The San Antonio Spurs may be looking to move veteran center Jakob Poeltl but he’s not the only useful piece they could offer a playoff team.
The Spurs clearly have their eyes on the future. They have one of the worst records in the league, which means a great shot at landing Victor Wembanyama or another star prospect in this deep draft class. They also have two up-and-coming wings in Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, both under the age of 24 and averaging better than 20 points per game so far this season.
The timeline of Vassell and Johnson doesn’t quite line up with that of Jakob Poeltl, their 27-year-old center. He may not have a ton of value to the Spurs right now, but as a very solid defender and above-average passer from the elbows, he’s exactly the kind of savvy big who could help a playoff team.
In his NBA trade rumor roundup today, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus mentioned teams who could be interested in Poeltl as well as two other veterans who could be on the move: “Teams like the Clippers, Warriors and Lakers may have an interest. Additionally, sources indicate the Spurs have made veterans Josh Richarson and Doug McDermott available.”
Who might be interested in Josh Richardson and Doug McDermott?
Both Richardson and McDermott could draw plenty of trade suitors, as reliable veterans with defined skill sets and reasonable contracts.
Richardson is a solid defensive wing whose outside shot has varied a lot from season to season. But this year he’s shooting 37.6 percent from beyond the arc and offering some additional upside as a connective passer and complementary creator.
McDermott doesn’t have much versatility to his game but he’s a fantastic shooter, hitting 41.7 percent of his 3s this season. He has forward size and is comfortable as a movement shooter or a static spot-up threat.
If the Lakers can’t land a big name, both players could be better fits than Patrick Beverley and have roughly equivalent contracts. Los Angeles could throw in a second-round pick and probably have enough to grab one of the two. In addition, teams like the Phoenix Suns could be interested, especially if they can get a third team involved to take Jae Crowder and send the Spurs a younger player.
Check out The Step Back for more news, analysis, opinion and unique basketball coverage. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our daily email newsletter, The Whiteboard.