Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The San Antonio Spurs face a pivotal offseason after a crushing Finals loss to the New York Knicks.
- Three strategic trades could reshape the roster and position the team for a championship run in 2027.
- The plan involves restructuring the guard lineup, strengthening the frontcourt depth, and acquiring a high-impact wing to complement Victor Wembanyama.
The New York Knicks completed their five-game decimation of the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night — on San Antonio's home turf. This was a precipitous comedown for the Spurs after the rousing high of defeating Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals.
This is not the end of the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama. This team was impossibly young for a Finals berth. Wemby might be the best player in the world. Dylan Harper may soon join him as a perennial All-NBA candidate. The Spurs will be fine, but clearly this team could use a few tweaks to get over the hump in 2027. Let's start with three simple trades to better situate the Spurs moving forward.
Spurs need to dump De'Aaron Fox
Having "too many quality guards" is not a problem. But De'Aaron Fox was genuinely horrific for most of San Antonio's five-game Finals collapse. The Spurs are clearly ready to hand Dylan Harper the lion's share of their ball-handling reps. Fox's decisions with the ball, especially late in games, consistently undermined San Antonio's attempts to keep the red-hot Knicks at bay.
Fox's new four-year, $229 million contract is about to kick in, which complicates their ability to return meaningful value. Still, simply reshuffling the lineup and easing their cap sheet — which is still remarkably clean for a championship contender — could help the Spurs climb the mountain next season.
If the Heat fail to land Giannis Antetokounmpo — or even if they do — we know Pat Riley prioritizes star-power at every turn. Fox still has All-Star equity at 28 years old. There's reason to believe a late-season ankle injury at least factored partially into his postseason struggles. With better health and a hearty dose of Heat Culture™, perhaps the results improve.
Fox also happens to be Bam Adebayo's former college teammate at Kentucky. With Adebayo stretching his skill set out past the 3-point line, Fox's consistent rim pressure could add much-needed dynamism to the Heat offense.
Andrew Wiggins brings championship DNA to the Spurs — not to mention valuable shooting and defense on the wing. He's also on a $30.1 million expiring contract, which is a huge financial boon for the Spurs. Wemby's supermax extension is coming down the pipeline quickly. Davion Mitchell can provide San Antonio with rugged point-of-attack defense and solid playmaking skills off the bench, with Harper elevated into the starting lineup.
Spurs need to solidify their backup center rotation
The Luke Kornet minutes were completely disastrous, as one might expect, in the Finals (and really throughout the playoffs). Kornet is a fine innings-eater in the regular season, but the Spurs can't afford to completely collapse on the defensive end whenever Wembanyama exits the game. Beyond Kornet, the Spurs' gaggle of veteran bigs — Bismack Biyombo, Mason Plumlee, Kelly Olynyk — were unplayable in any remotely consequential situation.
Daniel Gafford has been on the trade block practically ever since he signed a three-year, $54.4 million contract in Dallas (of which he has two years remaining). Gafford can serve as a useful lob threat for San Antonio's guards, as well as a jumpy, mobile rim protector. The Mavs were 2.1 points per 100 possessions better defensively with Gafford on the floor last season.
Dereck Lively is due to return from injury and the Mavs could target more frontcourt help in the 2026 NBA Draft with Masai Ujiri at the helm. That makes Gafford somewhat expendable. Flipping him for Keldon Johnson's expiring contract, fresh off a Sixth Man of the Year win, could satisfy both sides. Johnson struggled in the Finals, but he was a valuable wing scorer all season. Dallas can either extend him or remove his $18 million from the books after a year, depending on how next season goes.
Spurs can push their chips in for Trey Murphy III
Devin Vassell is an underrated piece of this Spurs core, still 26 years old and locked up on an affordable contract through the next three years. Trey Murphy III is on a similar contract, however, and he's an even better value. If the Pelicans are willing to trade their emerging star, San Antonio should be at the front of the line.
This trade won't come cheap. In addition to Vassell, the Spurs are forking over the No. 20 pick in this month's NBA Draft, as well as future first-round selections in 2028 and 2032. The Spurs managed to maintain their wealth of pick capital in the De'Aaron Fox trade. This offseason, getting off of Fox's contract and turning those picks into a complementary star like Murphy is a dream outcome.
Murphy offers unique shooting gravity, with range well beyond the NBA 3-point line, which can open up driving lanes for Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle. Murphy has also expanded his repertoire in recent years, becoming a silky-smooth driver who converts on 74 percent of his attempts at the rim. He can exploit a tilted defense and help San Antonio's free-flowing offense take the next step.
On the defensive end, Murphy makes good use of his pterodactyl wingspan, with the lateral agility to handle switches and the off-ball instincts to generate turnovers in passing lanes (his 1.8 STL% was in the NBA's 68th percentile). Murphy is basically an optimization of Vassell's role on the wing, and at 26, he aligns nicely with the Spurs' timeline.
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