Twenty-seven teams made a trade at the NBA trade deadline. The San Antonio Spurs were not one of them. This was a big change of pace because the team has been active in improving their roster in recent years. Their core is littered with high draftees, such as Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, and Devin Vassell.
They also made a huge trade at last year's trade deadline when they dealt for De'Aaron Fox. The Spurs are now one of the top teams in the Western Conference, but was their trade deadline inactivity a mistake?
Not making a trade deadline move was a mistake for the Spurs
The Spurs are in second place in the Western Conference. They've taken strides forward this year and should contend for years to come. The 36-16 team is seventh in both points (117.6) and points against (112.2). Wembanyama is 7-foot-4, a perennial Defensive Player of the Year contender, and an offensive unicorn.
He is just one of eight players on the team averaging double-digit scoring figures, though. Fox has blazing speed, Harper has been one of the best first-year players, and Castle is the reigning Rookie of the Year. Furthermore, Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, and Julian Champagne have taken on necessary 3-and-D roles.
It often takes a postseason heartbreak for teams to become legitimate contenders, but there is no doubting that the Spurs are one of the best teams in the NBA. A trade deadline addition could have helped ensure they truly will push for the NBA Finals this season. The Spurs have a young core and didn't want to mortgage the future for an all-in trade, though.
However, they have assets to spare, and they could have made a trade without sacrificing anyone from their core. The Spurs still have seven future first-round picks. In what was one of the busiest trade deadlines ever, both stars and role players alike were on the trading block.
A trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, for example, was shut down pretty quickly by the Spurs' organization. The two-time MVP just made too much sense as a San Antonio trade target, though. The Milwaukee Bucks didn't trade Antetokounmpo despite his desire to find a new home, illustrating that the Spurs likely could have outbid anybody for his services because the offers were seemingly underwhelming.
Even if the Spurs didn't want to make a blockbuster, they could have made a lower-stakes trade that didn't change their future outlook too much, but one that could have brought veteran experience and leadership to a playoff push. Players such as Jose Alvarado, Nick Richards, Luke Kennard, Ayo Dosunmu, and Jared McCain were acquired by various teams at the deadline for relatively cheap.
Any of these players could have been attainable and helpful for the Spurs. These role players all have plenty of experience, play on cheap contracts, and have a skill set that would have benefited the Spurs. Instead, San Antonio was passive, and they stood by idly while the rest of the league tried to get better.
Championship windows don't last forever in the NBA. While this is viewed as just the beginning of what could be a special run for the Spurs, the potential of the team not contending for as long as expected can't be ruled out. Wembanyama's injury history only furthers this sentiment, and the team may end up pinching themselves for not being aggressive at the 2026 NBA trade deadline.
