The San Antonio Spurs did not really surprise a lot of people when they dealt center Jakob Poeltl and wingman Josh Richardson at the NBA trade deadline this past Thursday. Many people already expected that Spurs would prioritize their rebuild anyway. They actually did that. However, did they take as much in return as they possibly could? Or did they sell their assets short? Here we look at the biggest mistake that the Spurs may have committed at the 2023 NBA trade deadline.
The first significant trade, of course, centered on Poeltl. The Spurs traded the Austrianbig man back to his original team, the Toronto Raptors. Keep in mind that the Raptors actually drafted him 9th overall in 2016. In return, the Spurs received Canadian center Khem Birch, the Raptors' 2024 first-round pick (protected with a top-6 restriction), and their 2023 and 2025 second-round picks.
Poeltl was a good pick-up for Toronto. He brings a valuable contribution to the Raptors with his renowned paint protection. In fact, he ranked sixth among centers for defensive field goal percentage last season. That made him one of the most difficult players to score against in the league. While he may not contribute much to the offense, Poeltl's addition to the roster will enhance Toronto's defense. If he re-signs with the Raptors in the off-season, this trade may prove advantageous as they strive to compete in a less congested Eastern Conference. Take note as well that as the Spurs have a young roster, Poeltl no longer fits their timeline.
This trade fully triggered the rebuilding process that San Antonio fans have been calling for since Kawhi Leonard's exit in 2018. The 6'9 Birch and plays as a small-ball center and should bring energy from the bench. The real meat of this trade, though, are those picks. Some may say that the Spurs' compensation received in this trade is arguably reasonable for a player who will become a free agent this offseason. We beg to differ, though more on that later.
Let's divert now to the Spurs' second trade. They exchanged Josh Richardson for four second-round picks and the acquisition of Devonte' Graham from the Charlotte Hornets. We know Graham for his streaky three-point shooting. He previously averaged over eight three-point attempts per game from 2019-2022. That's before his playing time was reduced this season.
In coach Gregg Popovich's system, Graham's shooting will earn him a role similar to that of Patty Mills. We expect him to provide exciting, high-scoring performances off the bench. The four second-rounders here isn't bad at all. That's especially considering that Richardson is already a 29-year-old veteran. However, just like the Poeltl deal, we felt that the Spurs could have pushed for more. Maybe one first-rounder and two secound-rounders would have been a more even exchange?
Devonte' Graham scored 31 off the bench in his Spurs debut! pic.twitter.com/dtpj59akrZ
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 11, 2023
Of course, another trade that received minimal attention was the Spurs acquiring a second-round pick and Dewayne Dedmon from the Miami Heat. San Antonio, however, released him afterwards.
That said, let us look at the biggest mistake that the Spurs made at the trade deadline.
Spurs 2023 NBA trade deadline mistake: Not getting more
To be honest, the Spurs didn't doo badly at the 2023 NBA trade deadline. Still, they should have gotten more than they did.
First, they surely could have gotten more than Khem Birch from the Raptors, right? I mean, most Spurs fans probably don't even know who he is.
Birch is a traditional low post player who does not bring much to the table in terms of offense. Having said that, he is a decent offensive rebounder who can really get up. He is adequate defensively and has enough physicality to give other frontliners a tough time. However, he lacks impressive metrics. Birch's time with the Toronto Raptors was also somewhat disappointing. Take note that Toronto took him out of the rotation at the beginning of the 2021-2022 season. He will not replace Poeltl effectively. Still, he could serve as a helpful backup and support player for whoever the Spurs sign or promote to fill the center position.
On the other hand, Devonte' Graham is more promising. In Charlotte, fans knew him as a high-volume three-point shooter. This will be a huge asset for a team that is struggling to generate points. Additionally, he offers traditional point guard skills. That's something the Spurs currently lack outside of Tre Jones.
Beyond Birch and Graham, though, we still feel like the Spurs certainly should have gotten more than a top-six protected first-rounder and six second-rounders. Consider that neither Birch nor Graham will really move the needle for this team this or next season. The Spurs really should have gotten a heftier load of picks. If the Raptors end up becoming a top-six pick team in 2024, then that pick disappears for the Spurs as well. So basically all they could potentially get from these deals would be a handful of second-rounders. Again, it's not bottom-of-the-barrell bad. However, it's certainly not the best they could have done as well.
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