Jimmy Butler, Jeremy Sochan and Victor WembanyamaSet Number: X164459
Jimmy Butler for Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, Zach Collins, a 2024 first-round pick (via Toronto) a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick
It should be noted at the outset that there’s a very real argument for the San Antonio Spurs to tank again.
Victor Wembanyama had a borderline All-NBA campaign as a rookie, and if San Antonio could land the No. 1 pick again and pair him with Cooper Flagg or Ace Bailey, it would have perhaps the best young duo in the league.
But Wemby might simply be too good to tank (at least to the point where the Spurs would have decent odds for that top pick). San Antonio was minus-6.3 points per 100 possessions this season, but that was the result of ill-fated experiments such as the attempt to make Jeremy Sochan a point guard.
When Wembanyama was on the floor with Tre Jones (an actual point guard) and Devin Vassell (a decent floor spacer), San Antonio was plus-10.2 points per 100 possessions.
If we assume even moderate improvement from the Frenchman this offseason, it’s hard to imagine the Spurs at the bottom of the standings again.
So, instead of angling for an outside shot at Flagg or Bailey, San Antonio could make a win-now move, nabbing one of the league’s best playmaking wings and an all-time great playoff performer in Jimmy Butler.
Though the current expectation is that Butler plays for the Miami Heat in 2024-25, there’s a case for moving him. Durability is becoming a real question for the 34-year-old, and Miami was nowhere near contention this season.
Retooling with draft picks and multiple potential rotation players who are closer to the age and developmental timelines of Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jović would have them in better shape for the future than pushing for another around-.500 season with Butler, who can become a free agent in 2025.
