to trades follows Wembanyama’s long-time ambition to win a championship. The Rookie of the Year candidate has long dreamed of winning an NBA championship and is rumored to be discontent with the Spurs’ 60-loss season.
“My heart’s beating. I got everyone I love around me,” Wembanyama said after San Antonio won the draft lottery in 2023. It’s a special moment I’m gonna remember for the rest of my life. I’m gonna make everything to win as many games as possible. I’m trying to win a ring ASAP. So, be ready.”
Spurs Trades Will Have Huge Impact on Wembanyama
The Spurs are feeling the pressure of retaining their generational prospect in Wembanyama. He is already showing glimmers of being an all-time great. A seven-foot-four behemoth who is also surprisingly agile, athletic, and coordinated, he can space the floor and be a forceful paint player. He’s also unsurprisingly a great shot blocker (he leads the league) and guards the perimeter well. And the scariest part is he’s not done improving.
So, understandably, the Spurs are doing all they can to keep him in San Antonio.
One of the biggest concerns for the Spurs is the lack of a true playmaker who can space the floor with his shooting and passing. The Spurs had the seventh-worst 3P% in the league and never had a true point guard on their roster. Head coach Gregg Popovich resorted to using power forward Jeremy Sochan as a point guard. He made several mistakes as he adjusted to the position.
Reports link the Spurs to several top-tier players. Young, averaging 10.8 assists per game in Atlanta, is one name thanks to his ability to spread the ball and shoot it at a high clip. The Spurs are also entertaining the idea of luring Chris Paul from Golden State. Paul’s $30-million contract expires in 2025, but the 39-year-old is reportedly discontent with the Warriors’ dysfunctional locker room environment. He could be eyeing one last stint as a star player in San Antonio.
There is also the possibility of drafting an elite point guard. San Antonio enters the draft lottery with a 10.5% chance to land the #1 overall pick and a 44.3% chance of getting a top-five pick. Elite guard prospects like Red Star’s Nikola Topić and Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard could find themselves in San Antonio if everything goes right.
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