The San Antonio Spurs have failed to get past the play-in tournament for the second consecutive season as the Spurs continue to adjust with life without their Big 3 in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Coach Gregg Popovich is the only person left from those glory days as he continues to coach a plethora of young individuals who still have immense upside in their careers.
Dejounte Murray is a realistic candidate to receive the Most Improved Player award, while Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl, and Devin Vassell continue to ascend as they gain more experience at the NBA level. There are pieces that are likely to be retained for the long term in the Spurs organization, but there are some trades that must be executed as well to bolster their roster. Derrick White was one name that seemed like a “one step backward, two steps forward move”, but here are other plausible moves the Spurs' front office must consider.
Spurs Trades
John Collins
As the Atlanta Hawks are still in the midst of salvaging their disappointing season through the play-in tournament, one key cog who continues to miss time is forward John Collins. Despite his reported issues with Trae Young, he was recently signed to a maximum extension after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season. The first year of that massive deal seems to be a disaster, so the Hawks may shop him around in trade talks in the offseason, so San Antonio must inquire on it.
The four position is a glaring hole in the San Antonio lineup currently as Johnson starts with three guards but with no reliable backup after that. Poeltl and Zach Collins provide the hefty size, but they must also add a versatile forward who can play in both ends like Collins. With the numerous wings and bigs in Atlanta, Collins could be the odd man out, and the Spurs must pounce on the chance and surround Murray with sizable and athletic bigs.
Marcus Morris Sr.
Another forward who could even elevate his production under Popovich would be current Los Angeles Clippers bruiser Marcus Morris Sr. The Clippers already have close to $159 million committed to their players next season, so they may need to let go of some folks to lessen the tax penalty on their franchise. The inconsistency of Morris Sr. along with the pending return of Kawhi Leonard could be a plausible move for the front office.
Morris' Sr. fit would be incredible for the Spurs because he will provide admirable veteran presence and rugged mentality that has been vastly lacking in this iteration of San Antonio. He could be inserted on the front court of the first unit alongside Johnson and Poeltl but could also be the catalyst off the bench group. His defensive intensity would also be integral as the best perimeter defender of the squad.
Jerami Grant
For another two-way forward who has been circulating in trade rumors, Jerami Grant is a wing would fit tremendously in the Spurs culture. He will be on an expiring contract next year, so San Antonio will not need to let go of numerous draft picks just to acquire the services of Grant. The Detroit Pistons are building their team around Cade Cunningham, so Grant may want to search for a different home like San Antonio.
He could play second-fiddle to Murray in the hierarchy of the Spurs as he could still be utilized as a go-to-scorer on some instances. Similar to Collins and Morris Sr., Grant would fill in the void of having wings that could guard anyone from the opponents but also guarantee to chip in double digit points through his fantastic finishing at the rim while mixing it up with catch-and-shoot threes.
As the mindset is focused more on the draft and free agency for the Spurs franchise, there are a slew of decisions that will be vital in their continuous development and progression for the next seasons. Optimism and positivity must be the talking points for their organization as the track record proves that the future is really bright for the new-look San Antonio Spurs.
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