This is first and foremost an attempt to move off of Vassell's contract while we can and doing so without paying a cost. That in itself shouldn't be understated: he's still on the books for 4 years 105 millon (over 26M AAV), while we've just seen cheaper extensions for Dyson Daniels (4 years 25M AAV), Toumani Camara (4 years 21M AAV), Aaron Nesmith (2 years 20M AAV) Jabari Smith Jr (5 years 24M AAV), all players who may not be your first or second option, but are starting caliber players for playoff teams. In the new apron landscape, a contract such as Vassell going to be hard to move because he is not a top 3 option, or an elite role player on a good team, he's basically an inefficient 4th/5th option with mediocre defense and overall contributions, making like a player two tiers above. You can't expect that contract to have much value in the current market.
Also, I wish I believed he's got room to grow but this is his 6th season and he hasn't shown any substantial improvements that would justify waiting, you hold until you've exhausted every possible argument you can make in his favor, but that comes at the expense of everyone else also finding out. By then it'll be too late and he'll likely be considered a negative that requires assets attached for anyone to take him, while now some incautious team may still take the bet. This is what piques my interest about Sacramento, because they have a history of making boneheaded decisions that not many other franchises would make.
As for Keon Ellis, he's not a combo guard, he's a slightly undersized 3&D with +5 wingspan (6'3.5", 6'8.5") who fits perfectly as a low usage defender who can hit open 3s around the current core, you get to evaluate him up close and have the inner track to re-sign him if you like him, and if not you've taken no long term bad money. Is this the kind of deal you would have expected out of Vassell 3 years ago? certainly not, but reality changes and we need to acknowledge it, he was paid on the expectation of a leap that didn't happen and under a different CBA. I'll be delighted if the Spurs get more than this, but since it is bad practice to propose trades that assume a stupid counterpart, I'm trying to draw the line on what is the minimum package I'd be satisfied with in a Vassell trade that is realistic, which makes them invariably underwhelming. But I hope I'll be surprised for the better.
