2 weeks Ago
The San Antonio Spurs had a productive offseason this summer, despite flying under the radar. They traded for Harrison Barnes, signed Chris Paul, and drafted Stephon Castle with the hopes of spacing the floor and getting the ball in the hands of Victor Wembanyama. Even after the Spurs made those moves, they were still included in pretty much every offseason rumor.
The Spurs have the draft capital, matching salary, and room on the roster to trade for a star player and immediately make them contenders, provided Wembanyama takes the expected leap this season. While it looks like the Spurs are content with seeing what they have on their hands this year, strengths and weaknesses will likely arise, and the Spurs could be players on the trade market should teams make players available. Here are three trade targets the Spurs should consider this season.
1. Andrew Nembhard - G, Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers signed Andrew Nembhard to a three-year, $59 million extension this summer, but there is little faith that he will finish that contract in Indianapolis. The Pacers will have their back against the wall when the time comes to extend Jarace Walker and Bennedict Mathurin, and Nembhard might be the odd man out.
He has already been connected to the Spurs . © Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Nembhard is only 24 years old and is coming off his second NBA season where he averaged 9.2 points, 4.
1 assists, and shot 35.7 percent from three. In the postseason, he upped his averages to 14.
7 points, 5.5 assists, and shot a blistering 48.3 percent from behind the arc.
With TJ McConnell and Tyrese Haliburton also in the Pacers' backcourt, Indiana might consider moving Nembhard for a cheaper player down the road, and if the Spurs decide that Chris Paul is not a long-term answer in the starting lineup, pairing Nembhard with Devin Vassell and Castle would make sense, provided he continues to improve his shot. 2. Anfernee Simons - G, Portland Trail Blazers Anfernee Simons has long been included in NBA trade rumors, and the Spurs seem like a natural fit.
Simons is a veteran at this point and just finished up his fifth season in the league. © Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images Over the last two seasons, Simons has been a bright spot on bad Portland teams, averaging 21.7 points, 4.
7 assists, three rebounds, and 0.6 steals. He shot a solid 38.
5 percent from deep last season, although has passed the 40 percent mark twice in his career. As Portland appears to be heading towards a youth movement centered around Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Donovan Clingan, Simons might be the odd man out, and the Spurs could use another guard who can play both on and off the ball to compliment Vassell and Castle. On top of that, his oversized 6-9 wingspan makes him a solid disruptor in passing lanes, so teams will have trouble even getting open looks against the Spurs.
If the decide to instead try and attack the rim, Wembanyama will be there waiting for them. As the Spurs build a defensive-minded team, Simons would provide a much-needed scoring burst and space the floor around the generational French center. 3.
Jaden Ivey - G, Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons were putrid last season and will likely see only minimal improvement this year. Headlined by Cade Cunningham, the Pistons are hoping that Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland can improve their outside shooting, spacing the floor for Jalen Duren to work down low. Detroit had a busy offseason, trading for Tim Hardaway Jr.
and signing Tobias Harris under new president Trajan Langdon. The Pistons are undoubtedly eager to see what Cuningham brings to the table once he's finally surrounded by shooters, and Jaden Ivey could be the odd man out. © Scott Wachter-Imagn Images Picked fifth overall by the Pistons in 2022, Ivey was mismanaged by head coach Monty Williams last season, who frequently played Killian Hayes more than their recent lottery pick.
Hayes is now out of the NBA, and there is hope that Ivey will be able to blossom in a new system. Last season, he averaged 15.4 points, 3.
8 assists, and shot 33.6 percent from three, although in games where he played 30-39 minutes, his numbers improved to 20.3 points, 4.
3 assists, and a 37.2 percent mark from deep. It's reasonable to assume that Ivey is poised to take another leap this season, but his ball-dominant play and limited range means he won't fit well next to Cunningham.
The Pistons are rumored to be interested in trading him away. In San Antonio, Ivey would be a driver and slasher who would play best when Wembanyama or Zach Collins are acting as shooters. With an open lane to the hoop, Ivey can take his man one-on-one and get to the basket before using his athleticism to get a shot off or dumping the ball off to a dunker.
Related: Spurs' Guard Blake Wesley Needs to Combine Previous Seasons Ivey would likely be a bench player for the Spurs, but any system is better than the one Williams instituted in Detroit before he was fired this summer. Assuming Castle takes over as the starting point guard, Ivey might be an athletic upgrade over Tre Jones off the bench..
