I’ll end with one trade proposal from a potential seller that hasn’t been discussed much leading into trade season: the Spurs, who are 13-13 and straddling the line between pushing for a play-in spot in Victor Wembanyama’s second season and biding their time because they’re not quite ready yet. Might the Spurs trade Harrison Barnes to Dallas for a pick or two?
The Mavericks are legitimate le contenders, but they could use another big wing behind P.J. Washington, whom they acquired at last year’s deadline. Maxi Kleber has clearly lost a few steps and is averaging a meager 1.7 points per game, and Kleber plus third-string center Dwight Powell plus injured guard Dante Exum add up to a nearly perfect match for Barnes’s salary. Barnes doesn’t need the ball much—his usage rate is at a career low in San Antonio—but he can still be effective when called upon, with a 43 percent 3-point stroke this season and a recent Player of the Week award on his mantel. And Barnes-to-Dallas would be a pleasant homecoming for the former Maverick after
his awkward departure via an in-season trade six seasons ago.