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NBA Trade Rumors Link Spurs to 6x All-Star

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Dec 20, 2024 4:22 PM ET

Despite having plenty of assets to swing a trade, the San Antonio Spurs are largely expected to hold the line ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline. With a young core of Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Stephon Castle, the Spurs could flip expendable players and draft picks to land a win-now secondary star to play next to Wembanyama, but the odds seem unlikely.

However, with Wembanyama's defensive dominance and fiery competitiveness, one player seems like an obvious target: Jimmy Butler. The Miami Heat have long been rumored to be open to trading him, and the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, and Denver Nuggets are all expected to make offers.

That said, no one is in a better spot to make a deal than the Spurs.

Butler is 35 years old but is still incredibly effective, averaging an efficient 19.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and five assists this season. He and Chris Paul would be the ideal mentors for Wembanyama and the rest of the young Spurs, and at least one NBA Insider thinks a deal could be possible.

"Butler would be another great veteran leader for the Spurs to add next to Victor Wembanyama," wrote CutchPoints' Brett Siegel. "While always quiet regarding the trade block, the Spurs are worth discussing. Stephon Castle's emergence in San Antonio leaves the door open for Tre Jones and Malaki Branham to be packaged together in a deal from the Spurs to add a key secondary talent, if not go all-in for a guy like Butler."

The Spurs could fairly easily match Butler's $48.7 million salary and could bolster an offer with some draft pick. The only thing holding Brian Wright back from making a deal is Butler's age, although the chance to win a title might be enough for both Butler and CP3 to drag the young Spurs kicking and screaming deep into the playoffs.

Expect the Spurs to be a team to watch before the deadline, even if adding an All-Star ends up being far-fetched.

Check out the Inside the Spurs homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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