The San Antonio Spurs were long linked to a premier trade candidate, and now his value has never been lower. It's clear that the Spurs made the correct move.
In 2022, the San Antonio Spurs traded Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks for two first-round selections and a swap. Moving on from Murray--who was coming off an All-Star season--was the biggest step the Spurs took in their shameless tank for Victor Wembanyama.
It's safe to say that the gamble paid off.
As it became clear that the Hawks would not be able to win games with the Murray/Trae Young duo, fans and the media alike speculated that the Spurs could give the Hawks those picks back in exchange for Young, who had three All-Star nods at the time.
On top of that, Young was still riding the high of the 2021 playoffs, when he led the Atlanta Hawks all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, it's clear that the Spurs dodged a bullet.
How Spurs Weathered Trade Rumors
During and after Wembanyama's rookie season, it was clear that the Spurs needed to upgrade the point guard position. Tre Jones was solid, but he's not a high-level starter, and the Spurs finished with 60 losses for the second season in a row.
Young made sense. He is a pass-first option who could space the floor, and any defensive shortcomings could be mitigated by having Wembanyama and Jeremy Sochan in the frontcourt.
Of course, Sochan has since fallen out of the rotation, and Young's inefficiencies, turnover issues, and defensive woes have caught up to him. He is still included in trade rumors, although he is expected to be moved in a salary-dump, not a blockbuster deal to bring back a star or a war chest of draft picks.
Instead of adding Young, who had been linked to San Antonio for two seasons, the Spurs instead targeted De'Aaron Fox, who had grown tired of losing in Sacramento. The Fox trade saga was resolved only two weeks after he requested a trade. Young, after three seasons of rumors, remains in Atlanta.
This season, Fox is averaging more points, steals, fewer turnovers, and is a better 3-point shooter than Young. Not only did the Spurs get to keep all of the Hawks' draft picks, but they landed the better player.
Young's brand of basketball isn't conducive to winning, despite his 2021 postseason run, and he is quickly being run out of Atlanta.
"It's hard to think of a team that's trying to win this season that Trae would help, and unnamed NBA executive told Ryen Russillo. "Especially once you factor in what that team would be losing from the players, they would have to send back his matching salary. He doesn't defend, he doesn't rebound. Guys hate playing with him."
Sounds like the Spurs dodged a bullet. While their defense does take a hit anytime Wembanyama is off the floor, imagine a Trae Young-led offense without Wembanyama anchoring the defense. At least Fox is a capable defender, and his style of offense is clearly more conducive to winning, provided he has the right tools around him.