The San Antonio Spurs have started the 2024-25 season with a 5-6 record, proving through the start of the season that they can compete for a potential Playoff spot this season. Victor Wembanyama's had a slow offensive start to the season, but he's been a defensive marvel and can single-handedly alter games with his two-way presence. Veteran additions like Chris Paul have helped the franchise, but they could add more star-level pieces to be genuine contenders.
The Spurs have been wanting to play it slow with Wembanyama, letting him develop naturally by giving him a slightly better roster from his rookie season instead of finding a long-term co-star who can develop chemistry with him now and be in a position to win titles a season or two from now.
That strategy could work and has already taken the team a step forward, but contention in the West is far-fetched, especially if Wembanyama is sidelined for even a few weeks. The Spurs need an in-built remedy to potential absences and pair Wemby up with a top-tier star and a two-way dirty work wing. They could do so by making the perfect three-team trade with the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards.
Trade Details
San Antonio Spurs Receive: Trae Young, Kyle Kuzma
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Tre Jones, Keldon Johnson, Zach Collins, 2025 First-Round Pick (ATL), 2027 First-Round Pick (ATL)
Washington Wizards Receive: Harrison Barnes, Malakki Branham, Blake Wesley, 2027 First-Round Pick (SAS)
For the price of six players and three picks, the Spurs can land two players who dramatically change the contending landscape for the franchise. By retaining Chris Paul as a bench guard, the Spurs are guaranteeing 48 minutes of high-level point guard play between Paul and Trae Young. Kuzma is a more polished version of Jeremy Sochan on both ends of the court and would greatly boost the Spurs' winning prospects now.
The Spurs Swing For The Fences
The Spurs would flip their roster on its head by making this move, trading out multiple players acquired through the Draft over the last few seasons alongside the remaining Atlanta picks in their control from when they traded Dejounte Murray to the Hawks. It's a big change, but the caliber of players joining the team would completely justify the move.
Trae Young is a 25-year-old with three All-Star appearances under his belt already and led his franchise to the Conference Finals in 2021. He's averaging 23.9 points and 11.5 assists this season, continuing to show his skill as a top-tier on-ball guard in the NBA. His defense is often criticized, but the Spurs are one of the only teams built to cover up Young's defensive deficiencies with the presence of POA defenders like Stephon Castle and a rim protector like Wemby.
Kyle Kuzma is a versatile two-way forward who hasn't played on a winning team since he won a title with the Los Angeles Lakers. He's averaging 17.3 points and 6.3 rebounds this season, with his skill set wasted on a perenially tanking team like the Wizards. A winning team could maximize the defensive skill set Kuzma showed on the Lakers and has shown glimpses of the same on the Wizards while benefiting from his greatly improved offensive skills over the last three seasons.
This trade would give Wembanyama two ideal stars next to him ahead of a solid rotational core of players which would include the likes of Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Stephon Castle, and more.
The Hawks Embrace A Rebuild
Despite there being only two teams who are above .500 in the East, the Hawks' chances of contending look extremely slim in the Conference. They're currently 4-7 with a promising cast of young stars who could develop into great players. But with Trae entering Year 7, it doesn't make a lot of sense to slowly develop the likes of Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risascher at the expense of contending with a franchise star like Young.
Instead of forcing themselves to be competitive, the Hawks can acquire their 2025 first-round pick back to tank without consequences while also getting their 2027 first-round pick back. They traded those assets to win-now with Dejounte, but that didn't pan out and he was moved to the New Orleans Pelicans this summer for a fraction of the price they paid to acquire him.
Tre Jones averaged 10.0 points and 6.2 assists last season while Zach Collins is averaging 5.6 points and 3.0 rebounds this season, with Keldon Johnson averaging 12.5 points and 5.7 rebounds. Jones is a solid point guard with more room to develop as a scorer and playmaker while Johnson has proven to be a do-it-all wing in his time with the Spurs. Collins likely would be redundant on the Hawks but would be an interesting center on the trade market for other teams.
Moving off Young will be an impossible decision, but doing it to get their future back in their control while developing their great cast of young stars might be the right move for the franchise right now.
The Wizards Finally Let Kuzma Go
Kuzma joined the Wizards as part of a controversial 2021 trade that sent him and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Washington for Russell Westbrook in a deal that will be remembered as one of the worst in modern history. Kuzma has become a key figure in Washington, serving as the team's No. 1 option over the last two seasons but one who is occupying minutes that they could give to their talented young core.
Harrison Barnes is averaging 9.7 points and 3.6 rebounds this season, with the 2015 NBA Champion regarded as a well-liked veteran around the NBA. Having Barnes mentor young stars like Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly would be great for the franchise. Branham and Wesley are both young guards with tons of potential, so the Wizards could add them to their burgeoning guard core also featuring rookie Carlton Carrington.
Given the volatility of major trades like this and the constant injury bug running around the NBA, acquiring a Spurs first-round pick could pay off even if it's a non-lottery selection given the 2027 NBA Draft is also being projected to be one with potentially generational players. This would be the best way to maximize a package for the 28-year-old Kuzma who is one year away from free agency.
All Three Teams Move In Defined Directions
The Hawks have been treading water in the middle of the East for the last few seasons, with this deal giving them a chance to bottom out and give the young high-potential stars on their roster right now more burn on the court. This trade would benefit Dyson Daniels greatly, who's shown he is capable of being a two-way starting guard for the Hawks in case Trae is moved off the roster. He won't have the same offensive peaks as Trae but his consistent defense will make him an attractive future option.
The Wizards need to continue their rebuild given the results they're already getting from the development of young stars. Instead of giving Kuzma almost 30 minutes a night, his absence could open up more minutes for rookies like Kyshawn George and even multi-positional wings like Coulibaly.
The Spurs add a scorer like Trae who can make up for a cold Wembanyama night, with games where both are firing on all cylinders making them virtually unstoppable. Kuzma would be another great frontcourt option who might be a more reliable scorer than Sochan, giving the Spurs more options across their front line. All in all, this gives Wembanyama a chance to make the Playoffs as early as this season.
