The San Antonio Spurs have been linked to several high-profile players ahead of the NBA trade deadline, although their most likely target addresses an area most fans would be quick to overlook.
Ask any San Antonio Spurs fan, and they'll be quick to give you a list of moves they want the team to make before Thursday's trade deadline.
"Add more shooting!"
Good call.
"Trade for a player Mitch Johnson will actually use!"
Agreed.
"Don't make any move this season, I want to see how far this roster can go!"
Sure, why not?
The only area fans have total confidence in? The center position. Vuictoir Wembanyama is one of the best bigs in the NBA, and Luke Kornet is an elite backup. Behind them, the Spurs boast veterans Kelly Olynyk and Bismack Biyombo. Shoring up the frontcourt shouldn't be a top priority, right?
Shoring Up Frontcourt Is Top Priority
This season, the Spurs are a top-ten rebounding team and give up the seventh-fewest paint points per game. Of course, the one-two punch of Wembanyama and Kornet is largely responsible for those numbers, but the Spurs are expected to at least field interest in other centers.
As the Orlando Magic try to shed some salary, backup center Goga Bitadze is on the trade block, and the Spurs could play ball.
"Bitadze has drawn the most interest around the league with teams wanting to add frontcourt depth before the trade deadline," explained ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel. One of those teams, sitting at $5.6 million under the tax line, is the San Antonio Spurs."
Bitadze is an uber-efficient interior scorer and a decent offensive rebounder, and would likely be an upgrade over either Olynyk or Biyombo. Of course, this wouldn't be the blockbuster move some fans might expect, but shoring up the frontcourt has become a priority.
"Along with Bitadze, Robert Williams III from the Portland Trail Blazers has also come up as a name in conversations about the Spurs," he added.
Williams III is owed $13 million this season before becoming a free agent. Bitadze is owed half that this year, but is under contract for next season, as well. With Biyombo likely to retire and Olynyk not a long-term piece, expect the Spurs to eventually find a third-string center. Maybe this week will be the time to make a deal, although it seems more likely that the Spurs will wait until the offseason.