Trae Young could be an ideal fit for the Spurs. However, San Antonio has thus far shown little interest in acquiring the Hawks point guard, sources tell Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. Fischer’s story echoes a couple other reports from the past month that have downplayed the idea of Young ending up in San Antonio.
The Hawks, who unexpectedly landed the top overall pick via the draft lottery, are widely expected to consider trade scenarios that would break up their backcourt of Young and Dejounte Murray. Atlanta scoured the league to gauge interest in all of its players prior to February’s trade deadline with the exception of forward Jalen Johnson, Fischer notes.
San Antonio has no clear long-term floor leader and it’s expected the Spurs will explore their options to find a pick-and-roll partner for Victor Wembanyama. Yet multiple league figures tell Fischer that San Antonio’s interest in trading for Young has been vastly overstated.
The two teams could be doing some business together this summer, whether or not it involves Young. San Antonio holds the No. 4 and No. 8 picks, making it a natural trade partner if the Hawks choose to move down. The franchises, of course, completed the Murray blockbuster two summers ago and Atlanta’s front office duo of general manager Landry Fields and assistant GM Onsi Saleh began their careers in the Spurs’ front office.
As for Young, the Lakers hold some interest in him and now have three first-rounders available to trade. Los Angeles will have to consider other options before committing any type of capital for Young, Fischer adds, though Donovan Mitchell might be off the table if he signs an extension.
The Lakers are still pondering their coaching options and they might wait until next month to make that hire, Fischer confirms in a separate story. That’s primarily due to their interest in J.J. Redick. His current obligation to ESPN/ABC for the network’s postseason schedule and NBA Finals has various insiders under the impression Los Angeles’ search may stretch into June, as Marc Stein previously reported.
The Lakers have numerous candidates on their list, but James Borrego has been widely categorized as the experienced, veteran foil to Redick’s candidacy, Fischer writes. The former Hornets head man and current Pelicans assistant has maintained close ties with Anthony Davis since Davis was a rookie and Borrego was an assistant for the then-Hornets.
In other coaching news, Mike Brown’s contract extension talks with the Kings are expected to center around an eight-figure threshold and a Tom Thibodeau extension with the Knicks is also expected to reach those figures, Fischer notes.
Hawks asking price will be scary high
Spurs have nothing Hawks want
Lakers have trade offer ready to send
“Spurs have nothing Hawks want”
How about their own picks back?
Yeah Sillivan outdid himself with that one
Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson are both much more valuable than getting our picks back
No they are not.
How about the Hawks have nothing the Spurs want? With a 19 year old phenom to build around and a treasure trove of picks as assets, why would SAS leverage a natural team building opportunity for an older, shoot first PG who plays little to no defense?
No reason for SAS to give back picks that have way more value than Trae Young when they can sign a PG in free agency who better fits the team. It’s short sided and plain stupid for them to go after Young.
You keep saying that. Lakers have nothing but mediocrity ahead of them while James is still playing.
This comment almost makes sense…
Lakers are far more likely to make a call for Trae… As they are desperate to keep LeBron and AD happy…
Hence they will have a trade package closer to what Atlanta will accept…
Spurs will be wanting compensation for having to sit in the lottery until they move on from Trae…
What trade offer do the lakers have for trae? Bron hasn’t played D for years and Ant hates playing centre (his best position) because it’s to hard. Let’s add Trae whose a worse defender than Harden. What trade package will Atlanta be taking from the lakers?
Anything they can get to get rid of Trae?
Seriously though, a couple of picks and maybe some salary offset to make it work.
I think the Spurs and Pop would like someone who puts effort into defense.
Not sure where those reroutes are coming from regarding any interest in Young from the Spurs, but he’s certainly not a player they’d go after based on history. Zero defense alone would drive Pops insane. Murray would be logical, but that bridge has been burned down.
Rumors *
Spurs need to do something though because wemby is ready and you will waste alot of years on this team with no improvements
He’s actually not championship ready so Spurs will be patient
Where did this narrative come from? How many notable players won a title within their first 3 years? Settle down.
Wemby just got done with his rookie season and you’re talking about wasting his whole career? Ok bud.
Young did put in the effort on defense this season. The problem is he can put in all the effort he wants, teams are are going to target because of his size.
I’m sure the Spurs would be demanding this years #1 pick in the trade package or simply laughing if the call was ever made by Atlanta…
Ain’t no chance the Spurs are initiating the trade talks…
The Spurs are in a great position contractually to get really good very quickly. Why goof it up by signing Tre Young? Trae Young is overpaid and can’t play defense. The Spurs can do so much better. Better to do nothing than get stuck with a terrible massive contract. Better to keep the gun powder dry than make a bad signing or trade.
Atlanta is better off giving Murray the keys. Trae makes sense basically nowhere except SA. They desperately need a creator and he desperately needs a defender like Wemby behind him.
SA has 35(!) draft picks over the next 7 years. Send them junk (Collins and Branham) and their 25 and 27 picks back, but retain swap rights on those picks. I don’t see a better offer out there for ATL.
Trae makes sense nowhere but San Antonio? I guess if they don’t want him he’ll be headed to the G-League? Guys please do better.
Gonna keep a tally of how many times you say “please do better” between now and draft night. I think we’re at 3 that Ive seen since the lottery.
Landing 101 in the worst draft in years really got you excited.
Spurs wouldn’t trade for him, nor does he make sense for them. Better match for the Lakers if anyone.
Jazz, Wolves. The way Edwards was blitzed in the pick game Trae could definitely work in minni. You gonna help off him? Good luck with that.
Exactly.
Realistically the Spurs aren’t going do much better than Trae. There are better PGs out there but Doncìc, Shai, Curry, Brunson, Morant and Lillard are pretty much untouchable.
Sure they can wait and see if they can do better in an upcoming draft and I do think that’s their best option as long as Wembanyama buys in. He’s still got a lot to get better at and we gotta hope the injury gods are nice to him but if all goes well he’s got the talent and the hype behind him to fill the void that LeBron James will leave as far as worldwide popularity. How long will he and NBA be willing to wait to see him succeed?
The only reason for the Spurs to get Trae is to bank lottery tickets until they move on…
He can’t make the playoffs in the weak Eastern conference after years of a team adding defence to compliment his lack of defence, so is lottery bound in the west…
Except that year they made the conference finals and MSG became Traes backyard.
If anything the Spurs should sign Tyus Jones who is a super efficient pick and roll PG, actually plays defense and comes at only a cost of money while banking their 2025 and further picks.
The article by Mr. Fischer stating ‘it’s malpractice for SAS to not trade for Young’ is beyond stupid. The malpractice comes when you deal assets with the hope that a veteran player will somehow change everything about his game, like actually playing defense, with their new franchise. Ask the Suns how that worked out by trading for Bradley Beal. While it was good for them to get out from under the Chris Paul contract, that trade set their franchise back a decade.
Jones isn’t much on defense either, he does have a bigger body but he’s still too short. Before he got to a team that where there only other option was Jordan Poole he was a career backup for a reason. He’s got a pretty floater though.
Agree that Jones is a bigger body and that he has a quality float game. His pick and roll offense is some of the most efficient in the game, which is all Wemby needs next to him to mark marked improvement from the 2023 season. As average as Tyus may be on defense, the fact he plays any means he is much better on that end than Young is. He also comes at a fraction of the price tag which means he’s a much better option than Young and it’s not really comparable.
The reason he was a backup is because as a young player he played behind guys like Jeff Teague and Ja Morant. It’s not an indictment on his ability but the fact there were talented people in front of him.
Tyus would be a mega upgrade over Trae…
Far less issues to obtain, but he’s a pass first PG who doesn’t turn the ball over…
Which is what the Spurs need… Not an inefficient ball hog whose shown that even with great defenders alongside he’s still not enough to make a hole in the Eastern conference… Trae in the West is a guaranteed lottery pick…
For what it’s worth, Fischer says it would be “malpractice” not to consider the idea — not that it would be malpractice not to do it.
Semantics, obviously. But fair for my reading comprehension
For the Spurs to spend time answering the phone would be just absurd. Young isn’t a fit other than they need a legitimate NBA starting PG and he’s one in the league. Not a good one, just one.
I’m begging Trade Rumors to move on from this lame narrative. There is ZERO chance the Spurs want Trae at virtually any price.
Unfortunately trade rumours knows there’s enough people to give them the clicks on this subject…
From those who live in a fantasy world where Trae is a winner and those who live in reality and go “why would the Spurs do that if they wanted to win?”
If Wemby is the generational talent that he’s touted to be, and that he certainly looks to be, then, absent an injury, championships are almost a given. The “almost” is only in there to allow for the possibility that his organization will make idiotic moves to sabotage it. Trading for TY could be that type of move. Even if there is some high reward possible, the risk is too great considering it’s not needed – they can get trophies without taking that kind of risk.
They do need to stop tanking though, for Wemby and the league, not to mention their other players, and even the fans. Aggressive trades for higher end players, including a real starting NBA PG, are overdue. If Garland become available, then that’s a target worth pursuing.
Spurs did not tank this year. Pop got used to coaching Wemby and tried different things. He ended up being better than anyone knew. But they aren’t winning a championship next season. No reason to go all in immediately.
Maybe its definitional. I go strictly by actions, not intentions (which are unknowable). SAS FO did not spend last offseason making moves to improve the product on the court (aka their job), thus, they tanked.
I understand not going “all in” (at least as I would define that). But basic moves for a real PG and a PF that complements Wemby were doable, at various price points, where they could have put long term building blocks in place, or added a more temporary template of vets. None of that would have depleted their asset base. It would also have aided the development of their existing players, individually, and more importantly as a team. Being a .500 team this year was very doable.
I agree with your statement that they’re not winning a championship next year. But it begs the question of whether being a decent team this year would accelerate the day that they will. The impact of generational talent is almost always swift and certain (but there is no historical precedent for holding it back to improve your draft position the following year). Teams generally don’t win championships in their first year of being good, or even their 2nd very often, and, if built organically, are almost always contenders for a time prior to it. The notion that teams should not care about winning until they have a championship roster also has no historical precedents, other than perhaps some recent (unsuccessful) ones.
You are spot in the first paragraph but not the second.
They didn’t tank this year – but smartly took a very cautious approach w VW.
7 wins in last 11 games was Pop taking them out for a test drive prior to the off season. With Victor playing for France they will likely start next year w similar caution. So
fans should think about next year as Spurs trying to reach 500 not championship level.
Did the SAS make any moves prior or during the 2023-24 season that were designed to upgrade the team on the court?
Did they know with any certainty that Wemby was going to be as effective as he turned out to be? It’s called cautious spending versus reckless. It’s not that hard to understand.
People who offer up the word ‘tank’ because a team has a bad season show their lack of critical thinking capabilities.
LOL. Maybe you should use your critical thinking capabilities to read a post and answer a simple Y/N question that I posed above. Did they try to upgrade their product? If not, then they didn’t just have a bad season, did they? Your post essentially concedes that the SAS did not try to upgrade their product, and, thus, unwittingly, you’re acknowledging that they tanked.
Cautious spending vs reckless? That’s funny. Are you saying the SAS is so incompetent that they would be incapable of upgrading the roster without spending recklessly to do it? All competitive (non-tanking) teams look to upgrade, every year, and the competent ones somehow do it with spending recklessly. BTW, if they could only spend recklessly last year, why will it be any different this year?
If you cannot infer from my response what Yes/No answer I am alluding to, it again shows me your inability to critically think. No, they did not spend in 2023-24 and the reasoning there is multi-fold:
1) they did not for sure know what they had in Wemby. That was TBD based on his rookie season and not spending on 2023 Free Agents gave them cap flexibility to be used after determining what Wemby is.
2) the UFA’s that were available were not going to lift them in the 2023/24 season to anything more than the play-in game, at best. Ask the Rockets who spent their balls off and it landed them a .500 record. Ask the Suns who leveraged their future drafts on bums like Bradley Beal. There is no guarantee that spending assets or draft picks leads to an upgraded on-court basketball product.
3) They spent wisely on a limited 2 year contract with Zach Collins and a franchise friendly contract with Devin Vassel. Remember the $135m they spent on him in October ’23? Of course you don’t because it doesn’t justify your position that they ‘tanked’ or ‘didn’t spend’.
Cautious spending is smart franchise management that avoids undermining your near term assets. Reckless spending or poor asset management is what franchises like HOU and/or PHX do and it has the potential to push your franchise backwards multiple years.
Any franchise can recklessly spend each offseason that they have cap dollars to spend. Smart franchises spend wisely each offseason allowing themselves roster flexibility. At the same time cautious spending avoids forcing you into foolishly leveraging your assets to chase championships that you are nowhere near winning. Examples: LAC, Houston and PHX
No, it shows you’re inability to write, or even read with any degree of comprehension. Both are common afflictions among the feeble minded. So, it’s not as though I was taken by surprise.
Nowhere in the many paragraphs of your post did you address any SAS upgrades, so I have to conclude (again) that you agree with me that they did nothing to upgrade, and thus tanked. Resigning your own players, avoiding trading for bad contracts, and saving cap space may be good moves, but they are NOT upgrades. The fact that these non-moves (mostly) might help in future years bears no relevance as to whether they tanked in 2023-24. You may think tanking was a smart move, while I don’t, but we both agree that SAS tanked.
Choosing not to chase a 10 seed does not mean a franchise ‘tanked’. Not spending unnecessarily on bad free agents does not mean you ‘tank’. What about that can you not understand?
Franchises are not run solely to chase titles every season as their balance sheets and player development are sometimes of overriding importance. That does not mean you tank as a franchise, it means you have a program in place that you trust will eventually get the franchise back in contention.
You can invent all the strawmen you want to. SAS did nothing to upgrade the team. That’s tanking.
Yes, every team should be “chasing” wins, whether that means the 10th seed or any other level. It might just be better than the prior year. In those regards, every team should be making upgrades every year. Why should they? Because, per the NBA’s articles of association, every team pledges to do it. Why do you think DAL was fined last year. ALL they did was NOT chase the 10th seed, and only for a few games. They were fined pursuant to the competition requirements of the articles. DAL had good reasons too, and maybe they were smart to do it. BUT, to be clear, it was smart tanking.
Stop with the reckless spending nonsense. SAS operates in the same personnel market as every other team, and in that market there were an endless number of opporunities to upgrade with a hint of reckless spending. In any event, doing nothing to improve is tanking.
Also, it’s ‘your’, not ‘you’re’. Funny to have that misstep in a sentence where you attempt to talk s*it at my writing capabilities
Critical thinking… in basketball… as a Hoops Rumor commentor?
Critical thinking???
Not critical thinking related to the websites name but to the ability to understand the difference between tanking and simply not having the roster to compete. It’s pretty easy to understand.
Tanking = trading Devin, Keldon and any other workable NBA pieces in favor of losing.
Player development = keeping Devin, Keldon and any other workable pieces to get better at the NBA level.
Spurs didn’t tank. Not in Pops vocabulary.
Did the SAS make any moves prior or during the 2023-24 season that were designed to upgrade the team on the court?
Dxc your just going to have to accept this new generation loves losing and lottery balls
Tho the history doesn’t support them whatsoever ( at all) they don’t know much of basketball history to begin with so it mainly falls on deaf ears and eyes.
Fiddling around on trade machines and accumulating lottery balls is the path that stimulates them thru the dry months/ history class equates to nap time
@THRD – I have accepted it. But I just think it should be called what it is. Not sure why that upsets them so.
Yes. It’s called draft picks. They collected a bunch. Signed Vassell. It doesn’t happen overnight. There’s a reason they got Wemby – they were one of the worst teams, and it’s not like he’s the first player drafted number one overall and joined a team that will lose for a couple of years while there.
@padam – I’m not necessarily questioning the wisdom of the strategy (in this post at least), just calling it what it is. Losing games to collect draft picks is how most people define tanking, even those who like it.
FWIW, I don’t like the strategy, but I do understand it for teams at a certain level of talent depletion. Still, once a team gets a generational talent, IMO it should stop. There is a responsibility to the player and the league. But I understand that’s not a concept all accept.
It’s risky?
There’s no risk… The Spurs would guarantee themselves no chance at a title until they move on from Trae…
No risk… A guarantee…
I’m shocked.
I think the Spurs hold onto those picks and develop through the draft.
Agreed, well stated. It’s the only smart thing to do, especially when players like Trae and Dejounte do not make them championship contenders and their respective costs are exorbitant.
Could grab Matas/Topic if he is there at 4 and then hope Castle is there at 8. I think Stephon is a great fit for Spurs, but not at 4
Kinda like Castle as a fit too, wonder if he’ll be around at 8.
Like the idea of Dillingham at #4 as I see him as a similar skillset to Tyrese Maxey who has developed quite nicely in PHL. Him and Castle would be a nice young backcourt, in my opinion.
I’d go after Cade if I’m San Antonio.
Future picks, Sochan/Vassell for Cade and Fournier.
Obviously Pistons would need to put Cade on the market but that’s a terrific haul for them.
How shocking…
An intelligent team like the Spurs doesn’t want Trae…
Next article is going to say the Sun is the reason we have daylight…
I feel bad for Trae. The NBA changed their rules, in my opinion to go directly after him.
This whole BS rule where an offensive foul is called when a quicker player gets around a physical but slightly slower player, wherein the defender runs full steam to try to catch up and the offensive player isn’t allowed to cut in front to use their body to keep the slower player off them or draw a foul because they have less skill because it’s not considered a ‘basketball play’ is just crap. Shielding your opponent from the ball is basketball 101.
Trae was a master at it and the defense had to either learn not to overplay at the top and get beat (thus allowing this play to happen), or lay off and give up an open shot to a very good shooter. The NBA just completely lost their mind making that an offensive foul. The foul should clearly be on the defender for playing out of control.
Quite frankly, this whole ‘slow-step’ thing should be made illegal if that play was made illegal, because the intent is the same .. to cause a trailing defender to either play under control or get a foul for running into the offensive player. Same thing, but the slow-step is horrible to watch.
NBA needs to rescind this rule and admit they made a horrible mistake. If Trae played in a major market, you can darn well bet the rule would be under heavy scrutiny.
Yeah, the NBA targeted a very average overall player in Trae Trae is not James Harden, let’s relax a little bit.
The ‘deceleration’ rule was put in place for backcourt players many years ago for anyone who ‘puts players on their hip’ and should be called more aggressively for guys like Trae and Luka specifically but also Harden and others.
The offensive foul should be called on those who initiate the contact, no matter the location on the court, 90’ or 5’. It is a boring play to garner an ‘and 1’ or any offensive foul call, both Trae and Luka are called for it on less that 10% of plays where they do initiate the contact.
Love the fact a team like the hawks who just missed the playoffs got number 1 pick….