Cavs/Bulls Lonzo Ball trade unwittingly gifts Spurs valuable FA target

Oh, he can definitely help the Spurs.
BASKET-NBA-ROOKIE-SPURS-WMBANYAMA
BASKET-NBA-ROOKIE-SPURS-WMBANYAMA | SUZANNE CORDEIRO/GettyImages

The Chicago Bulls agreed to trade Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro in a straight-up swap. That pretty much rules out any chance they had to re-sign Ty Jerome, which means San Antonio has another great option on the table. They used both of their draft picks and added depth to the roster, but this team is far from complete, and Jerome could be a crucial element to next season's success.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, they're already into the second apron, so their tax penalties are extremely high, making the return unlikely for The Land's fan-favorite.

The Silver and Black can take a leap in three-point efficiency next year by making the right moves. Those moves involve getting a reliable big to backup Victor Wembanyama, sure, but they still need more shooters. The former Cavalier shot 44% from the perimeter. That will do nicely, and I'm willing to trim the roster in other places to make space for him to get consistent minutes, if necessary.

The Spurs roster is getting crowded but it still needs work

Mitch Johnson currently has a plethora of guards to work with, so we'll need to make room for him. De'Aaron Fox obviously isn't going anywhere, but how much better will Blake Wesley get this summer? Will the value be higher than what Jerome would bring with a shot so deadly from the outside, because if not, that's a conversation that may need to be had.

Malaki Branham is the third shooting guard on the roster behind Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle. He didn't get many minutes last season, so putting Ty in his spot doesn't necessarily mean he sees the floor. But move on from Branham anyway for that same reason. He's not going to get any minutes, and the minutes he does get can go to Wesley.

I'd much rather keep Blake and move on from Malaki. You can put in whoever you need based on how the game is going. But there's one more option that's viable for San Antonio to add this sharpshooter while guaranteeing time on the floor. They could always package some combination of Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, and/or Harrison Barnes to bring in another piece.

Shipping out two-for-one in those roles would also open up a spot in the rotation for Jerome. Immediately, Johnson's group could go from so-so from the perimeter to deadly from deep, at least with certain lineups.

Right now, I imagine the team will be improved in that area, but I don't see the true threat that we could be unless we keep adding pieces. Fans should expect that to happen, whether the addition is the former Cavs shooter or not. Free agency is only a couple of days away.