As the San Antonio Spurs prepare for the next winning era in their franchise history, they have been linked to several win-now trade candidates.
The San Antonio Spurs are one of the best teams in the NBA, although they are not without weakness.
Victor Wembanyama is becoming a better and better shooter with each season, although he is at his best when he is dominating the paint. Devin Vassell has missed the last 13 games with injury, and Harrison Barnes has struggled. That means Julian Champagnie is the only true "shooter" in the starting lineup.
The Spurs have been linked to high-level floor-spacers like Moses Moody and Lauri Markkanen, although the best 3-point threat on the trade market is attainable. In a recent mock trade, the Spurs nab him.
Mock Trade Sends Trey Murphy III to Spurs#
FanSided's Eamon Cassels floated a deal where the Spurs would land Murphy III from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, and three first-round picks.
Both Sochan and Barnes are in the last year of their contracts, giving New Orleans the flexibility to re-tool. The three draft picks were not specified, although the Spurs could part with picks they own or are owed by other teams.
"I'm not sure how eager the San Antonio Spurs will be to rock the boat," admitted Cassels. "When you have a young team that's this good and ahead of schedule, I get it. At the same time, if you can add a 25-year-old wing who perfectly fits your needs -- why not make a splash?"
Murphy is averaging a career-high 22.3 points this season and is shooting a solid 38.1%. On the Spurs, he would likely become the third-scoring option behind De'Aaron Fox and Wemby, but the Spurs' offense would get a massive boost.
Three draft picks are nothing to sneeze at, so if this is the offer the Pelicans are making, fans should expect Brian Wright to counter, although the offensive improvement would be hard to pass up. Murphy III is exactly the type of player the Spurs need to take the next step, upgrading from contenders to frontrunners.
A starting five of Castle, Fox, Murphy III, Vassell, and Wemby with Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Luke Kornet, and Dylan Harper all off the bench would give the Spurs the deepest lineup in the league. It's hard to pass that up.