The Spurs are sitting at 32-16, third in the West, and the deadline is no longer a distant concept, it’s five days away. They just dropped a 111-106 game to the Hornets, a useful reminder that even a “good” team can still have a couple of obvious pressure points when the matchup tightens and the margin shrinks.
At the center of it is Victor Wembanyama, who’s putting up 24.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 50.4% from the field. The point isn’t just the line, it’s what it does to opposing decision-making. When your defensive anchor is also your offensive ceiling-raiser, you don’t need a perfect roster, you need the right upgrades.
That’s why the current noise matters. Multiple reports tied to Marc Stein indicate Jeremy Sochan has been granted permission to explore the trade market, a pretty loud signal that the Spurs are at least open to consolidation.
With the NBA trade deadline set for February 5, the “blockbuster” conversation is really about whether the Spurs want to treat this season like an arrival, or like a launchpad. With this record and this centerpiece, playing it safe is the only option that doesn’t match the moment. So here are four blockbuster moves the Spurs might try before the deadline.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, 2026 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick, 2029 first-round (pick swap), 2030 first-round pick
This is the one that would break the internet, because the timing is lining up a little too cleanly. Giannis Antetokounmpo is reportedly bracing for an exit as the deadline approaches, and he’s also dealing with a right calf strain that’s expected to keep him out around 4-6 weeks.
If you’re Spurs, you don’t overthink it. You’re already elite on one side of the ball. The Spurs are allowing 112.1 points per game, and they’re sitting fourth in defensive rating (111.3).
Now picture adding the most violent rim pressure guy of this era next to Wemby, the best defensive cheat code in the sport.
Giannis is still a monster when he plays, 28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 64.5% from the field this season.
That’s not “still good,” that’s “you’re not stopping this in a playoff series.”
Also, the money works in a straightforward way. Giannis is on a $54.1 million salary in 2025-26.
Spurs can match with real rotation players: Devin Vassell at $27.0 million, Harrison Barnes at $19.0 million, Keldon Johnson at $17.5 million, and Sochan at $7.1 million.
That’s a big outgoing pile, but that’s the price of importing a top-tier superstar.
Here’s why I actually love it for Spurs: they don’t have to gut the entire spine of the future. You can still keep Wemby, Fox, and your young guards, and then you’re basically building a title defense that starts every game with a defensive advantage and ends every game with “good luck scoring at the rim.”
Giannis adds easy points, free throws, transition chaos, and playoff-grade physicality that wins ugly games.
For the Bucks, it’s the clean reset they’re going to pretend they don’t want until they have to. If Giannis is really ready to move on, you’re not replacing him. You’re trying to survive the crater with real starter-level pieces and draft control. Vassell gives you a 25-year-old wing scoring option at 14.6 points per game.
Johnson gives you a legit bench scorer at 13.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Barnes is a tradeable veteran contract, and Sochan is a defense-first upside bet. Then you add the picks and swaps, and suddenly you’ve got a package you can sell to your fanbase without getting booed out of the building.
The risk is obvious: Giannis’ calf, and the fact that pairing two non-elite shooters together always comes with spacing questions. But I’m not buying the panic here. Wemby is hitting 36.4% from three, and his range keeps expanding.
Plus, Giannis has always been at his best when the floor is organized around him, and Spurs actually have the infrastructure to do it.
My take: if Giannis is even remotely gettable, the Spurs should be the team that goes hardest. Wemby is too good, too early, to sit around and wait for some perfect 2028 window. This is how you steal a title run while everyone else is still arguing about “timeline.”
2. Pascal Siakam
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Pascal Siakam
Indiana Pacers Receive: Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, 2026 first-round (pick swap), 2029 first-round pick (lottery protected), 2032 first-round pick, 2032 second-round pick
Pascal Siakam is exactly the kind of forward who makes the Spurs’ offense feel unfair in a seven-game series. He’s at 23.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, shooting 48.3% from the field, and he’s still the same matchup nightmare who can score without needing a perfect possession.
The fit is obvious. Wembanyama bends the floor with size and shooting, and Siakam bends the defense with pressure and creation. You’re not asking Wemby to manufacture every late-clock bucket anymore, and you’re not asking De’Aaron Fox to be a one-man bailout button every night. It becomes a “pick your poison” thing: load up on Wemby and Siakam cooks the weak side, stay home and Wemby gets single coverage.
Contract-wise, this is why the framework looks realistic instead of fan-fiction. Siakam is on $45.6 million in 2025-26. Vassell is on $27.0 million, and Johnson is on $17.5 million. That’s basically a clean salary match before the picks even enter the conversation.
Now the Pacers side, and this is where the context matters.
On paper, they’re 12-36, sitting near the bottom of the East, and they’ve been bleeding points all season.
But the key storyline is that this season is weird for them. The Haliburton injury shifted the whole timeline, and that’s why you’re seeing real deadline noise around them even if it doesn’t automatically mean “blow it up.” Their actual trade chatter, from credible lanes, has been more about finding a long-term center and reshaping the supporting cast than shopping Siakam.
There isn’t a steady drumbeat from the top insiders saying “Siakam is on the block” right now. Most of the real Pacers deadline reporting is centered on roster consolidation and the center spot, not a Siakam fire sale.
That said, this is exactly why a Spurs call makes sense anyway.
Because if the Pacers keep losing and they decide they want maximum flexibility, this is the kind of monster retool package that could tempt them. Vassell is averaging 14.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists this season, and he’s hitting 37.5% from three. Johnson is at 13.2 points and 6.4 rebounds, and he’s at 38.7% from three. Those are real rotation players you can plug in immediately, plus picks that give you optionality for the next big move.
My opinion: if the Spurs are serious about turning “great story” into “conference finals pressure,” Siakam is one of the cleanest win-now fits you can buy. The Pacers probably don’t want to do it unless they’ve internally accepted a longer reset, but the Spurs should still be aggressive because this is the kind of deal that upgrades your playoff offense overnight without breaking the identity that got you here.
3. Michael Porter Jr.
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Michael Porter Jr.
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, 2026 first-round pick (swap rights), 2031 first-round pick (swap rights)
Michael Porter Jr. is playing like an All-Star on a bad team, which is usually how these conversations start. He’s at 25.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on 48.2% from the field and 39.8% from three. The standings context is the entire pitch: the Spurs are 32-16, the Nets are 13-34.
From a fit standpoint, this is about floor geometry and playoff translation. Porter isn’t a heliocentric guy, he’s a high-end scorer who warps help defense without monopolizing the ball. Put him next to Victor Wembanyama, and opponents have to pick a poison: overload the paint and give up clean catch-and-shoot 3s to a 6-foot-10 movement shooter, or stay hugged to shooters and let Wembanyama live in single coverage. The outgoing pieces matter here too: Barnes and Keldon Johnson are useful, but neither changes how defenses have to guard you possession-to-possession the way Porter does.
The contracts are what make this framework feel real instead of fantasy. Porter is on $38.3 million this season. Barnes is on $19.0 million, and Johnson is on $17.5 million, so the outgoing money is $36.5 million before you even talk about draft sweeteners. That’s the clean match. The picks are there because, if you’re the Nets, you’re not taking on two rotation contracts just to be polite, you’re doing it to buy flexibility and long-range control.
On the reporting side, the important thing is separating “teams are calling” from “he’s available.” Brian Windhorst explicitly pushed back on the idea that the Nets have made Porter available, basically saying if that changes, the news will come from the top insiders, not assumption. That doesn’t kill the idea, it just frames it correctly: this only gets real if the Nets decide the contract doesn’t match their timeline, or if they get an offer that finally prices in Porter’s production.
Bottom line: this is the type of deal contenders make when they want a clean, scalable offensive upgrade without detonating the core. It’s not the loudest name in the rumor mill, but it’s the kind of addition that shows up in April when defenses stop giving you easy stuff.
4. Domantas Sabonis
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Domantas Sabonis
Sacramento Kings Receive: Harrison Barnes, Kelly Olynyk, Carter Bryant, 2026 first-round pick (swap rights), 2027 first-round pick (via Hawks), 2026 second-round pick (via Pelicans)
Domantas Sabonis’ season line looks lighter than his reputation because the year got hijacked by his left knee. He’s at 15.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 18 games, shooting 54.2% from the field. He also returned in mid-January after missing 27 games due to a partially torn meniscus.
The fit case is pretty straightforward, it’s about giving Victor Wembanyama a second frontcourt hub who can keep possessions alive without turning the offense into pure isolation. Sabonis is an elite screener and handoff engine, he’s comfortable operating from the elbows, and he creates advantage without needing to dribble the air out of the ball. In this structure, Sabonis becomes the connective tissue, and Wembanyama gets cleaner catches, more weak-side chaos, and more “finish the play” reps instead of having to initiate everything. The outgoing veterans are functional, but they don’t bend a defense. Sabonis does, even when he’s not scoring, because the ball keeps moving through him.
The money is the spine of the deal. Sabonis is on $42.3 million this season. Barnes is on $19.0 million, and Olynyk is on $13.4 million, both expiring. Carter Bryant’s rookie scale starts at about $4.9 million. That’s roughly $37.3 million outgoing before picks, which is why the draft compensation is doing real work here.
The reporting is what makes this one feel “live,” even if it’s still a long shot. ESPN’s Anthony Slater has flagged Sabonis as a name to watch, with the Kings’ front office described as open to discussing high-priced veterans. On top of that, Michael Scotto (HoopsHype) reported the Kings have indicated they want a first-round pick back in Sabonis talks with the Raptors. ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel’s read noted that the Kings have been making trade calls involving Sabonis as deadline selling ramps up.
Bottom line: the Kings are 12-38, heading towards a rebuild, so the incentives line up. If the Kings are truly entertaining a reset, this is the kind of offer that matches their reported ask and gives them flexibility. For the Spurs, it’s a bet that Sabonis’ knee stabilizes, because if he’s healthy, the offense becomes much harder to solve.
