From the outside looking in, the San Antonio Spurs look to be in pretty good shape. A 16-12 record, 8 games back from the Jazz who have the best record in the NBA, promising young guards in Dejounte Murray and Derrick White, Gregg Poppovich running the show, Demar DeRozan, Lamarcus Aldridge.
However, as we approach the trade deadline, maybe not those last two names for long.
ESPN’s The Jump, reporter Marc Spears says NBA General Managers, executives and scouts are saying the San Antonio is among other teams in Southwest Division who will be active around the trade deadline. Spears says the Spurs are shopping LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan.
“Another name is San Antonio, is kind of surprising” Spears said. “LaMarcus Aldridge’s name has been bandied about. Also, a little bit I’m hearing is DeMar DeRozan.”
The talk does make sense when you realize both players are in their final season of their contracts with Spurs, although DeRozan does have a player option to utilize if he chooses. They’ll both be unrestricted free agents come the end of the season.
DeRozan has been leading the way for the Spurs this year, averaging almost 20 ppg, 5 rebounds and 6.9 assists. His assist total this season is good for 13th best in the NBA.
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Aldridge on the other hand is averaging 26.6 minutes in the 19 games he’s played in this year battling a sore right hip. He’s still managing 13.9 PPG and 4.5 rebounds. The question becomes, when these two hit the market, who will be interested?
Back in an October episode of “The Lowe Post” with personalities Zach Lowe and guest Bill Simmons, the two mentioned possible trades this offseason.
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Lowe mentioned he believes DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge “are not high on teams looking to trade.” He goes on to believe Derrick White could be on team’s radars.
“I know a lot of teams are going to call the Spurs about Derrick White, for instance, because there’s this sense that, there’s limited interest, in think, in DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge,” Lowe said.
“There’s this sense that the Spurs have all these young guards and wings that they’re going to eventually trade one of them.”
As it stands today, there are plenty of teams who could get use out of both DeRozan and Aldridge, it will have to take the right deal.
