Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Watch

[Kick-Stand]

We all have very justified gripes about the way the team is being managed right now (despite our record), but in my opinion we’re on a really nice pace for bringing the team along with Wemby. However, I do think we COULD go faster if we wanted. We hear folks say “we aren’t winning this year anyway, so be patient…” well why the fuck can’t we win this year? We definitely aren’t going to win if we don’t even give ourselves a shot.

I think we're not winning this year because Wemby is not good enough yet and I don't see any way around that tbh. He is the timeline.

 

[Shmurs]

I think it’s a fairly strange theory that a hyper competitive guy who is only famous because of his physical basketball related gifts would retire when his team turns bad.

Very strange in fact. He understands he has a calling. Reading books and playing chess seem secondary to that, despite his possibly balanced lifestyle.

 

[scott]

I think it’s a fairly strange theory that a hyper competitive guy who is only famous because of his physical basketball related gifts would retire when his team turns bad.

Very strange in fact. He understands he has a calling. Reading books and playing chess seem secondary to that, despite his possibly balanced lifestyle.

You misunderstood if you thought I was saying he’d returned when his team turns bad… I’m saying he seems like the kind of guy who might just walk away on top after 7 or. 8 years. I think he’s smart enough to understand the challenges his unique body present and might decide after 8 years and a couple of rings he’s done what he came to and not want to risk any potential harm to his body that may lessen the quality of the rest of his life.

Or he might just be so competitive that he’ll play until the wheels fall off. Neither would surprise me.

 

[Sugus]

This is all part of why I can’t buy into the reasoning that Giannis would be trying to force his way here so he can ramp down and play second fiddle to Wemby. Giannis doesn’t strike me as a guy who’s had a recent spiritual enlightenment

Ain't no way...... He also seems like the type of guy that understands that the Spurs are "Wemby's Team" just fine, and doesn't want to meddle with that.

He really seems to be vying for a "second Milwaukee" at this point, and not as concerned at "winning at all costs".

I think it's a foolish thought from him given how competitive he is...... I can see him being bitter about his later career in retrospect once he's retired. Kind of similar to Dame. Prime years wasted on non-contending teams because you prefer to keep the façade of "loyalty" or being a "good guy" over putting your career first..... At least Giannis already got a ring for it.

 

[scott]

I think we're not winning this year because Wemby is not good enough yet and I don't see any way around that tbh. He is the timeline.

“Wemby’s not good enough’ isn’t something I can’t buy into. He may not be near his final form, but he’s plenty good enough (he’s not consistent enough is another thing). He easily a Top 5 player in the league at 50-60% of his potential. He can still win while he grows.

 

[brazil]

I think we're not winning this year because Wemby is not good enough yet and I don't see any way around that tbh. He is the timeline.

POs are a different animal and it will be Victor first PO run. Now it is not impossible to win on a first: Bill Russell, Magic and Tim won a championship in their first PO run.. and Victor is regarded as generational than those guys. Now the problem is that they won with POs experienced rosters and experienced coaches.

I would not say Victor is not good enough only time will tell but I would say that Spurs as a whole are not ready.

 

[Ice009]

TD won it in his second season/second playoffs, but your point is correct.

 

[brazil]

TD won it in his second season/second playoffs, but your point is correct.

indeed we lost second round against utah

 

[Shmurs]

You misunderstood if you thought I was saying he’d returned when his team turns bad… I’m saying he seems like the kind of guy who might just walk away on top after 7 or. 8 years. I think he’s smart enough to understand the challenges his unique body present and might decide after 8 years and a couple of rings he’s done what he came to and not want to risk any potential harm to his body that may lessen the quality of the rest of his life.

Or he might just be so competitive that he’ll play until the wheels fall off. Neither would surprise me.

I don’t know the guy personally. But from what we see it looks like he really really enjoys the full package of being a global mega star. Gets to go hang with monks, play in packed arenas, create fan experiences, compete and win, go to battle with his friends, pontificate in front of a microphone…he seems into the whole deal. He wants a uniquely interesting life. It will become far less interesting when he retires.

 

[tearsofmorningdew]

I guess a silver lining in bringing giannis over is that he’s a dirty player without any of the bad press. wouldn’t have won that ring if he didn’t conveniently shatter kyries ankle clumsily positioning himself under him on that rebound

 

[Kick-Stand]

POs are a different animal and it will be Victor first PO run. Now it is not impossible to win on a first: Bill Russell, Magic and Tim won a championship in their first PO run.. and Victor is regarded as generational than those guys. Now the problem is that they won with POs experienced rosters and experienced coaches.

I would not say Victor is not good enough only time will tell but I would say that Spurs as a whole are not ready.

Victor isn't the rock, the model of consistency that 1999 Tim Duncan was. I think he will get there but he just isn't that go get me a bucket right now this game is hanging by a thread kind of guy Tim was in 1999. I also don't really think Pop was much of a coach in 1999. I don't think we really saw him become an upper tier coach until about 01-02 where he was really starting to develop guys who would have failed in other programs, guys like Malik Rose, Stephen Jackson, Charles Smith (Spiderman, not missed four layups guy), and so on. Plus the development of Parker.

 

[Kick-Stand]

“Wemby’s not good enough’ isn’t something I can’t buy into. He may not be near his final form, but he’s plenty good enough (he’s not consistent enough is another thing). He easily a Top 5 player in the league at 50-60% of his potential. He can still win while he grows.

Do you think Wemby is the kind of rock SGA or Jokic is right now? I don't, but that's what it's likely to take to win a title this year short of the Spurs trading for a #1 like Giannis. Even with a monstrously talented roster OKC's title last year came down to SGA just putting the team on his back and dragging them to a road win in Game 4 of the Finals. There is a significant gap between #5 and top 2 or 3 right now IMO. I might even call Wemby the #4 player in the league given how lazy Luka is defensively. But I don't think this team wins titles until Victor becomes that night in night out Groundhog Day kind of offensive weapon Tim was. The West is too good to get through on a hot streak, consistency is the name of the game.

 

[scott]

Do you think Wemby is the kind of rock SGA or Jokic is right now? I don't, but that's what it's likely to take to win a title this year short of the Spurs trading for a #1 like Giannis. Even with a monstrously talented roster OKC's title last year came down to SGA just putting the team on his back and dragging them to a road win in Game 4 of the Finals. There is a significant gap between #5 and top 2 or 3 right now IMO. I might even call Wemby the #4 player in the league given how lazy Luka is defensively. But I don't think this team wins titles until Victor becomes that night in night out Groundhog Day kind of offensive weapon Tim was. The West is too good to get through on a hot streak, consistency is the name of the game.

I also don't think Haliburton is the kind of rock SGA or Jokic is right now. But the Pacers were 24 minutes away from being NBA champs just a year ago.

I definitely disagree with the premise that you can't win the title unless you have one of the top 2 or 3 players in the league... but to do it, you need to surround whomever your top player is with good talent. And here is the catch-22... on one hand, we're saying the Spurs don't have good enough talent to help Wemby win a championship right now... on the other hand we're saying that we shouldn't add the talent to help Wemby because he's not good enough right now.

It's just self-defeating. We'll definitely never win if we never think we're good enough to even try.

 

[Kick-Stand]

I definitely disagree with the premise that you can't win the title unless you have one of the top 2 or 3 players in the league...

That's not really what I meant. I mean no Spurs fan could think that after watching the 2014 team win a title and the 2013 team come one rebound from a title when it's arguable if either team even had a top 10 individual player. I meant that's what it would take for this Spurs squad to win a title. As for the Haliburton comment, he didn't have to survive the west. Of course I'd like to make tweaks to try to win a title but I don't want to start sacrificing a lot of the future to go all in right now. Consistency is a major part of being good enough IMO. If it's something like trade a first and matching salary to get MPJ so we have a PF that can hit the three I'm down even if it's a season and a half rental. But if it's let's make a shortsighted move that costs a ton of our future like LeBron was doing in LA when he pretty much forced them into trading for Westbrook no thanks.

 

[scott]

That's not really what I meant. I mean no Spurs fan could think that after watching the 2014 team win a title and the 2013 team come one rebound from a title when it's arguable if either team even had a top 10 individual player. I meant that's what it would take for this Spurs squad to win a title. As for the Haliburton comment, he didn't have to survive the west. Of course I'd like to make tweaks to try to win a title but I don't want to start sacrificing a lot of the future to go all in right now. Consistency is a major part of being good enough IMO. If it's something like trade a first and matching salary to get MPJ so we have a PF that can hit the three I'm down even if it's a season and a half rental. But if it's let's make a shortsighted move that costs a ton of our future like LeBron was doing in LA when he pretty much forced them into trading for Westbrook no thanks.

I agree with the bigger point (let's not ruin our future for the immediate), but I think there is a lot of space in between that and doing nothing.

We've beaten the Thunder 3 times. We've beaten every other top team in the west at least once (other than GSW and LAC. GSW I'm not as worried about anymore... Clippers, we'll see, we haven't played them yet). Does that mean I think we would be favored against all of those teams? Certainly not... but I also don't think there is no way for us to come out of the west.

It's a long shot as currently structured, we can improve those odds with some moves around the edges. What I hate, but would not be surprised if the Spurs FO took this approach, is the "we aren't winning anyway so there is no point in bothering". That seems to be the Matt Tynan approach to things. It's such a loser mentality, and I hope our FO isn't bought into it. Especially since we have $40MM of expirings at our disposal to try and improve, and we're going to have to operate as an over-the-cap team this offseason anyway.

 

[dn0774]

Confession, i can’t help but wonder on occasion what we would’ve looked like with Kevin Durant this season (even if it cost us Castle). Fox in his natural role etc. I understand the reasoning for holding off but still.

 

[Exstatic]

TD won it in his second season/second playoffs, but your point is correct.

TD had the bulk of a team around him that had already made the WCFs and that won 120+ games over two seasons. The circumstances aren’t the same. When that team imploded, it took three full seasons to build it back with a new timeline, and he was an MVP caliber player.

 

[Exstatic]

Confession, i can’t help but wonder on occasion what we would’ve looked like with Kevin Durant this season (even if it cost us Castle). Fox in his natural role etc. I understand the reasoning for holding off but still.

Orlando and Houston both took the wrong path. They came out of their build and grabbed vets too soon, and also didn’t stockpile picks. Neither looks to have either a championship path or a path to improve in any meaningful way.

 

[Ice009]

Confession, i can’t help but wonder on occasion what we would’ve looked like with Kevin Durant this season (even if it cost us Castle). Fox in his natural role etc. I understand the reasoning for holding off but still.

You would have given up Castle in a KD trade?

 

[dn0774]

You would have given up Castle in a KD trade?

Ultimately? No. My curiosity mainly comes from the fact that KD is having another KD season and Castle has been a detriment offensively for awhile now. A lineup of Fox/Vassell/Barnes/KD/Wemby (or JC instead of HB) would've been disgustingly good and had Fox playing in the spot he plays best.

I do think Castle is a big game player but he needs to realize games again middling teams matter, too. He should feast and yet isn't. Hopefully it really is just the thumb bothering him and he can get back to his early season form soon.

 

[frenchfred]

I think we're not winning this year because Wemby is not good enough yet and I don't see any way around that tbh. He is the timeline.

that but mainly because we don't have good 3-point shooters, our two young stars (Castle and Harper) are not good shooters, we don't have a starting PF

 

[Ice009]

Ultimately? No. My curiosity mainly comes from the fact that KD is having another KD season and Castle has been a detriment offensively for awhile now. A lineup of Fox/Vassell/Barnes/KD/Wemby (or JC instead of HB) would've been disgustingly good and had Fox playing in the spot he plays best.

I do think Castle is a big game player but he needs to realize games again middling teams matter, too. He should feast and yet isn't. Hopefully it really is just the thumb bothering him and he can get back to his early season form soon.

It pretty comes down to age. KD is way too old (even though he's playing great) for me to even think of giving up Castle in a trade for him. I'm not even sure about doing it for Giannis and he's a decent amount younger than KD.

 

[ace3g]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2016546876267372738

 

[Mal]

Aint no way Spurs are being aggresive here.

 

[Mugen]

I don't think he gets moved until the offseason unless Milwauke gets a really stupid offer tbh