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NBA Trade Grades: Diagnosing ESPN’s surprising Victor Wembanyama trade proposals

By Christopher Kline

Victor Wembanyama, NBA Draft (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Victor Wembanyama, NBA Draft (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images) /
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Chet Holmgren, Kevin Durant
Chet Holmgren (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) /

Grade: Spurs trade Victor Wembanyama to Oklahoma City Thunder

Thunder receive: Victor Wembanyama

Spurs receive: Chet Holmgren, No. 12 pick, 2024 Rockets first-round pick (top-4 protected), 2025 76ers first-round pick (top-6 protected), 2026 Clippers first-round pick

There’s more to chew on for the Spurs here. While it’s slightly more challenging to mount the argument after Banchero’s strong rookie season (and Holmgren’s coinciding redshirt), Holmgren was the best prospect in the 2022 draft. He checks a few of the same boxes Wemby does: elite rim protection, mobile in space, three-level scoring potential, flourishes of self-creation. He would give the Spurs a much-needed defensive foundation in the paint.

The Spurs also receive the No. 12 pick and a mountain of future picks. The first big turnoff are the protections on Houston’s 2024 pick and Philadelphia’s 2025 pick. If you’re trading the prospect of the century, you should at least have a chance of getting No. 1 again in the future. The Clippers’ unprotected pick in 2026 is interesting, but there’s no guarantee the Clippers (or the Sixers, or the Rockets) are actually tanking when those picks convey.

A late lottery pick, three possibly good picks, and Holmgren just isn’t enough to move the needle when Wembanyama is involved. There is inherent risk in every player, and Wembanyama’s thin frame does come with its share of concerns. The Spurs would be spreading out the risk over multiple picks (and Holmgren, another very skinny, now recently injured 7-footer) rather than placing all their eggs in one basket. But that one basket has the chance to deliver the Spurs a championship. He’s that caliber of prospect.

For the Thunder, this trade is an absolute home run. OKC was already knocking on the door of the playoffs last season without Holmgren. Keeping last season’s entire roster in tact, adding Wembanyama, and only sacrificing a few good-not-great picks to get him is the dream. But that’s the issue — it’s only a dream.

Thunder: A+

Spurs: C

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