The San Antonio Spurs signed Luke Kornet away from the Boston Celtics this summer, and a recently proposed trade suggests that they take another player from them.
Over the 2025 NBA offseason, the Boston Celtics were in a rush to shed salary. Over the second apron and with no hope of making a Finals run without Jayson Tatum, they traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, let Al Horford walk in free agency, and watched as Luke Kornet signed with the San Antonio Spurs.
Now, even without Tatum, Boston is third in the East. Jaylen Brown is playing MVP basketball, and the Celtics take the second-most 3-pointers in the league, making 36.7% of them.
If Tatum returns before the season ends, Boston could very easily make the NBA Finals despite their preseason expectations. In order to bolster their defense, they could make a deal with the Spurs.
Mock Trade Swaps Spurs' and Celtics' Forwards
As Boston stuns the NBA this season, it is finding success with the second-best offense in the league. Their defense, however, is lacking, ranked 11th in the NBA and a distant fourth in the Eastern Conference.
The Spurs, meanwhile, have the third-best defense but struggle to shoot the ball from downtown. In order for both teams to address their weaknesses, they could make a simple trade.
"You can never have too much shooting, so I have a Jeremy Sochan for Hauser swap here; I’m sure there would be some outgoing picks from San Antonio to complete a deal like this," wrote The Athletic's Law Murray. "Just keep an eye on the power forward spot for the Spurs, whether that’s Sochan or even starter Harrison Barnes."
Sochan has been forced out of the Spurs' rotation and is expected to be traded before Thursday's deadline. Sam Hauser, meanwhile, is shooting a career-low 39.4% from deep, still elite.
In theory, Sochan could help make Boston's defense one of the best in the NBA, and Hauser could team up with Keldon Johnson to space the floor off the bench for the Spurs.
Hauser is owed $3 million more than Sochan this season, but the Spurs have the cap space to swap them one-for-one. Of course, the Spurs could attach second-round picks or a protected first-rounder to sweeten the pot, but to shed salary and address an area of weakness, Boston should be all over this deal.