The San Antonio Spurs are one of the teams that have been closely linked in trade rumors to acquire Kevin Durant from the Phoenix Suns. Although there has been mutual interest from both sides to join forces and build a superteam, there have been some obstacles in the way.
These obstacles have primarily been Phoenix’s demands for Durant. While there has been a clear indication that the team wants young talent and draft capital in return, any attempt at structuring a deal has yielded no fruit thus far.
The stagnation in trade talks has been a product of the Suns organization rejecting San Antonio’s most recent counteroffer. With the clock ticking down on the NBA Draft, it also seems likely that the Spurs will be pulling out of the race to acquire Durant.
The Spurs’ surplus of draft assets and young talent has made them a viable trading spot for many teams, with some rumors seeing them linked to Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown as well.
The addition of Brown could transform the Spurs into a superpower in the West, but at the cost of some key draft capital and developmental pieces.
Instead, we take a look at a trade that allows the Spurs to retain most of their young core and develop it with the help of two young stars from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Proposed Trade Details
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, 2027 first-round pick (ATL), 2028 first-round pick (BOS), 2029 second-round pick (LAC)
The two Pelicans stars could have a massive impact on the Spurs’ roster. Similarly, the addition of draft assets also has a lot of benefits for the Pelicans. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the finer details of how this trade impacts both teams involved.
The Spurs Add Reinforcements For Their Young Core
The San Antonio Spurs currently feature an immensely talented young group of players. With a defensive stalwart in Victor Wembanyama, who possesses the tools to develop into a superstar, a dynamic star guard in De’Aaron Fox, and a special talent in Stephon Castle, the Spurs are truly a unique team at this stage.
In this regard, the addition of Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones would only work towards reinforcing an already solid core.
Trey Murphy III has been an interesting player to keep track of this offseason. While his offensive output was always worth taking note of, owing to his terrific three-point shooting, Murphy has also shown an innate ability to lock down on defense.
His averages of 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game were beyond impressive, especially considering his shooting splits of 45.4% from the field and 36.1% from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Herb Jones has already shown all the traits to be a consistent defensive threat. Having earned an All-Defensive Team selection in his third season in the league, Jones is nothing short of a lockdown defender and a hustle player.
His stats don’t necessarily do him justice in this regard, averaging 10.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game last season. But his 1.9 steals per game certainly present a lot of promise for any team looking to bolster their defense.
The unfortunate case for both players was that they missed a large portion of last season due to injuries. Their absence was certainly felt by the Pelicans, who waded through the muddy waters of a rather disappointing season.
Should they be healthy, after this trade, the Spurs would undoubtedly see a massive increase in overall roster strength.
The Pelicans Acquire Assets For Their Rebuild Project
The New Orleans Pelicans are in an awkward stage for the franchise. After committing their resources to the star duo of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans’ project has been met with abject failure, forcing the team to undergo a necessary rebuild.
While the Pelicans will need to start by offloading some major contracts, this trade with the Spurs also sets them on the right path for a rebuild.
Harrison Barnes is generally considered a solid veteran player. With an average of 12.3 points and 3.8 rebounds, however, Barnes is not the player he used to be. Regardless, the forward could be a contributor for the Pelicans next season, adding value off the bench or in a starting role.
The Pelicans will view Barnes’ contract positively, all the same. As an expiring contract, the 33-year-old forward could simply be viewed as a means of shedding salary next summer.
Meanwhile, the addition of Devin Vassell could be viewed with more positive connotations. Vassell is a young guard with huge upside as a scorer. Although he has seen a gradual decrease in output, primarily owing to a reduction in minutes, the 24-year-old could still develop into a key player.
The Pelicans currently feature a stacked backcourt rotation featuring Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum. Given that their production has been subpar due to their unavailability, Vassell could have an opportunity to leave an impression and establish himself as a starter on this team.
The biggest asset coming New Orleans’ way in this deal is the draft capital from San Antonio. With two first-rounders and a second-rounder, all in consecutive years, the Pelicans will have enough trading chips in their war chest to leverage in future deals.
The Spurs Create A Powerful Starting Lineup
This trade sees the Spurs take a revitalized approach to the new season. Considering that they won’t be giving up any of their picks from this year’s draft either, San Antonio will potentially look at adding Dylan Harper to their ranks. This allows them to create an extremely potent starting rotation.
PG – De’Aaron Fox
SG – Dylan Harper
SF – Trey Murphy III
PF – Herb Jones
C – Victor Wembanyama
The notion of Harper entering the starting lineup is purely conjecture, but given the kind of talent he is projected to be, this wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.
Meanwhile, the Spurs would continue to have reliable pieces coming off the bench, with Castle, Jeremy Sochan, and Keldon Johnson becoming the immediate replacements for the starters.
This deal has massive benefits for San Antonio. The acquisition of Durant would potentially see the Spurs give up on a lot of key pieces, including Harper, in the draft. Due to Durant’s age, the team would be pressured to compete for a title right away, which, in light of his free agency status next summer, would be considered meaningless.
With this trade, the team is given time to grow and develop with each other. Building chemistry, which will undoubtedly become a key factor in helping them become a competitive team for years to come.
