Next trade Spurs must make after De'Aaron Fox blockbuster

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The San Antonio Spurs’ eye may be fixed towards a more fruitful future of title contention, but they are not neglecting the here and now. This past weekend, the Spurs decided to start pushing their chips to the middle of the table, pulling off a trade for De’Aaron Fox to give Victor Wembanyama an All-Star-caliber running mate for the first time in his career.

Fox should elevate the Spurs and give them a chance to make it to the playoffs as soon as this year; he provides tough shot-making and creating as well as a lethal weapon for the team in the clutch. He also allows the Spurs to play a breakneck pace, the yin to the yang that is Chris Paul’s deliberate pace — making the most out of the team’s athleticism.

One would think that there isn’t another major move for the Spurs to make. But they still have plenty of assets at their disposal, and they were able to acquire Fox without having to relinquish one of their prized young players in Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, and Jeremy Sochan.

If they were so inclined, the Spurs could talk themselves into a trade for another All-Star-caliber player to truly expedite their contending timeline. It’s not quite clear if that would be the wisest decision for them to make, but the option is there for them if they want to take it.

Here’s a bonkers trade idea that could take the Spurs to another level of contention.

Gregg Popovich gets his wish, Spurs trade for Kevin Durant

Spurs receive: Kevin Durant

Spurs trade: Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Malaki Branham, 2025 ATL first-round pick, 2031 SAS first-round pick

Kevin Durant is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. He has elevated every team he’s been on, although the Phoenix Suns have been struggling as of late — forcing their hand when it comes to making a decision on which roster-building direction to take. According to reports, Durant is being heavily pursued by the Golden State Warriors, lending credence to the notion that the Suns star is truly available for trade.

But what if it’s the Spurs that swoop in and trade for Durant?

Durant would be such an incredible fit on the Spurs; the trio of him, Victor Wembanyama, and De’Aaron Fox would be one of the scariest in the league, and given enough time to jell, they could very well become the team to beat. Sure, Durant might be 36 years of age. But he’s still Kevin Durant — a first ballot Hall of Famer who shows up night-in, night-out and gets buckets.

He would make the life of Wembanyama and Fox that much easier due to the attention he commands on the offensive end of the court. And it’s not like he’s a bad defender by any stretch of the imagination. His athleticism may be waning already, but his timing and smarts on that end of the floor allows him to impact the game defensively.

Durant would be such a huge upgrade over Harrison Barnes, and it wouldn’t be the first time that he would help elevate an already-scary team into an elite one by displacing Barnes. And just to top it all off, he has long been coveted by Spurs head coach/president of basketball operations Gregg Popovich. Popovich has been singing Durant’s praises for so long that it would be a dream come true if the 36-year-old forward were to play for the Spurs.

It’s now a matter of gauging which players and picks the Suns will be getting from the Spurs. One would think that any trade talks between the two would have to start with Devin Vassell going to the Valley. Vassell is a 3-and-D shot creator whom the Spurs would prefer to keep, but teams cannot receive talents like Durant without giving up a talented piece like him.

One can argue that the package above is too light of a return for someone like Durant. Perhaps it is. But as a starting off point for any trade, that should do it for now.

San Antonio might be better off playing the long game

If the Spurs were, say, at the position the Houston Rockets are in at the moment, then it would make more sense for them to go all-in on Kevin Durant. But with a record of 21-26, good for 12th in the loaded West, they might better off keeping their cards close to their chest and letting things play out with their young core.

Given the unpredictability in the NBA (who could have foreseen Luka Doncic being traded?), there could be some unforeseen developments that lead to the availability of another young star (Anthony Edwards? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Jayson Tatum?). When that door opens, that’s when the Spurs must strike.

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