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It can be tricky for a franchise to find that balance between completely tanking for the No. 1 pick in the draft while still maintaining one or two foundational pieces. There are some teams that will inevitably be confined to the NBA basement. When the window closes, there is usually not another one ready to jump through. No, the whole house will probably need to be torn down. And then rebuilt.
The San Antonio Spurs are in the middle of their own unprecedented renovation and could be doing further demolition work ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline. The Spurs check in at 14th place in the Western Conference with a 14-38 record, their worst since Greg Popovich took over as head coach in the 1996-97 season.
The sad truth of the matter? They want to get even lower than that, beneath the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons and in prime position to win the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. The French phenom is already garnering all-time great-level praise for his incredible blend of size, athleticism and shooting prowess. He has made losing sting far less this season and revitalized the painfully transparent tanking efforts seen in the “The Process” Philadelphia 76ers days.
With a potential NBA unicorn up for grabs, there will be more incentive for San Antonio to trade away the remaining valuable assets they have so that they can edge out the other Wemby hopefuls. There is one young player, though, who should not be forced to make any new travel arrangements. In fact, the duration of this Spurs rebuild might depend on it.
With the NBA trade deadline fast approaching, this is one move the Spurs would deeply regret making.
Spurs will regret trading away Keldon Johnson
San Antonio could ascend back into relevance quicker if they hang onto forward Keldon Johnson. The 2019 first-round draft choice has been a key part of the team's offense the last couple of seasons. He has had more scoring opportunities than ever now that Dejounte Murray is no longer on the roster and is averaging a career-high 21.8 points per game. His efficiency has dropped off (43.8 percent from field, 33.7 from three-point), but that is also a product of Murray's departure.
Jakob Poeltl is averaging 12 points and nine rebounds per game and can be a solid addition to the low post of a playoff team. The Austrian native is also in the final year of his contract. Josh Richardson is the type of veteran three-and-D guy who is especially coveted around this time of year. Their bags should already be packed. Johnson, though, should factor in heavily into this franchise's future.
Johnson has had to captain a vessel that is deliberately steering toward the rocks. The 23-year-old has had the unenviable task of trying to develop while also shouldering the bulk of the offensive load. Still, he has made strides in other aspects of his game, such as confidence and leadership. Those qualities, which are evident in an interview with NBA TV, will not be so clearly reflected right now, but they could be extremely beneficial when the Spurs trend upwards again.
"It's a dream come true playing for Pop. So many people don't understand how great of a human being Pop really is."
Keldon Johnson shares what playing for Gregg Popovich means to him ahead of the Spurs' 50th anniversary game in the Alamodome on Friday pic.twitter.com/mFEENGqg4X
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 13, 2023
Yes, there is a chance his presence ends the Wembanyama dream altogether, but his growing potential should make him untouchable. Johnson has already left his mark.
There should obviously be calls for him, though. Johnson signed a four-year, $74 million extension last July, which will make him appealing to competitive teams who would prefer a young player locked up for the next few seasons rather than gambling with an expiring contract. The organization will be tempted, but that siren song is best left ignored. The finished product could be an All-Star. It sounds a bit out there, but a few tweaks and he will be encroaching on that territory.
There are other adjustments the Spurs can make. Their resistance to constructing a more modern, three-point capable offense is part of the reason they are about to endure their fourth consecutive losing season after a record-setting 22 straight winning seasons. Popovich is one of the greatest coaches of all time, but he must adapt. Shooting 34 percent from beyond the arc is difficult to withstand. That is not an immediate concern, but it will be when the franchise makes winning the top priority again.
The Spurs could be very busy at the NBA trade deadline. And that is fine. No. 3's locker should be left as is, though. The historic track record of top San Antonio draft picks will be a hard fact to overlook, but who's to say the team cannot have their cake and eat it too.
Even a basketball prodigy cannot do it on his own.
