The San Antonio Spurs might have the defining talent of the next generation of basketball with sophomore Victor Wembanyama, who’s already living up to the hype of being arguably the greatest prospect in NBA history. Wembanyama has leveled his game up to a bonafide All-Star level already this season, with the Spurs improving in competitiveness as a result.
However, the team doesn’t seem strong enough to emerge in the top six of the West, currently sitting at No. 11 with an 11-11 record. They need to add a genuine co-star for Wembanyama who can help elevate his level of play while also taking some responsibility off his shoulders.
A young All-Star-level point guard would be the perfect partner, and the Spurs could land it if they follow Bleacher Report’s blockbuster trade idea with the Charlotte Hornets for LaMelo Ball.
Trade Details
San Antonio Spurs Receive: LaMelo Ball
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, Malaki Branham, 2025 Lottery-Protected First-Round Pick (SAS), 2027 First-Round Pick (SAS), 2027 First-Round Pick (ATL)
This trade is really interesting, but is it feasible and would either team agree to this? Let’s take a deeper look at how this trade could come about.
The Spurs Put Together The Brightest Young Duo In The NBA
There is no disputing LaMelo Ball’s ability to be one of the best guards in the NBA, averaging 31.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists this season. He’s a gifted passer and isolation scorer who would pair well with Wembanyama by reducing his off-the-dribble perimeter touches while generating easier paint opportunities of lobs and bail-out passes. This would be an inspired duo in theory, but there are a few problems the Spurs need to assess.
In reality, the Spurs seem to be taking a patient approach with Wembanyama. They acquired veterans on short-term deals like Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes this summer as the second step in Wembanyama’s development, so upsetting that dynamic by adding a personality like LaMelo could create problems. There are also personality concerns with the care-free LaMelo, and there’ll be discourse around his ability to play ‘winning’ basketball.
The fit on the court will be seamless in my opinion, but it’s a big ask for the Spurs to share their roster in such a fashion to land Ball. It’ll greatly improve their competitive floor and ceiling, especially with Chris Paul still on the roster to mentor Ball and continue his efficient two-man game with Wembanyama on bench lineups.
This dynamic could reap massive rewards for the Spurs as the surrounding core players such as Jeremy Sochan, Stephon Castle, and Devin Vassell continue their development.
The Hornets Pivot To Building Around Brandon Miller
The Hornets could easily build a roster with Ball and Brandon Miller as their two franchise pieces, but the offensive focus of both players can cause them to step on each other’s toes. Miller is still rounding out his game and the Hornets haven’t had success with Ball, so going all-in on Miller with a skeletal crew of players around him could make sense, especially with the additional future assets.
Branham is a two-guard scorer with defensive upside, averaging 6.7 points this season. Tre Jones is averaging 4.1 points and 3.3 assists as a backup point guard for the Spurs and is also projected to have long-term upside as a highly efficient scorer and passer. Keldon Johnson is the most established name, but he’s found his place in the Spurs rotation harder to solidify, averaging 12.7 points and 5.3 rebounds this season after being moved to the bench.
The Hornets will have a wide assortment of talented young players and picks to further build out their roster in the vision of new head coach Charles Lee. It’s clear their current roster isn’t working out well, so a shake-up might be what they need to start building towards contending for the first time in the franchise’s modern history.
Who Says No?
This is a tantalizing deal, but it’s clear the Spurs come out major winners in this deal. Even with the concerns around Ball’s health, a three-pick asset haul makes little sense, especially if one of those picks is protected. This deal minimizes any risk on the Spurs’ end to an excessive degree, as they aren’t even giving the Hornets a talented star-level young player or any real draft assets. The Hornets won’t do this favor to the Spurs just because they have Wembanyama.
To land a player of Ball’s caliber and age, the Spurs will have to part with one of their cornerstone young pieces like Vassell or Castle, as the player return for the Hornets in this deal is non-existent. On top of that, it’s all guards coming to Charlotte which creates an even greater imbalance given the team already needs more frontcourt help instead of backcourt players.
Charlotte would likely scoff at this offer and negotiate themselves into a better position. They have no urgent need to get off the 23-year-old point guard who is under contract for five more years, so there just seems no logical way of justifying why they would agree to such a lopsided deal.
In terms of picks, the Spurs would need to lift protections off their one pick and offer the other Atlanta Hawks picks they own as well. There is nothing in this deal that incentivizes the Hornets to accept it, and the Spurs will likely need to present a bigger offer to make it work.
The Spurs have little incentive to shake their roster up to that extent for Ball and the question marks around him, so this might be a trade that’s better in theory than in actuality.
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