5 trades to get Kemba Walker the help he deserves

The Spurs are a smart franchise and smart franchises know when to go for it. This season ain’t it, chief. Would San Antonio burn one of Pop’s (possible) final years and pack it in if it meant improving its future outlook? I think they would. Also, they might not have a choice.

They recently dipped as low as 14th(!) place in the West, and would need to hop over too many teams to get into the postseason — and that’s not even counting the equally-struggling Jazz and Rockets.

The only team in the playoff picture with even a hint of possible fraudulence is Dallas, and the Mavericks are bolstered by the bodacious vapors of Luka Dončić.

This is the ultimate win-now/play-for-later swap.

San Antonio sees they’re fighting a losing battle, steers into the skid, and focuses their gaze on the long game. Grabbing a multi-faceted combo forward in Miles Bridges is the type of player the Spurs can mold into a legit weapon. Heck, I’m sure even Bismack Biyombo would average 8-and-10 once he got plugged into their system for 15 minutes a night.

LaMarcus Aldridge would make the perfect second-banana for the Hornets. While he’s already 33-years-old, his game was never predicated on athleticism, so his aging should be gradual and graceful. With his advanced experience also comes playoff savvy, something currently lacking in Charlotte.

Aldridge may not carry the star clout he once did, but he’d immediately assimilate onto a team that wants to make postseason waves. He’d bring reliability to a team without any outside their lone star.