Does this trade make sense for the San Antonio Spurs?
As things stand right now, what DeMar DeRozan is going to do in free agency is very 50-50, but if I had to take a guess, I would say that he is not going to play for the Spurs again. DeRozan would be much better off going elsewhere in free agency, which is why a sign-and-trade could be something the Spurs look into.
They cannot afford to let DeRozan walk without getting any value in return, which is why this situation is very similar to that of Gordon Hayward’s last season with the Celtics. Boston signed Hayward to the deal he wanted and then sent him to Charlotte, giving the Celtics a few future draft picks, as well as a massive trade exception.
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Creating a big trade exception could definitely be valuable for the Spurs, especially since they are not that bad of a team to begin with. They have a bunch of young players on the rise and with the potential to add a $20M+ guy midseason next year with this potential trade exception, San Antonio could make their way back to the playoffs.
The Spurs could definitely use a sharpshooter like Luke Kennard and with Ivica Zubac growing into a really reliable center, the Spurs could have a unique “one-two” punch at the center position with Zubac and Jakob Poeltl.
If DeRozan wants to leave San Antonio and go to the Clippers, then the Spurs might as well execute this sign-and-trade with them so they can salvage some value from the veteran All-Star departing their team after three years.
