The San Antonio Spurs have the young core in place, now they just need to add established talent to get them over the hump.
The San Antonio Spurs have been linked to some of the best players in the world this season, and fans are operating under the assumption that the team will add one more piece before they make their playoff push.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is by far the best player included in Spurs' trade rumors, although they could set their sights on several other targets. They have the assets and young players required to land pretty much anyone, provided they are available.
But what about those young players? Maybe the Spurs want to commit to the players already on the roster, giving them a chance to grow and develop. In that case, adding off-court leaders and locker room figures should be the priority.
After being waived by the Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Paul's career might be over. He already announced that this is his last season. But what if he wants to go out on his own terms? He could pass the torch one last time, showing Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper the ropes.
"Paul would technically have to be traded and can only be moved after December 15th," pointed out FanSided's Cal Durrett. "In that case, San Antonio could trade Jordan McLaughlin straight up for Paul and bring him back to be the team's third-string point guard."
Would the Clippers take a player who doesn't play (Paul) and flip him for one who could? This season, McLaughlin is averaging only 9.3 minutes per game, and that's with Harper, Castle, and De'Aaron Fox having already missed time with injury. After starting all 82 games for the Spurs last season, Paul would have to be amenable to a much lesser role.
He was run out of Los Angeles after James Harden and Kawhi Leonard couldn't handle his in-your-face, "I wanna win" attitude. The Spurs, meanwhile, seemed to appreciate his efforts and might be willing to welcome him back.
"I've never seen him talk bad about another guy to their back," said Victor Wembanyama last season. "He'll say things upfront about what we need to do."
"When I'm on the court, I don't really take anything personal," added Castle. "If you really just listen to what he's saying, and not the tone, you'll get the message."
The Spurs won't ask him to play big minutes or run the offense like he did last season. That job belongs to Harper, Fox, and Castle. However, if Paul wants a retirement tour and to end his career after 82 games instead of in the dead of night after being waived, the Spurs make sense as a landing spot.
Provided he doesn't mind taking a back seat.