After missing the playoffs for the first time since the 1996-97 NBA season, the San Antonio Spurs have some major decisions to make as an organization. Right now, they are 11-10 and right in the thick of things in the Western Conference, but DeMar DeRozan, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Gay and Patty Mills are all on expiring contracts. 

All four of these guys are 31+ years old and the big decision the Spurs have to make is if they are going to keep all of them in attempts to make a playoff push this season or if they are going to look to trade some of their veteran players for future assets. 

If San Antonio was to keep their roster how it is, there is a scenario where they could make the playoffs as a 7-seed or 8-seed, but they do not look like a team that can give the Lakers, Clippers or Jazz a run for their money. As a result, we could see one of the four veterans named above moved before the trade deadline, but the Spurs have kept all of their plans internal and have not said a word about what they have been planning. 

One possibility for the Spurs is that they could package one of their veteran talents in a trade to pursue a big name trade target now, in attempts to make a deep playoff push. With the emergence of young talents like Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson and Lonnie Walker IV, the Spurs definitely have the depth to be a challenging team come late in the season, but they are still missing that one “spark” in their rotation. 

With them being $22.4M over the salary cap, the Spurs would likely have to trade away one of their bigger contracts in order to bring in a high-level player at the trade deadline, but if there is one thing we know about this Spurs organization, it is that they always find a way to be in the championship conversation. 

Now, let’s take a look at three intriguing trade targets for the San Antonio Spurs as the trade deadline quickly approaches.