Fischer: Spurs Repeatedly Mentioned By NBA Figures As Potential Home For Young

[exstatic]

Assuming they want him, I'm not sure spurs would help ATL trade him to another team.

Yeah, i don’t see that ever happening, unless it’s Dallas and Luka headed this way.

[Chinook]

Assuming they want him, I'm not sure spurs would help ATL trade him to another team.

1) I wouldn't assume the Spurs want him. My post isn't saying they don't, but it's not required that they are

2) Even if the Spurs want Young, they might not be able to get him by torpedoing another trade. In the scenario where they don't get Young anyway, I would hope SA still tries to get good value for the assets they have.

3) A Young deal might be part of a larger deal that helps the Spurs get a major piece, similar to how the Lillard trade got Boston Holliday.

[spurraider21]

Besides Jimmy, I don't know if a legit fit is out there. DeRozan back in 2018 had the talent to help Wemby and Vassell, but he's slowed down and is basically a post-up guy now who lacks the size of older Rudy Gay. Klay's resume looks good, and he's probably obtainable, but he's definitely on the downside and never really exuded the same aura of excellence as Steph does. If the Spurs had cap space (yes, objective, it's okay to bring up Collins' contract if you want), signing Thompson outright for a two-year deal might be the best they could do. But then you have to deal with the fact that Thompson basically plays the exact same position as Vassell.

As weird as it may sound, maybe Jerami Grant? Dude's never been a full-star, but he has been in a lot of situations and has experience cutting his teeth to go from second-round afterthought to key role-player, to lesser star. He's due big money and probably isn't worth it to anyone. But he does round out the roster pretty well (can slide in as a 2B next to Devin and bolster the forward rotation with Sochan) and is cheaper than a lot of other stars. He also doesn't turn 30 until next month, so there's meat left on that bone. It would be a gamble, but depending on who would go out as part of the trade, it might not be that risky. He probably gives off Hawks/Nuggets-Millsap vibes more than anyone else in the league right now.

man, its gotta be a hard no on Klay. preliminarily, i dont think he is in the same class of player as Butler/George, or even 2018 Derozan. dont get me wrong, he's a monster shooter and movement player who used to be a solid defender, but he totally fed off the GSW machine and was always kind of just the thorn who would bury shots when you absolutely had to close out on curry, collapse onto a driving dray, or send a double to durant. he had those games where he took over and scored 60+, but even those were largely catch and shoot/movement plays.

that, and among the names mentioned, he's by FAR the least effective right now. he looks pretty cooked. and i cant blame him. he just turned 34 and has had some catastrophic injuries.

grant is a nice idea

[scott]

I think the lack of MVPs probably make Young more persuadable than Harden. That's good. I just think it might make more sense to get a Young-level player once Wemby seems closer to ready for it rather than paying now in the hope that player is still on the roster when Wemby's time comes. Even if it's costs more, the Spurs will have had a chance to actually see what the 2024 and potentially 2025 picks become before jumping into it.

I think this is a really interesting perspective but adds an element of human error in trying to time Wemby's "arrival" just right. I think there is a fair argument to be made that given his trajectory this year, that his arrival as a legit superstar in this league may come well before (perhaps by 5-7 years) him achieving his peak form. But even a Wemby still on the ascent (not yet at his peak) is still good enough to contend if surrounded by the right pieces. This could potentially happen as early as next year or the following. Wemby is so unique that we can't confuse the fact that he is still improving with the notion that he is not quite ready. Wemby's final form may be something the likes of which we have never seen, and while that will be quite special to behold, we don't have to wait for that... but we do need to leave space for that to develop.

[Kevin]

I'm hoping Brian Wright isn't as stupid when it comes to Trae Young as some of the people on this thread are.

Assists Leader
One man offense
Superstar at a position of weakness on our team
Perfect secondary star for Wemby

It literally doesn't get better. Players of this caliber are almost never available. We have Atlantas picks, we have the leverage. Lets ing use it instead of getting 2 more Jeremy Sochans in the draft

This is exactly how I feel. People are overvaluing those picks by a country mile.

[JPB]

I'm not worried about Young opting out at all given his extension eligibility this off-season. Teams would be able to get a commitment from Young as part of a trade. Young being a transitional piece would depend on compensation, and if the explicit goal isn't to win a le with him, then you can sort of 80/20 him and look for a cheaper alternative. The point in paying a premium is to get a marginal boost, and a team in transition doesn't require that marginal boost to continue on their journey. I also think a Young closer to 30 and who would theoretically not have seen a ton of post-season success despite playing years with one of the better NBA players (projecting Wemby in a few seasons) may not have the same shine on him as he does now when folks are thinking of him as a long-term fixture.

I'm not saying I'd hate a Young trade. I'm just saying it would have to be part of a much more disruptive off-season for it to really make sense to me, and the Spurs likely wouldn't be left with much in the way of future flexibility in that scenario.

yeah, and that's not a small issue. If you sign Trae, you basically have to start building the contending roster right away... Riding this roster + Wemby&Trae for a couple years doesn't really make sense.

Meaning you have to get rid of all the "garbage" this summer or let's say until the next deadline (all the Champagnies, Barlowes, Cedis of the world) and bring on quality vet role players. Even guys like Bassey or Branham may have to go...

But why not, after all? Victor is ready and you have the assets... A big 3 of Vic-Trae-Devin + a couple vets specialists + whoever of Sochan, Keldon, Tre, Branham, Wesley is still there + a Risacher or Sarr and it becomes interesting.

[exstatic]

This is exactly how I feel. People are overvaluing those picks by a country mile.

This is the best version of Atlanta with Trae. The are in the 9th slot now, but have 20% odds of top4. I’ll roll those dice 3 times. If they finish worse than 9th, which I consider likely considering their 4 year slide, those top 4 odds only go up.

[Chinook]

I think this is a really interesting perspective but adds an element of human error in trying to time Wemby's "arrival" just right. I think there is a fair argument to be made that given his trajectory this year, that his arrival as a legit superstar in this league may come well before (perhaps by 5-7 years) him achieving his peak form. But even a Wemby still on the ascent (not yet at his peak) is still good enough to contend if surrounded by the right pieces. This could potentially happen as early as next year or the following. Wemby is so unique that we can't confuse the fact that he is still improving with the notion that he is not quite ready. Wemby's final form may be something the likes of which we have never seen, and while that will be quite special to behold, we don't have to wait for that... but we do need to leave space for that to develop.

If Wemby is ready to lead a le team, you have wiggle room with timing. The Spurs have the assets to overpay if they need to when the time is right. That's the advantage of their position.

Like for example let's say Wemby shows he's there at some point during next season. Either Young is still available because ATL hasn't traded him or ATL has traded him, and that 2025 Hawks pick looks juicy AF. Either way, the Spurs are in a position to act at the deadline or during that draft. That's even more true if the guys they draft in June have had a chance to show themselves to be good prospects who can either fill in for guys who are traded as part of this big move or who add value the Spurs can use to make the trade or trades happen.

As I've said, so long as they are going into this process thinking Wemby is going to be their best player when they start contending, they should prepare in order to be responsive for that time. They shouldn't make moves to accelerate their timeline past his if that results in lesser deals like the Holiday (from Philly) and McCollum trades the Pelicans tried to put around their young picks within a year or so of acquiring them.

[Chinook]

yeah, and that's not a small issue. If you sign Trae, you basically have to start building the contending roster right away... Riding this roster + Wemby&Trae for a couple years doesn't really make sense.

Meaning you have to get rid of all the "garbage" this summer or let's say until the next deadline (all the Champagnies, Barlowes, Cedis of the world) and bring on quality vet role players. Even guys like Bassey or Branham may have to go...

But why not, after all? Victor is ready and you have the assets... A big 3 of Vic-Trae-Devin + a couple vets specialists + whoever of Sochan, Keldon, Tre, Branham, Wesley is still there + a Risacher or Sarr and it becomes interesting.

Victor's not ready. He's not even that close. That's what Pop was trying to convey when talking about Jordan and Jokic. I don't look at that big three as a contender.

[CorrectCrusader]

Something to note is that Trae young has been a spurs fan all his life. He would not only be willing, but also would LIKE to be a spur. That's pretty important in todays NBA with player empowerment

[Kevin]

This is the best version of Atlanta with Trae. The are in the 9th slot now, but have 20% odds of top4. I’ll roll those dice 3 times. If they finish worse than 9th, which I consider likely considering their 4 year slide, those top 4 odds only go up.

Or you can cash them in for a sure star at a position of need that fits Wemby perfectly on offense. I’ll take the sure thing because even if you get a top four pick it doesn’t mean he’ll be a star. You could draft the next James Wiseman as easily as the next Paulo Banchero.

[scott]

Let's play it out for a moment and assume that in order to land Trae, we give up everything we got in the DJM trade + the TOR pick and Keldon and Collins, and then look at who might be reasonable acquisitions in the offseason. (If you don't like this package, you can make your own and run this same exercise)

• I'm going to assume we pick #4-6 and take Matas Buzelis for this exercise.
• I'm going to try and sign Gordon Hayward or Royce O'Neal to be my starting SF to begin the season until Matas is ready to take over that role. I'd like to take a hard look at Tobias Harris here but I'm going to assume he is going to cost too much
• I still need a backup SG. Is there an upperclassman I can grab at the top of the second who could reasonably contribute? I'm going to assume Malik Monk is going to cost too much. Could Grayson Allen be a fit? Many here aren't going to like it... but I wouldn't mind bringing Lonnie back in this role. This would just be a short-term stop gap until you can upgrade in a future offseason. This would be a scenario where if I can keep the TOR pick in the Trae deal, I might look at Walter or Sheppard or Knecht as guys to fill this role.
• I also need a backup PF. I'm going to assume Cedi is coming back and will be filling some PF and SF reserve minutes, but I want a little more depth. Not a lot of FA options though, so I'm just going to slot Barlow in here.
• Backup C we are going to roll the dice with Bassey and Barlow and hope for the best.

Rotation:

PG: Trae / Tre / Wesley
SG: Devin / Lonnie / Branham
SF: Hayward / Matas / Cedi / Sidi
PF: Sochan / Cedi / Barlow
C: Wemby / Bassey / Barlow

Still in the warchest: All Spurs picks, CHI '25, CHA '25 (lol), BOS '28 swap, DAL '30 swap

[scott]

If Wemby is ready to lead a le team, you have wiggle room with timing. The Spurs have the assets to overpay if they need to when the time is right. That's the advantage of their position.

Like for example let's say Wemby shows he's there at some point during next season. Either Young is still available because ATL hasn't traded him or ATL has traded him, and that 2025 Hawks pick looks juicy AF. Either way, the Spurs are in a position to act at the deadline or during that draft. That's even more true if the guys they draft in June have had a chance to show themselves to be good prospects who can either fill in for guys who are traded as part of this big move or who add value the Spurs can use to make the trade or trades happen.

As I've said, so long as they are going into thinking Wemby is going to be their best player when they start contending, they to be responsive for that time. They shouldn't make accelerate their timeline past his if that results in lesser deals like the Holiday (from Philly) and McCollum trades the Pelicans tried to put around their young picks within a year or so of acquiring them.

My only point of contention here is overestimating those ATL picks. If the Hawks move Tre (or DJM for that matter), I don't it will be to tank (as other posters outlined), but rather to reshuffle the deck. Atlanta actually has some interesting pieces, so I wouldn't totally discount the idea of addition by subtraction for them.

[JeffDuncan]

If you’ll only accept the “perfect” you’ll never have the “good” - and you’re never going to get the “perfect” either. You’ll find yourself entirely out of luck.

If the Spurs can get Trae Young they need to do it.

Wemby has stats of 20/10 and he’s leading the league in blocks. He’s ready now.

[TD 21]

Who cares whether Wembanyama is ready to front a contender. Young is 25. This wouldn't have to coalesce overnight nor would it. At least with it, they'd have the capacity to grow into it eventually though.

Whenever the former is ready, there might not be a star that's both a fit and theirs for the taking.

This almost can't fail because even if the results underwhelm, they can begin to show him that they're trying to win and not just taking him for granted, presuming he'll have a long term window or that it'll be with them.

[exstatic]

Or you can cash them in for a sure star at a position of need that fits Wemby perfectly on offense. I’ll take the sure thing because even if you get a top four pick it doesn’t mean he’ll be a star. You could draft the next James Wiseman as easily as the next Paulo Banchero.

He’s a flawed star who needs the ball in his hands ALL OF THE TIME. He is awful off the ball. What that means is that when they are on the floor together, the ball will NOT be in Wemby’s hands. That’s a bad thing. Look, I get it. We’ve had awful PG play for a big chunk of the year. What you should not do is knee jerk react, and get a high volume low efficiency guy like Young. Just putting Tre Jones in there vastly improved things. You don’t need to cash in all of your chips, just get a game manager who can shoot some and defend. The archetype would be a Jrue/Conley/Brogdon type. That’s all you need. In reality in today’s NBA, unless you’re Golden State, you’re not winning with a #1 player who’s a small shooter. Big wings are where championships are won. Look to that type for your star.

[Dejounte]

My caps voodoo didn’t work when I wanted Murray. Maybe the key is to want the opposite of what I want to happen. From now until we DON’t get Trae, i’m going to be posting the opposite of everything I want. I don’t want Trae.

[Kevin]

He’s a flawed star who needs the ball in his hands ALL OF THE TIME. He is awful off the ball. What that means is that when they are on the floor together, the ball will NOT be in Wemby’s hands. That’s a bad thing. Look, I get it. We’ve had awful PG play for a big chunk of the year. What you should not do is knee jerk react, and get a high volume low efficiency guy like Young. Just putting Tre Jones in there vastly improved things. You don’t need to cash in all of your chips, just get a game manager who can shoot some and defend. The archetype would be a Jrue/Conley/Brogdon type. That’s all you need. In reality in today’s NBA, unless you’re Golden State, you’re not winning with a #1 player who’s a small shooter. Big wings are where championships are won. Look to that type for your star.

Young averages 10 assists a game for the past four seasons. He’s a great player on offense who plays a ball heavy position at PG.

By your logic Tony Parker would have been a horrible fit next to TD because Tony was ball heavy and couldn’t shoot the 3 ball to save his soul and he was undersized like Young.

[mo7888]

the issue could be ATL underperforming while being short on cap space + not controlling their own picks, not necessarily Trae wanting out

If they're underperforming with him then that's an issue in and of itself. That said, the trade Trae stuff isnt being done without Trae's camp being involved

[JeffDuncan]

Young averages 10 assists a game for the past four seasons. He’s a great player on offense who plays a ball heavy position at PG.

By your logic Tony Parker would have been a horrible fit next to TD because Tony was ball heavy and couldn’t shoot the 3 ball to save his soul and he was undersized like Young.

Yep, Trae Young leads the league in total assists. Anybody who’s worried about Wemby getting the ball just hasn’t heard the news.

[JPB]

Victor's not ready. He's not even that close. That's what Pop was trying to convey when talking about Jordan and Jokic. I don't look at that big three as a contender.

Not in year 1 obviously. Now in 2 or 3 years, things get interesting... Things have changed in the NBA, and the landscape is constantly moving. Who would have thought OKC and MInny would be atop the WC this year, while the Lakers or GS are fighting for a play in spot, wiht Dallas and PHO in the middle? A couple of good trades and you're suddnely relevant

Give it a couple of years to improve as the team gains experience in the POs and you can contend in 3 years. How long if you keep teaching fundamentals to the kids for another 2 years?

PG: Trae/Tre/Wesley or (draft pick)
SG: Devin/Keldon (if he hasn't been traded for Trae) or Branham/ or vet
SF: quality 3 & D vet/Risacher or other rookie
PF/C: Wemby/quality stretch vet/Sarr or other rookie

I guess Sochan is the odd man out, and spurs shop him in that scenario. He can't really shoot and I doesn't think he fits well with Wemby who needs another stretch, rim protecting big next to hims o he can play 4 or 5...

Wemby is already ready on defense by the way, as the best block shoter in the league and in the discussion for DPOY... Besides, in his past 13 games, Victor is shooting 39.3% on 3 on 4.7 attempts per game... And that's in a messy team with nobody really setting him right. Imagine with Trea and proven vets around, and playing 32-35 minute a game. Vic could be a 30 &10 player by next year, still as one of the best defenser in the league... Basically a top 10 player in his second year.

Edit: I corrected, I meant 39.3% on 3 ofc, at 4.7 attempts/game.

Edit 2: Sorry, guys I know my posts are full of typos recently but I'm still kind of fuzzy from surgery last month Feels like these MoFos gave me the elephant dose for the anesthesia.

[thiste]

this idea sounds good, and iirc you floated a jimmy butler or paul george type guy as a hypothetical manifestation of this. i guess my question is, what players of this sort are reasonably available? derozan?

You can get LeBron by picking Bronny

[spurraider21]

You can get LeBron by picking Bronny

lebron would undoubtedly be awesome, but i dont see it happening at all

[CorrectCrusader]

Lebron will be 40 next year and Trae will be 26. Lol

[thiste]

Lebron will be 40 next year and Trae will be 26. Lol

Spursraider was responding to Chinook saying we should get a legit vet to chaperone the team, not a younger star like Trae. There are no more legit vet than the legitest vetest of them all LeBron