The San Antonio Spurs don't need to make a blockbuster trade just yet, but with rookie extensions looming for Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, they are on the clock.
Even with De'Aaron Fox owed $222 million over the next four seasons, the San Antonio Spurs don't have to rush trading him. After Victor Wembanyama took a massive pay cut in his first-ever extension, the Spurs bought some time.
Sure, San Antonio simply can't afford Fox, Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper once all four players are off their rookie contracts, but Castle still has two seasons left before then, and Harper has three.
In order to afford extending Harper, even if the trio of Wemby, Castle, and Harper takes pay cuts, though, the Spurs will eventually have to trade Fox.
One mock trade sees them part with the veteran point guard, although the return is odd, to say the least.
Mock Trade Sends Kevin Durant to Spurs
Before the Houston Rockets made a deal with the Phoenix Suns to nab Kevin Durant, the Spurs looked like a possible landing spot. After all, they had the assets to add him and a superstar to pair him with. In the end, the Spurs opted to move forward with youth.
Now that their title window is officially open, though, adding a proven scorer has clear upside.
Adam Martin of Lindy's Sports concocted a trade that would send Durant and Fred VanVleet to the Spurs in exchange for Fox and Keldon Johnson. After some locker room drama last season, Houston should be eager to part with Durant, which is why the price is as low as it is. VanVleet, meanwhile, is owed $50 million over the next two seasons, giving the Spurs some flexibility.
The Rockets, with Johnson, improve their depth and get back a solid and proven point guard.
Durant, ever since leaving the OKC Thunder in 2016, has had drama follow him wherever he goes. He would have to understand that he would not be the first option on offense, and the Spurs would not readily appease him with a contract extension when his current deal is up. Would he be willing to accept that as a concession if he got to compete for a title? Hsi track record points to no.
This deal does solve the Spurs' financial issues heading into extending Castle and Harper, but it brings about personality clashes that the Spurs would simply rather avoid. On the court, Durant is still one of the best players in the NBA, but he brings down team chemistry and throws fits when he doesn't get his way.
At the cost of losing Johnson, perhaps the only player on the roster who could keep KD in check, this deal simply isn't worth it.
