For as good as their off-season has been, perhaps the San Antonio Spurs best move in NBA free agency has been one they haven't made. Though they've been linked to Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen, the asking price has reportedly been steep. While the Spurs would love to pair the 27-year-old forward with their recent additions, they want to do so with the same approach they took with Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes.
As San Antonio continues to build around Victor Wembanyama, they're doing so without a willingness to hamstring their future, either through long heavy contracts or by parting with the most coveted among their many first round draft picks.
Going through reported Spurs offer for Lauri Markkanen
Reports at the beginning of the month said GM Brian Wright submitted an official trade offer for Markkanen. Other reports have surfaced very recently indicating the Spurs aren't out of the running. The uncertainty surrounding how the Jazz will proceed with the native of Finland is a reason.
August 6 represents the deadline on whether Markkanen's contract will be extended. As Utah looks at options leading up then, renegotiating with their leading scorer and putting him back on the block at the next trade deadline come February could prove one route. Allowing him to play out his contract at $18 million next season is another.
That leaves a trade this summer as yet another possibility. The Spurs have shown a willingness to part with multiple first-round picks, as well as forward Keldon Johnson, in a potential deal for Markkanen, sources have told ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel. Despite their willingness to include him in a trade, San Antonio still believes in Johnson's development.
From the get go, the Jazz's asking price of all teams interested in their 2023 All-Star has been steep. Reports suggest that General Manager Danny Ainge wants several first round picks. That's not the problem for San Antonio.
The Spurs have multiple first round picks or at least first round pick swap options in every draft through 2031. That includes four possible first-round selections next summer. And therein lies the crux.
Among the Silver and Black's multiple opportunities in the 2025 first round are their own pick, an unprotected Atlanta Hawks' selection, the Chicago Bulls' pick if it lands outside the top 10 and the Charlotte Hornets' pick if it comes outside the lottery. Next year's draft class is extremely deep and features the dynamic Cooper Flagg. Beyond the soon to be Duke Blue Devil, the draft includes potential standouts like Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, Drake Powell, VJ Edgecombe to name a few.
Though it's unlikely -considering the Hornets and Bulls are expected to struggle – that the Spurs will get all four of those selections in the next draft, they like the options. Specifically though, San Antonio doesn't want to part with the Hawks unprotected pick, especially with Atlanta going in a different direction after trading away Dejounte Murray.
Plus, the Spurs themselves could land in the lottery as well. Though Paul and Barnes will make them better and Wemby will be that much stronger, the reality is that the team is coming off a season that saw them win just 22 games.
As of now, they'll have a chance to add least two potentially great picks less than a year from now. Is that worth Markkanen? That the answer's not a clear “yes” answers the question.
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