It’s been a surreal weekend for NBA transactions. First, the Dallas Mavericks did the unthinkable, swapping Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers. Then on Sunday, the San Antonio Spurs made waves in a three-team deal that netted them their point guard of the future, De’Aaron Fox. With four days until the trade deadline, there is still plenty of time for more trade noise.
San Antonio still has some things it must sort out, even with Fox in tow. Now that they have a second star alongside Victor Wembanyama, the expectation will be to push for a playoff spot. Here is what’s next for the Spurs before that can happen:
Finalizing the trade
The three-team deal that sends Fox to San Antonio has not been finalized as of Monday morning. The Chicago Bulls are the team currently holding things up. After acquiring Zach Collins, Tre Jones, and Kevin Huerter, the Bulls have 17 players on their roster. They’ll need to cut two players to make the trade legal. Rumors are that the Bulls are shopping Chris Duarte and Torrey Craig. If they don’t find a trade for those players, they will likely have to waive them.
There is a chance this deal won’t be officially finalized with the league office as quickly as other trades because of Chicago’s roster situation. Expect a resolution sooner rather than later, but this snag means that Fox won’t officially be a Spur and won’t suit up for them until this happens. Fox won’t appear in their contest against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, and it would be a tight turnaround for him to suit up on Wednesday in Atlanta against the Hawks. It seems like Friday at the Charlotte Hornets would be the most likely debut for Fox.
Sorting out the rotation
It’s safe to say Fox will start games for the Spurs. That means at least one player will be bumped out of the starting five. The easiest change would be to move Chris Paul to a bench role and start Fox alongside Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, and Wembanyama. CP3 did sign with the Spurs to get starting minutes. They could start CP3 and Fox together and move Castle back to the bench, which creates some second-unit issues.
There is also a chance that Mitch Johnson wants to insert Jeremy Sochan back into the starting unit. A lineup of Fox, Vassell, Barnes, Sochan, and Wembanyama gives the Spurs a lot of offensive and defensive versatility. That lineup seems like their best current fit around the Fox and Wembanyama duo, but time will tell how San Antonio wants to handle the starters.
The bench should largely remain unaffected. CP3 or Castle will likely replace Tre Jones as the backup point guard. Keldon Johnson and Julian Champagnie will fill out the wings. The backup center position remains a major question (we will get to that.) They also picked up Jordan McLaughlin from the Kings, who is a veteran, serviceable guard who provides some depth at the position if they were to rest Paul or find themselves dealing with injuries.
Expect some tinkering with rotations and lineups over the next few weeks as the team gets used to playing with Fox. The Spurs staff will have their hands full while figuring out the best way to maximize the talent around their two stars.
Finding a backup center
Acquiring a star guard was a huge win for the Spurs. Now, they have a chance to shore up their roster this season by upgrading the backup center position. Charles Bassey stands alone as the heir to the throne with Collins gone, but his inconsistent play makes him a less-than-ideal candidate.
San Antonio could look to trade for a backup big man. They could see if the asking prices for Jonas Valanciunas, Robert Williams, or Jakob Poeltl are reasonable. They could look to make a bigger splash by making a move for impact players whose names have come up in trade conversations, like Myles Turner or Nikola Vucevic.
The Spurs opened a roster spot after dealing Jones, Collins and Sidy Cissoko for Fox and McLaughlin. This could make them a player in the buyout market after the trade deadline. Every year, players are bought out of their contracts and enter free agency, where teams can make mid-season acquisitions. This will likely be veterans who were traded as salary fillers in larger deals. They may not have the same impact as acquiring a big man via trade, but they could still be a short-term upgrade.
The question the Spurs front office needs to ask themselves is whether that position is worth giving up any more future assets. San Antonio is still loaded up with the capital to acquire another star if they choose to. Do they need to dip into that to get a backup center? Is that position the difference between making and missing the playoffs this year? Should they prioritize chasing a playoff run this season over long-term success with Wemby and Fox? These questions will likely determine who we see back up Wembanyama for the rest of the season.
Long-term roster improvements
The Spurs have a star big man-guard duo in Wembanyama and Fox. They have intriguing young players like Vassell, Sochan and Castle to fill out their core. They have six of their own first-rounders in the next seven seasons, as well as Atlanta’s unprotected firsts in 2025 and 2027. They own pick swaps in four of the next six drafts. They are still loaded up to improve the roster.
So what do they need next? A stud on the wing would give them the “traditional” guard, wing, big man, three-headed monster that many championship teams possess. If they have some lottery luck this offseason, they could find that wing in the draft in Cooper Flagg or Ace Bailey. They could look to acquire a star wing via trade with the assets they have. It’s just a matter of who is available to them and when.
Even with Fox in tow, this team needs more shooters and offensive creators. The key will be finding those players without sacrificing too much on the defensive end. As the Spurs continue to build around Wemby and Fox, they should look for bigger off-ball players who can defend and shoot or for advantage creators who can get you a bucket when San Antonio’s stars aren’t on the floor.
The first order of business was to acquire a star. They did that. Now, they’ll have to extend him to a near-max contract. That will restrict their flexibility to make moves in free agency, but they’ll have plenty of ability to acquire talent via trade and through the draft in the next few seasons.
