The San Antonio Spurs are a model franchise in the NBA in terms of culture and winning. After 22 consecutive seasons of playoff basketball for the Spurs, they now have failed to qualify for the postseason in two straight seasons. It was the first time in franchise history that the Spurs have failed to qualify in consecutive seasons.
After buying out star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, the Spurs went on to use a small-ball lineup featuring 6-foot-7 small forward Keldon Johnson as the team's power forward with Jakob Poeltl at center.
Indiana Pacers big man Domantas Sabonis is the key to fixing their problems, and here are the reasons why the Spurs should risk it all and trade for the Pacers star. Indiana might not want to trade the big man, but the franchise could look to shake things up after a disappointing season and the hiring of Rick Carlisle.
LaMarcus Aldridge replacement
The Spurs missed Aldridge's old presence and productivity down the stretch when they were fighting for a playoff spot. They lacked another offensive weapon when Aldridge was bought out of his contract. Like Aldridge, Sabonis is a very versatile player who is capable of playing both the power forward and center positions. Getting Sabonis would dramatically improve their performance on the offensive end of the floor as the big man is excellent in the paint, a beast on the offensive glass, a great passer, and a competent floor spacer.
Fit for the young core's timeline
San Antonio has a good set of young players capable of producing right away in Lonnie Walker IV, Keldon Johnson, and Dejounte Murray, among others. Domantas Sabonis just turned 25 in May and certainly fits the young core's timeline. While the Spurs may have to include one or more of their young players in order to acquire Sabonis (a DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade is also an option), there should still be some young core left over.
The Spurs also hold the 12th pick in this year's NBA Draft, though that could also be used as trade bait for Sabonis. Either way, the presence of Sabonis would help San Antonio return to the playoffs after a couple seasons of uncharacteristic struggles.
All-Star production
The Spurs badly needed another All-Star-caliber player to help out DeRozan this season. Sabonis is coming off his second All-Star campaign with averages of 20.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. The big man has significantly improved his passing abilities over time and has actually become a triple-double threat every night.
Sabonis is one of the most skilled big men in the game right now and is a high IQ player. This is evident in how he makes the right decision and passes during the game. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is known to love players with such qualities. Spurs legend Tim Duncan was also a passing big man who Pop used as the main focal point of his offense. Utilizing Sabonis in that same system could help him soar to even greater heights. Just imagine San Antonio running the pick-and-roll with a guy of his caliber.
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