Gut-wrenching blockbuster Spurs trade would pair Wemby with another superstar

The San Antonio Spurs failed to land Kevin Durant, but they could still end up with a star this summer. While trade rumors surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo have died down, with Durant traded, they might soon pick back up.

The Bucks may have the upper hand in keeping Giannis, at least to start next season, but they are still limited in upgrading their roster. If Giannis is unimpressed by their offseason moves, then he might force a trade.

That leads us to a blockbuster hypothetical trade via Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes in which the Spurs trade for Antetokounmpo.

The Spurs land Giannis Antetokounmpo in proposed trade

San Antonio Spurs

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Giannis Antetokounmpo

Pat Connaughton

Milwaukee Bucks

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Stephon Castle

Harrison Barnes

Jeremy Sochan

Keldon Johnson, 4 firsts

The proposed trade would see San Antonio ship out Stephon Castle, Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, Keldon Johnson, the 14th pick, and three other future first-round picks for Giannis. That trade would practically gut the Spurs' roster, with them trading four rotation players for Giannis.

Giannis would undoubtedly be a game changer for San Antonio, giving them a top-five player to pair with a potential future top-five player in Victor Wembanyama. Be that as it may, this particular trade as constructed would do more harm than good.

Post-trade, the projected starting lineup would consist of De'Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, Giannis, and Wembanyama.

That starting lineup would have potential, with them having plenty of size, length, and versatility to be a threat on both offense and defense. Beyond that, the Spurs would have to build out their bench.

The trade would improve the Spurs' ceiling while handcuffing them

Bringing back Chris Paul and Julian Champagnie plus adding a backup small forward, power forward, a center, and more depth would help round out the roster. It's possible that the Spurs could, by using both the mid-level exception (MLE) and bi-annual exception (BLE), sign or trade for players.

Even if they can, they would be relying on their top-line talent. Giannis is still one of the five best players in the NBA, and his ability to bulldoze his way to the basket and finish is virtually impossible to stop. Even as he ages, he should still be more than an effective player, with him emerging as a solid mid-range shooter last season.

Pairing him with Wembanyama would be an absolute nightmare for opposing teams. They would be able to run pick and roll with Wembanyama spacing the floor and Giannis attacking opposing centers in space.

Better still, they would have Fox as a third option, and he and Giannis could be a terrific pick-and-roll pairing as well. That's with Fox being able to accelerate to the rim with teams unlikely to trap since it would give Giannis a clear runway to the basket.

The Spurs could still land Giannis Antetokounmpo

San Antonio Spurs

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Giannis Antetokounmpo

Pat Connaughton

Milwaukee Bucks

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Stephon Castle

Harrison Barnes

Keldon Johnson

3 first-round picks

Nevertheless, the Spurs would be giving up a huge haul that would make a trade cost-prohibitive. Adding Giannis would make them contenders, and they could potentially build a great roster around him and Wembanyama in the short term.

However, the Spurs' draft stockpile isn't quite large enough to easily absorb giving up four firsts. We've also seen other playoff teams fall into the same trap of giving up too many picks only to regret it later.

If the Spurs include Castle, then his value should be equivalent to two first-round picks. The Atlanta pick should be viewed as a lottery pick; the 14th pick—or who they select with the 14th pick—could also be valuable.

Add in one more first and take out Sochan, and that should be fair value. Especially if the Spurs are being asked to take back Connaughton's nearly $10 million salary. Keeping a first and Jeremy Sochan out of the deal would make the deal far more appealing and still might get a trade across the finish line.

Overall, the Spurs trading for Giannis is still something they should strongly consider if he becomes available. However, the proposed offer would deplete their remaining assets, making the trade a non-starter for the Spurs unless the deal was altered.