The San Antonio Spurs have been included in their fair share of NBA trade rumors this season, as has Milwaukee Bucks' superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, whom the Spurs beat on Thursday.
Despite boasting the second-best record in the Western Conference and one of the best young cores in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs can't escape trade rumors.
As Harrison Barnes struggles and Jeremy Sochan and Kelly Olynyk barely play, the Spurs could easily package those expiring contracts--as well as some draft picks--for a win-now player who better fits the roster.
Of course, the Spurs have been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo, although it's seemed unlikely as of late that they would go all-in on a single player.
Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Victor Wembanyama, and De'Aaron Fox (for now) seem to be the untouchable players on the roster. Wemby is the most untouchable player in the league, although he recently gave his two cents on trade rumors.
Victor Wembanyama Addresses NBA Trade Rumors
Usually, when Wembanyama is asked about the draft, roster moves, contracts, or trades, he repeats the same mantra: "I trust the front office."
For both fans and the organization, there are no better words to hear. Of course, we can assume that Wemby is being looped in, similarly to how LeBron James has been dubbed "LeGM" for his roster management. However, publicly, Wembanyama is willing to step aside and let Brian Wright work.
On Thursday, after the Spurs beat the Milwaukee Bucks, Wembanyama was not asked about the Spurs' trade rumors. Instead, he was asked about Antetokounmpo, who is playing for a struggling team but has yet to issue a formal trade demand.
"I’m trying to learn as much as I can, even though you have to acknowledge that every situation, every story is different — even more so for foreign players like us," Wembanyama told L'Équipe's Maxime Aubin. "I’m nobody to judge how his career has unfolded. I have a lot of respect for what he’s doing on the court and what he continues to do. I think he still has quite a few years ahead of him, and I’m very curious to see how the next chapter of his career will play out.”
Wembanyama isn't the only one curious. Will the Greek Freak ask out? Will he instead demand that Doc Rivers gets fired and the Bucks quickly re-tool around him? On one hand, loyalty to the team that drafted you is admirable. On the other hand, the Bucks have mismanaged Giannis' career and prime as of late, and he can't be blamed for being fed up.
Did Wembanyama say what he would do if he were in Giannis' situation? Nope, although so far the Spurs have done an excellent job of surrounding him with young, complementary talent. For now, it's hard to imagine the Alien and Greek Freak ending up in similar situations.