5 NBA players who could be traded before the end of December
By Ian Levy
3. The Spurs have a replacement for Jakob Poeltl
Poeltl is the one trade asset on the Spurs likely to return a first-round pick and there may be a desire to be patient with him and make sure they get the best deal they can. However, players of a similar archetype — Turner, Jaxson Hayes, Richaun Holmes, Dwight Powell — could be available and if the Spurs wait too long, they could find their best trade partners have already found an answer elsewhere.
The other potential impetus for moving fast with Poeltl is the play of Zach Collins. The 25-year-old, former No. 10 pick is already back from a fibula fracture and his been extremely impressive in a bench role — averaging 16.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.5 blocks per 36 minutes, while shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. Collins is under contract for next season at just over $7 million and, two years younger than Poeltl, is a better fit for the timeline of this young team. Moving Poeltl more quickly means more developmental minutes for Collins and a chance for him to acclimate earlier to the starting role he seems likely to take over by the end of the season anyway.