Trade Spurs Trade Ideas

[ird80]

Harper for knipple n castle for Sheppard...nobody stopping our shooting

 

[LeBowen]

Sochan, Barnes, Olynyk for MPJ, tbh.

 

[TBdog]

Sochan, Barnes, Olynyk for MPJ, tbh.

God that is one hell of an upgrade, but salaries moving forward is rough. And as the league has shown, depth matters.

 

[LeBowen]

God that is one hell of an upgrade, but salaries moving forward is rough. And as the league has shown, depth matters.

He's under contract just for this and the next season, which would be ideal for us.
But then there's the issue of spending a FRP on someone who's not going to be on the team for long, not worth it.

I'd add a FRP if we can also get Sharper with MPJ. Salaries work and those two are just what we need. Elite 3-rebound forward with size and another high energy big.

 

[BacktoBasics]

He's under contract just for this and the next season, which would be ideal for us.
But then there's the issue of spending a FRP on someone who's not going to be on the team for long, not worth it.

I'd add a FRP if we can also get Sharper with MPJ. Salaries work and those two are just what we need. Elite 3-rebound forward with size and another high energy big.

MPJ scares me. He’s obviously a focal point on a trash team so there’s that.

But he’s a nightmare off the court. Says crazy unhinged stuff in podcasts. I have to wonder if he’s bipolar or just bored with too much testosterone.

He seems to have some degree of drop foot. Where he has to wear a brace to keep his foot up and from dropping down.

He has a lengthy history of injury.

Red flags everywhere.

 

[scott]

MPJ is getting the typical BKN treatment. We’ve already seen that he’s a decent 3rd option. But being on the Nets allows him to put up big stats as a tank commander and fool others into believing he is more than what he is.

What a great team BKN is to rehab your image on. They are doing a great job of being that rehab and flip facility.

 

[LeBowen]

MPJ scares me. He’s obviously a focal point on a trash team so there’s that.

He's proven himself as a high end role player on a championship team.
Playoff averages of 15/7, 38% from 3pt on 7 attempts excluding his rookie season and the last one which he played with one shoulder.
Averaging 7 rebounds next to Jokic and Gordon probably equals to averaging 10 if he played at PF.

But he’s a nightmare off the court. Says crazy unhinged stuff in podcasts. I have to wonder if he’s bipolar or just bored with too much testosterone.

Yeah, he's an absolute moron, but he hasn't actually done anything wrong other than talk nonsense.

He has a lengthy history of injury.

He had a serious injury in 2021, since the start of 22-23 season he's played 246/278 games.
Even played with an injured shoulder last year.

MPJ is getting the typical BKN treatment. We’ve already seen that he’s a decent 3rd option. But being on the Nets allows him to put up big stats as a tank commander and fool others into believing he is more than what he is.

I'm not sure what others see him as, but I see him as just that. Third option.
What are our needs at PF?
Size, 3pt shooting and rebounding.

MPJ is a career 41% 3pt shooter on high volume and as I said he averaged 7 rebounds per game even when playing with Jokic and Gordon.
Him maitaining his 3pt% while not having Jokic to set him up and having way higher volume just shows he's one of the best shooters in the league.

Also, his contract for the next season isn't fully guaranteed.

The issue is that the Nets won't let him go for cheap since they plan to compete next season, they don't own their '27 FRP.

I still think that's the exact type of forward we need. Markkanen is the best option and a unrealistic target, MPJ is the second best thing and a more realistic target.

 

[scott]

@LeBowen - MPJ isn’t the second best thing and realistic target for the reason you mention in the line right above… BKN won’t let him go cheap. They are showcasing him as a 1st/2nd option and will want a 1st/2nd option price when we all know he is really a third option. If you’re going to pay that price, you might as well just get Markkanen who is a lot better than MPJ than the stats would suggest, IMO.

Then there is the very obvious question of whether the Spurs are interested in a third option. I don’t think they are. So now we’re talking about paying a 1st/2nd option price for a FOURTH option.

We know the Spurs aren’t going to do this, so it’s really not worth the brainpower thinking about.

 

[LeBowen]

@LeBowen - MPJ isn’t the second best thing and realistic target for the reason you mention in the line right above… BKN won’t let him go cheap. They are showcasing him as a 1st/2nd option and will want a 1st/2nd option price when we all know he is really a third option. If you’re going to pay that price, you might as well just get Markkanen who is a lot better than MPJ than the stats would suggest, IMO.

Then there is the very obvious question of whether the Spurs are interested in a third option. I don’t think they are. So now we’re talking about paying a 1st/2nd option price for a FOURTH option.

My bad, should've said the least unrealistic target.
Marks knows he won't get the 1st/2nd option price, the best he can hope for is a solid young player or two and a couple of FRPs.
The reports are that the Warriors and the Bucks are interested, they don't have the assets to pay more than that.

I think he probably doesn't even get moved unless someone gets desperate and overpays.

We know the Spurs aren’t going to do this, so it’s really not worth the brainpower thinking about.

Considering how many times we went through all the possible wing targets, I don't think Spurs are going to do anything other than try to replace Sochan with another 8th/9th man bench PF.

 

[scott]

My bad, should've said the least unrealistic target.
Marks knows he won't get the 1st/2nd option price, the best he can hope for is a solid young player or two and a couple of FRPs.
The reports are that the Warriors and the Bucks are interested, they don't have the assets to pay more than that.

I think he probably doesn't even get moved unless someone gets desperate and overpays.


Considering how many times we went through all the possible wing targets, I don't think Spurs are going to do anything other than try to replace Sochan with another 8th/9th man bench PF.

That sounds like a 1st/2nd Option price to me. Anything more than that and you’d better be getting an All Star in return.

 

[LeBowen]

That sounds like a 1st/2nd Option price to me. Anything more than that and you’d better be getting an All Star in return.

Eh, we've seen Bane and Bridges net 4 FRPs.

I guess if Warriors give up one of their post-Curry picks, then it's a good deal for everyone involved.

 

[frenchfred]

He's proven himself as a high end role player on a championship team.
Playoff averages of 15/7, 38% from 3pt on 7 attempts excluding his rookie season and the last one which he played with one shoulder.
Averaging 7 rebounds next to Jokic and Gordon probably equals to averaging 10 if he played at PF.


Yeah, he's an absolute moron, but he hasn't actually done anything wrong other than talk nonsense.


He had a serious injury in 2021, since the start of 22-23 season he's played 246/278 games.
Even played with an injured shoulder last year.


I'm not sure what others see him as, but I see him as just that. Third option.
What are our needs at PF?
Size, 3pt shooting and rebounding.

MPJ is a career 41% 3pt shooter on high volume and as I said he averaged 7 rebounds per game even when playing with Jokic and Gordon.
Him maitaining his 3pt% while not having Jokic to set him up and having way higher volume just shows he's one of the best shooters in the league.

Also, his contract for the next season isn't fully guaranteed.

The issue is that the Nets won't let him go for cheap since they plan to compete next season, they don't own their '27 FRP.

I still think that's the exact type of forward we need. Markkanen is the best option and a unrealistic target, MPJ is the second best thing and a more realistic target.

how much is he going to cost after? We already have Fox at the max for next year, Wemby will start his max the year after, then Castle...

 

[LeBowen]

how much is he going to cost after? We already have Fox at the max for next year, Wemby will start his max the year after, then Castle...

That's why he's an unrealistic target, we don't want to use assets on someone who will leave in 1.5 season.

Back to legit forward search, I just don't see who could we get for Sochan and/or Olynyk's 7+13M.

2025-26 NBA Player Contracts | Basketball-Reference.com

Summary of current NBA player contracts

www.basketball-reference.com

Miles Bridges is an abuser.
Hunter is another inconsistent shooter, just 31% this season and he's not any better at rebounding than Barnes.
Kuzma is an idiot.
Aldama would be interesting, but Grizzlies probably don't want to trade him.
Hachimura is just a younger and bigger Barnes. Disappears from games on regular basis, can't rebound.
Okongwu is another interesting name, I doubt we have interest in returning those picks to the Hawks.
Toppin is probably in Indiana's long-term plans and we'd need to use a FRP.
Jones wouldn't help our shooting struggles much, he's not that great of a shooter and he also doesn't rebound that well. And he'd cost at least one FRP, with his extension kicking in and probably being too expensive in it's final years.
Risacher is the same as Okongwu.
Hauser is probably unavailable since the Celtics decided to keep him last season while trying to avoid apron penalties.
Oubre could be available, but he's an idiot and another poor rebounder.
Dean Wade is scott's favorite target, would be a solid bench upgrade.
Jarace Walker would be a reclamation project swap with Sochan.

And that's about it as far as deadline targets go, unless I missed someone.
Slim pickings.

 

[scott]

Eh, we've seen Bane and Bridges net 4 FRPs.

I guess if Warriors give up one of their post-Curry picks, then it's a good deal for everyone involved.

Bridges is a former All-NBA Defensive 1st Teamer.

And Bane is a perfect example of the trade not to make, demonstrating my point of why if you're giving up that much you better be getting an All-Star.

 

[SpursBills]

Not sure if the Hawks would go for it, but if they would I might try and do Vassell + either '26 swap back or ATL 27 for Okongwu and Kennard

Why the Hawks do it:
Okongwu + JJ does not work at all defensively, they're way too small. But JJ at the 3 is awkward because his shooting is kind of poor, so the best fit is pairing him with a true center like AD or Porzingis, which makes Okongwu the 3rd big
Meanwhile, Vassell gives them a willing shooter and a good defender who can start next to NAW and Dyson Daniels; because Daniels' shooting is so poor you need extra shooting around him too. A lineup of JJ/Dyson/Vassell/NAW + Center is pretty good spacing wise. If they elect to keep Trae, you can sell them on Vassell being another NAW

Why the Spurs do it:
Vassell's been playing very well this season, but even in the best case scenario where he's able to keep up this production, his archetype is less rare than Okongwu's do-everything forward. This move probably makes the Spurs worse this season, but keeps them on track for their timeline of making the playoffs this year and contending next year. Okongwu fits well with both Wemby and Kornet and gives you size and rebounding without giving up shooting. He's up to 2.8 3PM/100 and increasing his volume and accuracy every year. He would be a long term answer at PF. There's also a chance that Vassell's career trajectory follows that of De'Andre Hunter and he backslides over the next few years - I remember how awesome Hunter looked a year ago. Also, 2027 draft is rumored to be much weaker than 2025 or 2026 thus far, and the Hawks GM seems competent enough to be able to add talent.
I don't actually give a shit about Kennard bc he refuses to shoot unless he's wide open to preserve his shooting percentages, he's just matching salary here, but maybe Mitch is able to get through to him and he gives you a floor spacer

 

[BacktoBasics]

Not sure if the Hawks would go for it, but if they would I might try and do Vassell + either '26 swap back or ATL 27 for Okongwu and Kennard

Why the Hawks do it:
Okongwu + JJ does not work at all defensively, they're way too small. But JJ at the 3 is awkward because his shooting is kind of poor, so the best fit is pairing him with a true center like AD or Porzingis, which makes Okongwu the 3rd big
Meanwhile, Vassell gives them a willing shooter and a good defender who can start next to NAW and Dyson Daniels; because Daniels' shooting is so poor you need extra shooting around him too. A lineup of JJ/Dyson/Vassell/NAW + Center is pretty good spacing wise. If they elect to keep Trae, you can sell them on Vassell being another NAW

Why the Spurs do it:
Vassell's been playing very well this season, but even in the best case scenario where he's able to keep up this production, his archetype is less rare than Okongwu's do-everything forward. This move probably makes the Spurs worse this season, but keeps them on track for their timeline of making the playoffs this year and contending next year. Okongwu fits well with both Wemby and Kornet and gives you size and rebounding without giving up shooting. He's up to 2.8 3PM/100 and increasing his volume and accuracy every year. He would be a long term answer at PF. There's also a chance that Vassell's career trajectory follows that of De'Andre Hunter and he backslides over the next few years - I remember how awesome Hunter looked a year ago. Also, 2027 draft is rumored to be much weaker than 2025 or 2026 thus far, and the Hawks GM seems competent enough to be able to add talent.
I don't actually give a shit about Kennard bc he refuses to shoot unless he's wide open to preserve his shooting percentages, he's just matching salary here, but maybe Mitch is able to get through to him and he gives you a floor spacer

I wouldn’t make that trade. That pick is trending in our favor and Vassell has played his role successfully this year.

Niether of those players would fill the void that Devin has when other players were out injured.

 

[talkspurs]

him + Yabusele for Sochan works neatly as a trade. If we're not trying something more ambitious with KO's contract this would be a great one to pursue.

Knicks are motivated to get off Yabusele's contract and we could put one or two 2nd rounders in if necessary.

Starting to rethink this. Wouldn't be bad to call them and see what they say.

 

[mo7888]

Not sure if the Hawks would go for it, but if they would I might try and do Vassell + either '26 swap back or ATL 27 for Okongwu and Kennard

Why the Hawks do it:
Okongwu + JJ does not work at all defensively, they're way too small. But JJ at the 3 is awkward because his shooting is kind of poor, so the best fit is pairing him with a true center like AD or Porzingis, which makes Okongwu the 3rd big
Meanwhile, Vassell gives them a willing shooter and a good defender who can start next to NAW and Dyson Daniels; because Daniels' shooting is so poor you need extra shooting around him too. A lineup of JJ/Dyson/Vassell/NAW + Center is pretty good spacing wise. If they elect to keep Trae, you can sell them on Vassell being another NAW

Why the Spurs do it:
Vassell's been playing very well this season, but even in the best case scenario where he's able to keep up this production, his archetype is less rare than Okongwu's do-everything forward. This move probably makes the Spurs worse this season, but keeps them on track for their timeline of making the playoffs this year and contending next year. Okongwu fits well with both Wemby and Kornet and gives you size and rebounding without giving up shooting. He's up to 2.8 3PM/100 and increasing his volume and accuracy every year. He would be a long term answer at PF. There's also a chance that Vassell's career trajectory follows that of De'Andre Hunter and he backslides over the next few years - I remember how awesome Hunter looked a year ago. Also, 2027 draft is rumored to be much weaker than 2025 or 2026 thus far, and the Hawks GM seems competent enough to be able to add talent.
I don't actually give a shit about Kennard bc he refuses to shoot unless he's wide open to preserve his shooting percentages, he's just matching salary here, but maybe Mitch is able to get through to him and he gives you a floor spacer

I don't think I'd do that, but I'd probably give 2027 + filler for Okongwu

 

[e78]

Spurs are not going to be a big splash at the deadline. If the reports are true that they are looking at upgrades that involve Olynyk's contract and SRPs then the players that are available for a haul like that is going to be slim.

I think we all mostly agree we need a 3/4 who has some size, rebounds well and has a consistent 3 point shot.

With our package (even if we think Sochan is possibly on the table) we arent getting someone that fits all 3 of those criteria that is going to be impactful this year. At least imo.

 

[DTW]

Not sure if the Hawks would go for it, but if they would I might try and do Vassell + either '26 swap back or ATL 27 for Okongwu and Kennard.

I get the logic, but I don't see the Spurs going for a significant trade period, let alone one where they decrease the shooting and wing depth and lock into mostly playing double big.

Even if Okongwu's 3 is for real, defenses won't respect him as they do Vassell and Kennard would have a lesser role and be a stopgap. Also, Barnes and Johnson would have to defend the 3 more. You could argue Johnson should anyway, but it's not something they seem to prefer.

 

[SpursBills]

I get the logic, but I don't see the Spurs going for a significant trade period, let alone one where they decrease the shooting and wing depth and lock into mostly playing double big.

Even if Okongwu's 3 is for real, defenses won't respect him as they do Vassell and Kennard would have a lesser role and be a stopgap. Also, Barnes and Johnson would have to defend the 3 more. You could argue Johnson should anyway, but it's not something they seem to prefer.

Yeah, I see what you're saying and don't necessarily disagree. I'd hate losing Vassell given how well he's playing so far and it's a close call for me but at least it seems to be a little easier to reproduce what he brings for cheaper vs finding a long term solution at the 4. Like if the Spurs traded Vassell's salary and let Sochan/Olynyk roll off, and then used some or all of MLE to sign Matisse Thybulle and/or Quentin Grimes (or someone along those lines) for reasonable contracts, you probably don't lose a ton of wing quality and you're allocating your resources more efficiently.

Ripping up the ATL swap wouldn't be ideal, but I'm not sure that the east is bad enough for them to drop much more than 10-14. A lot of guys on here want to draft Yaxel and while I like him as well, I think it's important to point out that Yaxel's less than 2 years younger than Okongwu. The trade still leaves you with a mid 20's first rounder to go after a backup center or another rotation piece as well.

 

[spursistan]

MPJ is getting the typical BKN treatment. We’ve already seen that he’s a decent 3rd option. But being on the Nets allows him to put up big stats as a tank commander and fool others into believing he is more than what he is.

What a great team BKN is to rehab your image on. They are doing a great job of being that rehab and flip facility.

Sochan and his agent are foolish if they don't go to Brian Wright and seek a similar landing spot/situation at the deadline . I actually think we'll do good by him.

 

[Seventyniner]

Sochan and his agent are foolish if they don't go to Brian Wright and seek and a similar landing spot/situation at the deadline . I actually think we'll do good by him.

If Sochan isn't traded, I expect him to ask the Spurs to let him be a UFA (is that what rescinding the QO does?) this summer and for the Spurs to grant it, like with Lonnie Walker. He doesn't have any future on the Spurs.

 

[scott]

There is an interesting dynamic happening with Vassell... going into the season, the temperature on moving him was a lot higher. But now he's playing well and demonstrating his value, so there is a lot lower of appetite to move him. This, of course is natural. You always don't want your bad players and do want your good players... but I think there needs to be (actually there doesn't since we don't get a vote... but you know what I mean) a gut check on whether or not Vassell is the right archetype for what we need. And if he's not, well - now is the opportunity to sell high.

No one wanted to trade DJM when we did (but a few people wanted to move him a year earlier, for Ben Simmons of all people, and I was one of the few saying that DJM >>> Simmons)... I even made a post on ST a few months before that trade asking "what would it take for you to trade DJM" and I kind of got laughed at by most people, being told he was "untouchable". I'm not pointing this out to brag, but rather as an example of the past where the Spurs rightly sold high and most people would agree that was a good move.

Vassell might be seen by some teams as underutilized here. In San Antonio, his contract is a little bit of an overpay (but not too much, honestly... and mostly because of 4 other guys who need to get paid ahead of him, no fault of his own)... but to a team who thinks he can be a 2nd or 3rd option... it may not be. And if that is the case, Vassell is the most valuable we asset we have in terms of trying to round out the roster, because his $27MM salary is kind of a sweet spot in terms of what it can bring back (either in terms of another individual, or a combination of individuals on MLE type deals).

I've loved what Devin has brought us this season. I've graded him higher than the community (I'm at a 3.44 on the season vs a 3.32). I am perfectly happy rolling with the roster as is and seeing who is going to turn up to be a playoff dawg... but if I'm being objective (which maybe is laughable considering my past opinions of Devin)... if we want to really improve the roster this season, then it might be time to explore offers on Vassell.

 

[DTW]

Yeah, I see what you're saying and don't necessarily disagree. I'd hate losing Vassell given how well he's playing so far and it's a close call for me but at least it seems to be a little easier to reproduce what he brings for cheaper vs finding a long term solution at the 4. Like if the Spurs traded Vassell's salary and let Sochan/Olynyk roll off, and then used some or all of MLE to sign Matisse Thybulle and/or Quentin Grimes (or someone along those lines) for reasonable contracts, you probably don't lose a ton of wing quality and you're allocating your resources more efficiently.

Ripping up the ATL swap wouldn't be ideal, but I'm not sure that the east is bad enough for them to drop much more than 10-14. A lot of guys on here want to draft Yaxel and while I like him as well, I think it's important to point out that Yaxel's less than 2 years younger than Okongwu. The trade still leaves you with a mid 20's first rounder to go after a backup center or another rotation piece as well.

That's a good point. The thing is, Okongwu is not really a 4 though. He's not a true 5 either, so he's probably just best as a third big in a three man rotation (they're more so 4's, but think Aldama, Portis, Reid), as the Hawks were probably hoping if Porzingis could stay upright for more than five minutes.

If that's the case, this trade would see the Spurs burn relatively significant assets to not fill their biggest need.