San Antonio Spurs rumors: Trade market to be saturated this offseason

Recent San Antonio Spurs rumors suggest the team will be active in a trade market that’s reportedly expected to be extremely active during the offseason.

It’s long been speculated that this offseason would be especially active. Since the end of the season, San Antonio Spurs rumors have suggested that the team will shop some of its veterans and All-Star caliber players to lean into its youth movement. If this is the case, they’re hitting the market at the right time according to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst.

During the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast, the esteemed NBA insider made note of the current state of the NBA. Considering this free-agent class isn’t much to write home about, most of the league’s mobility is primed to come from the trade market.

“I don’t think we’re going to see a lot of action in free agency. There’s not going to be a whole lot of movement. The trade market is where the big movement in the offseason is going to be,” Windhorst said. “… I also think there’s six or seven teams that are really prime to make a deal.”

One would have to suspect that the San Antonio Spurs are amongst that group. With every one of their future draft picks in tow, including their first lottery pick since Tim Duncan, the Spurs can afford to move a haul. That includes a handful of veteran contracts, most interestingly that of LaMarcus Aldridge. As recently as last season, Aldridge was an All-Star with a great scoring profile and an improved outside jumper. Moving him to prioritize the youth movement is likely a priority within the Spurs’ front office.

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Similarly, forward DeMar DeRozan‘s expiring contract could be of value. Whether it be in a sign-and-trade or an outright trade for the last year of his current deal, DeRozan is a great value to any team. He’s a transformative offensive player with a team-first mentality and any team hoping to take that next step would be proud to have him. These two players are the most flashy veteran pieces that could get moved if the Spurs aren’t willing to part with their young core.

Partaking in a fiery trade market isn’t necessarily something the Spurs have done historically, but this isn’t the same silver and black organization from years prior. The dynasty is officially over with the Big Three retired and a new era on the horizon. If the Orlando restart was an indicator, that’s likely going to be the priority for the organization moving forward — Ushering in the next generation of Spurs basketball, even if it means losing some games along the way.

One of the most likely scenarios is that the Spurs make a trade during the draft. On draft night, it’s much easier to bypass league rules about trading and get deals done. There’s no telling just what they’ll do, but it seems feasible that San Antonio’s front office representatives will be active in trade discussions when the time comes.

One way or another, this Spurs team is going to operate very differently next season and a trade wouldn’t be farfetched in the slightest.