Divisive Giannis rumor pushes Spurs into inevitable decision way ahead of schedule

The San Antonio Spurs entered the 2025-26 season hoping to evaluate the perimeter trio critics swear won't work. Stephon Castle, De'Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper appeared to lack a cohesive skill set on paper, but San Antonio was certain they could coexist and help Victor Wembanyama sustainably contend.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo suddenly on the table, however, the Spurs may never get the chance to explore the group's potential as they must decide if they're more valuable than a two-time MVP.

The Spurs have yet to play a game with all four of Castle, Fox, Harper, and Wembanyama in the rotation. Fox didn't make his season debut until Nov. 8, Harper was sidelined between Nov. 3 and Nov. 25, Castle was out between Nov. 17 and Dec. 7, and Wembanyama has missed every game since Nov. 15.

Despite their disappointing inability to get the core four players on the court at the same time, the Spurs are 17-7 and have won nine of their past 12 games.

Antetokounmpo is the ultimate game-changer, however, as he's widely regarded as one of the best players in NBA history. At 30 years of age, he's also in the midst of his prime. Unfortunately, trading for him would cost San Antonio at least one of its core players.

That's put the Spurs' backs against the wall as they make a decision about the value of an all-time great versus a multi-player core they haven't yet explored.

Trading for Giannis would mean Spurs never get to evaluate current core

The harsh reality of trading for a superstar is that the team losing said player will be left scrambling to fill the void. A surplus of draft picks can certainly help soften the blow, but most teams are looking for young players they can build their future around—and both Castle and Harper fit the bill.

According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Spurs were unwilling to trade the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft for Antetokounmpo. They instead preferred to utilize it to select Harper.

Fisher isn't sure if San Antonio's stance is still the same in December.

"Back then, that was not something the Spurs wanted to do. The Spurs were adamant that they were keeping the No. 2 selection and they were going to take Dylan Harper. I truly don't know at this juncture if that stance has changed, if it will change."

Thankfully, it's been reported that the Spurs aren't open to trading Castle or Harper at this juncture by Tim MacMahon of ESPN—even if it is for Antetokounmpo.

"As you're going to the trade machine over the next what is it, a couple of months here, don't bother putting Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle in any trades. And if that means you can't come up with things to get some huge blockbuster done for the Spurs, I would say, yeah, that's right. Those guys are going to be in San Antonio, I believe, for a long, long time."

For as fair as it is to question if the Spurs should be willing to part with Castle or Harper to add Antetokounmpo, one can't ignore the fact that the organization still hasn't explored their fit.

Spurs eager to give Castle-Fox-Harper-Wembanyama core a chance

No one in their right mind would argue that Castle and Harper are equal talents to Antetokounmpo at this stage of their respective careers. It's even more ambitious to argue that they'll live up to the standard set by an NBA champion, Finals MVP, two-time MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year.

What the Spurs are in the process of building, however, is a core that can compete for championships for the next decade plus.

Wembanyama looks the part of a future MVP, Fox is an All-NBA honoree in his prime, and both Castle and Harper have flashed star potential of their own. Questions persist in regard to whether or not Castle, Fox, and Harper can learn to coexist as subpar shooters, but they're already showing stronger chemistry than anticipated.

It's entirely possible that San Antonio will explore a trade further down the line, but it seems unlikely that it'll do so before it has a chance to see if its bold investment can pay off.

No matter what they choose to do, this is an impossible situation for the Spurs to find themselves in. The alternative to keeping the core together is adding a legend in their prime and building the most dominant interior in the NBA. They could still potentially have one of Castle or Harper, as well as Fox, and would thus have a top-tier starting lineup to fight the Oklahoma City Thunder with.

The unfortunate reality, however, is that adding Antetokounmpo would likely require the Spurs to give up on a potentially elite roster before it's played a single game together.