NBA rumors: LaVine prefers Lakers, Knicks sign familiar face, Keldon Johnson available
- All signs point to Zach LaVine preferring a trade to the Lakers
- With Mitchell Robinson out, the Knicks signed a familiar 38-year-old veteran
- Teams looking for help on the wing may inquire about the Spurs' Keldon Johnson
NBA rumors: Spurs' Keldon Johnson available for trade amid struggles
Amid riding a losing streak that has a chance to get to 20 games, the Spurs may consider becoming sellers at the trade deadline, even with their young roster. According to Marc J. Spears, appearing on the Hoop Collective podcast, Keldon Johnson may be the player to go:
“You know who I got my eye on with the Spurs? Keldon Johnson. I keep hearing this buzz about, not sure if he fits in well with this group going forward and should he be coming off the bench. If there is a player that I think does get moved from the Spurs, my guess is it'll probably be Keldon Johnson.”
Johnson signed a four-year, $80 million contract extension in July 2022 and has three years left on that deal. He's a good scorer and defender with Team USA experience and positional versatility.
Trading Johnson, who is still just 24, would be a signal that the Spurs think they are a long way away from competing. Victor Wembanyama is looking like a great player through the first part of the season but it's clear that the team is lacking a true point guard among other things. It's is also clear that the rookie will most likely need a couple of seasons before he can develop into the MVP candidate that fans think he can be.
The Spurs will likely be sellers at the trade deadline and will look to move veterans to increase their draft war chest. The team already has tons of picks to surround Wembanyama with talent over the next few years but the team will most likely add more.
Looking at the team's cap sheet, Doug McDermott, Cedi Osman, Devonte' Graham and potentially others could be on the trade market. Of course, San Antonio will be lucky if the team can find one good first-round pick for any of these players. The team will likely be able to get second-round picks for the players mentioned above and possibly get a first-round pick for Johnson if the right offer presents itself.