Oh how far the San Antonio Spurs have fallen down the NBA's pecking order. For 22 seasons, there were three certainties in existence – death, taxes, and a Spurs playoff berth. However, all good things come to an end. The Kawhi Leonard saga in 2018 effectively put an end to the Spurs dynasty, and they have continued their tumble down the standings. But they could have not done so at a better time. With Victor Wembanyama as the crown jewel of the 2023 NBA Draft, the Spurs may not have to be putrid for so long.

Moreover, with pieces such as Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell in town, the Spurs appear to have a few supporting pieces in place for their next great iteration. Vassell, in particular, projects to be an incredible two-way sharpshooting shot creator, showing solid improvements in his third season in the NBA. Johnson, meanwhile, appears best-suited to more of a secondary scorer role, as he looks overburdened with the considerable offensive load he has to carry.

And with Devin Vassell out due to injury, the Spurs' losing ways may continue even further. Nevertheless, wins and losses do not and should not matter to them at the moment. Loading up for the future should be their ultimate goal, and it appears that they're well on their way to adding to their future draft assets with the NBA trade deadline coming in a few weeks' time.

Here are three players the Spurs should trade away so they could stock up even further with those sweet, sweet draft picks.

Jakob Poeltl

There's no one on the Spurs roster more ripe for a trade than Jakob Poeltl. Acquired in the trade that sent Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors, Poeltl has proven himself to be one of the better rim protectors in the league after emerging as their bonafide starting center around 2020. For his career, he has averaged 1.3 rejections per game – his limited playing time early in his career dragging down those numbers.

Moreover, Poeltl isn't just someone that opposing teams could ignore on the offensive end. Sure, he's not capable of spacing the floor, as he has made a grand total of two threes for his career thus far. But he has shown that he can keep the rock moving and be a bit of an offensive hub at the high post, not to mention his always solid finishing skills at the rim.

The Spurs could still choose to keep Jakob Poeltl, as he isn't particularly the oldest (only 27 years old), so he's not that much of an odd fit with the Spurs timeline than he appears to be. But his contract status should worry the Spurs. An impending free agent, it's unclear whether Poeltl wants to stick around for a rebuild or flee for greener pastures in July. Thus, the Spurs should cash in on him as a trade asset, lest they lose him for nothing.

San Antonio has asked for two first-round picks in exchange for Poeltl, but that price could eventually drop the closer the trade deadline gets. And by then, he would be well worth the price in a potential trade.

Josh Richardson

A 3 and D guard by trade, Josh Richardson's career has been in a bit of flux ever since the Miami Heat dealt him away to the Philadelphia 76ers in the sign-and-trade for Jimmy Butler. Since then, Richardson's stock has dipped considerably after he disappointed in one stop after another, specifically with the Dallas Mavericks, who traded away Seth Curry for his services.

But for a team in need of someone who can defend one through three, someone who's able to create shots for himself and others on occasion, and someone who can space the floor at a reasonable rate, Richardson could still contribute. The low expectations should help as well.

It's unclear just how much draft capital the Spurs can squeeze for Josh Richardson in a potential deal. His $12.2 million salary for this season won't be the easiest to trade away. Nevertheless, parting ways with Richardson, whether through trade or through a buyout, seems inevitable for the Spurs.

Opening up playing time for Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley (once he returns from injury) will be a priority for San Antonio, so it stands to reason that they would try and get whatever they could for the 29-year old shooting guard.

Doug McDermott

There's nothing quite more important in the modern NBA than being able to space the floor. And Doug McDermott does that in spades. A career 41 percent shooter from downtown, Dougie McBuckets can make it rain from deep, making him a potential contributor for a playoff-hopeful team in need of spacing.

However, McDermott's contract, with two years and $27.5 million left, may preclude a potential trade from happening. McDermott is also a non-contributor on defense, so a team that trades for him shouldn't expect him to help in that regard. Due to his often one-dimensional game, the Spurs could be stuck with McDermott until the end of his contract even if they try their best to trade him away.