The San Antonio Spurs have been playing well in the absence of Victor Wembanyama so far this season, recently picking up a road win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the knockout stage of the NBA Cup to advance to Las Vegas. Players like Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox have been stepping up in the big man's absence, but that might not stop the team from looking for more talent to surround him with.
Recently, ESPN proposed a trade idea that would see Wembanyama teamed up with Dallas Mavericks power forward Anthony Davis. In the deal, the Spurs would get Davis, the Mavericks would get Harrison Barnes, Luke Kornet, Keldon Johnson, and multiple second-round picks, and the Chicago Bulls would get Naji Marshall.
“A San Antonio deal would provide the Mavericks the most financial benefit. The Spurs don't have to send back as much salary as Davis makes because they have room below the luxury tax, and the depth they would provide Dallas allows the undercard sending Marshall to Chicago — where he might start at small forward — for second-round picks,” noted ESPN.
Overall, if the Spurs were able to get Davis without parting ways with any of their young core or future first round picks, they'd certainly be tempted to do it. Wembanyama and Davis would form the most feared defensive duo possibly in NBA history, and also give the team another force around the rim on offense, as well as someone who can create their own shot.
As ESPN noted, the main motivation for Dallas in this deal would be financial reasons, as they look to have a clean slate for the future as they aim to build around Cooper Flagg.
Overall, if this trade were to go down, it could spell bad news for the rest of the Western Conference.
