After years of actively making trades, don’t expect the San Antonio Spurs to make a big move this season, and for good reason. The Spurs previously used trades to fast-track their rebuild by acquiring other teams’ unwanted players or sending out players of value in exchange for picks.
They cashed several of those assets in to acquire De’Aaron Fox. That trade hasn’t fully worked out in their favor yet, but the Spurs still won 62 games and went to the NBA Finals last season.
With their young core of Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper already in place, as well as Fox, San Antonio may be out of the blockbuster trade business for good. Instead, their focus appears to be on maximizing their current roster, and that includes potentially making smaller trades rather than bigger deals.
The Spurs likely won’t make another swing-for-the-fences trade
San Antonio doesn’t need to make another splashy trade. Instead, making a small deal or two to tweak their roster is far more likely. Even then, it may not be necessary.
They did a great job tweaking their roster this offseason and will soon see the fruits of their labor on the court. Internal development will also play a big part in their success.
They have arguably the best player in the NBA in Wemby, and he should continue to elevate his game. Then there are Castle and Harper; both of them could soon ascend to stardom.
Last but not least, there’s Fox, who is due for a bounce-back season after falling flat in the NBA Finals. If all of them thrive, then San Antonio may separate themselves from the pack. That would all but eliminate the need for them to make a big move at the trade deadline.
Internal development will be more impactful than a big trade
San Antonio’s secret weapon is simply getting more out of their young core. Having Castle go from good to great, Harper from Rookie of the Year candidate to Most Improved territory, and Wembanyama being the best in the NBA would be like making two blockbuster trades.
Great teams normally don’t have much higher to reach, but the Spurs are the rare exception to that rule. After making the NBA Finals, they could be far better without making any significant moves simply due to their young core improving.
That should be a scary thought to the rest of the NBA, who may soon be playing catch-up with San Antonio.
Therefore, the Spurs shouldn’t look to make a big trade. Instead, they must continue to maximize what they have, which could potentially result in a championship.
