The Spurs just pulled a trigger on a blockbuster trade deal that will see Dejounte Murray take his talents to the Atlanta Hawks. By sending their best player packing, the Spurs are expected to be one of the worst teams in the league in 2022-23.
It's not as if the Spurs got a couple of big-name players in exchange for their All-Star point guard. The only player they will be receiving from Atlanta is Danilo Gallinari. San Antonio will get no less than three future first-round picks, though, which is a massive haul for the future. Right now, however, all signs are pointing to the notion that the Spurs will be tanking next season — and legendary coach Gregg Popovich might not be part of all this (h/t Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated):
A question I've heard from a few league execs since news of Murray's availability first broke: Have we seen the last of Pop on the Spurs bench? San Antonio, perhaps intentionally, could be the worst teams in the NBA next season.
A question I've heard from a few league execs since news of Murray's availability first broke: Have we seen the last of Pop on the Spurs bench? San Antonio, perhaps intentionally, could be the worst teams in the NBA next season.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) June 29, 2022
This makes a lot of sense. Popovich is one of the most esteemed coaches in the history of the sport, and it would be a disservice to his legacy for him to coach such a bad team at the tail end of his career. This man deserves to go out on a high, and he won't be doing that with the Spurs if he decides to stay on for 2022-23.
Talk of coach Pop's retirement has been getting louder of late, and this recent move by the Spurs could be the biggest indication of the same.
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