The San Antonio Spurs were expected to be active ahead of the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline and they have been just that. They completed their first deal of the day this afternoon with the Toronto Raptors.
The Spurs agreed to send Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks, and a 2022 second-round pick via the Detroit Pistons to the Raptors in exchange for Goran Dragic and a protected first-round pick in 2022. The first-round pick is top-14 protected this year and top-13 protected in 2023. If it does not convey by that time, it will turn into two second-round picks.
Thaddeus Young is someone that the Spurs have reportedly been looking to trade all season and he finally gets a new home in Toronto. He should feature prominently in their frontcourt rotation after being out of the mix virtually all season with the Spurs.
Toronto could also find minutes for Eubanks. They were interested in adding a center to the mix ahead of the deadline, as Spurs’ starter Jakob Poeltl, whom the Raptors selected in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft, was another rumored trade target. Also, Thaddeus Young did play small-ball five at times in his previous stints.
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Ultimately, the Spurs got what they were seeking. As a rebuilding team, they were coveting draft capital and they got a solid asset from the Raptors. Toronto, as things currently stand, would convey that selection this year as they would not be in the lottery as a playoff team.
To land a first-round pick without parting ways with any of their core players is a solid deal for the Spurs. They are taking on Dragic’s contract, but he likely won’t even make it to San Antonio.
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The San Antonio Spurs are expected to start buyout discussions with Dragic almost immediately. Goran Dragic has been away from the Toronto Raptors for personal reasons for months as he was awaiting a trade. He finally got one and will likely get to pick his next destination, which is what he has wanted since the Miami Heat traded him to the Raptors as part of the sign-and-trade deal that landed Kyle Lowry in South Beach.
Dragic will be a popular player on the buyout market as contending teams will be lining up for him. As Wojnarowski shared, the Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, and LA Clippers will all have interest should he hit the open market.
