The San Antonio Spurs have the means to make a blockbuster trade this offseason, and the player who ended their Finals bid is on their radar.
After losing the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks, the San Antonio Spurs have been swept up in trade rumors. De'Aaron Fox is a frequent inclusion in mock trades, although so far, the Spurs remain committed to him.
Even after drafting Jayden Quaintance 20th overall, the Spurs need a reliable power forward to rebound and help defend the paint while Victor Wembanyama roams. The Spurs have been linked to the likes of Aaron Gordon, John Collins, Jaylen Brown, and even Kawhi Leonard.
In the Finals, OG Anunoby had his way with the Spurs, averaging an impressive 21.2 points on ridiculous efficiency. With San Antonio and New York expected to meet again in the Finals in the next few seasons, the Spurs need an "Anunoby stopper."
Or, they could just go out and get the guy!
Trade Rumors Link Spurs to OG Anunoby
What's better than having someone who can slow down a forward who shot 50 percent from 3 in the Finals and hit one of the clutchest shots in NBA history? How about having that guy on your team?
Of course, the Knicks would not be eager to see him walk.
"He'd come at an extremely high cost and might not be attainable from a Knicks team that wouldn't want to improve the squad it just beat in the Finals," wrote Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes, while saying that it is a distant possibility.
Anunoby is owed $42 million next season, and the Spurs could offer depth pieces like Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, as well as a bevy of draft picks.
New York would certainly demand a massive haul of picks, more than the five they sent to the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges, but having a war chest of picks of their own would allow them to replace depth pieces like Mitchell Robinson, Miles McBride, Jordan Clarkson, and Jose Alvarado as they demand higher salaries in the coming offseasons.
The Knicks, led by Jalen Brunson, would have no interest in Fox.
After winning their first title since 1973, don't expect the Knicks to blow up their roster. Players like Brown and Leonard are somehow more realistic trade targets for the Spurs, but the fact that San Antonio is even remotely linked to Anunoby should be telling.
He's exactly the type of player the Spurs need to take the next step and cement themselves as runaway title favorites. Luckily, there are other players in the league who match his archetype, although none of them are quite the Finals riser that he is.
Expect the Spurs to make a move to shore up their frontcourt. Just don't expect it to be that one.
