The San Antonio Spurs were recently suggested as a trade destination for Indiana Pacers center Goga Bitadze. The deal would involve San Antonio moving the 20th pick in the NBA Draft. They would receive Bitadze and a Pacers’ second-rounder (via Houston).
Overall, the second-round pick is the 31st, so the deal would only have San Antonio move back 11 slots as they add Bitadze. This year, San Antonio also has a lottery pick, so they will still have an early selection in the draft.
The Spurs’ current starting center, Jakob Poeltl, has just one year remaining on his contract. With a strong performance this season, Poeltl could command more than the Spurs would like to pay in free agency the following season. Goga Bitadze would be a solid pick-up for San Antonio.
Bitadze could slide in as San Antonio’s back-up big this season. The center could be preparing to step into a more significant role soon after that. The San Antonio Spurs’ current backup center is Zach Collins, recently acquired from Portland. Collins is on an unguaranteed deal and could provide additional value to San Antonio as a trade piece.
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In a career-high 14.6 minutes played this season, Goga Bitadze put up career numbers. The center scored 7.0 points per game and pulled in 3.5 rebounds. Bitadze also showed a willingness to shoot from deep, with 1.6 attempts per game. Bitadze only hit 28% of his threes but could develop into a floor-stretching big should that improve.
Moving on from Bitadze makes sense for Indiana, as they’ve recently expressed long-term interest in keeping center Myles Turner. If the Indiana Pacers could move up in the draft in a move, they would gladly add more young talent around the young centerpiece, Tyrese Haliburton.
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The NBA Draft is set for June 23rd, so teams have plenty of time to formulate moves. Look for trade rumors to escalate as the date draws nearer.
