The most explosive trade of the summer may involve the Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs have already advanced to the second round of the NBA Playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. With their best team in nearly 10 years, San Antonio has as good of a chance as any to win it all.

The Spurs' offseason is hopefully a long ways away, but this team is about to become very expensive. Therefore, they may need to make tough decisions this summer to ensure they will still be able to contend for years to come.

That begs the question: Who is the most likely Spurs player to be traded?

Which Spurs player is most likely to be traded after this season?

Picking which Spurs is most likely to be moved is tricky. After all, entering this season, the players most likely to be moved were Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Harrison Barnes.

Vassell and Johnson are both having strong seasons, and Barnes will be a free agent after this season. Then there is De'Aaron Fox, who's inconsistent play has some Spurs fans antsy.

Of those players, Fox may be the least likely of the three to be traded. His contract is still a clear overpay, but it's hard to see San Antonio trading him after just a season and a half.

He's also had some strong playoff games, suggesting he's going to have a great postseason. That leaves Vassell and Johnson.

Devin Vassell is the most likely player to be traded

Johnson's trade value may be at an all-time high with him winning Sixth Man of the Year. He is also on an expiring contract after this season. Thus, San Antonio trading him while his value is high makes sense in theory.

Especially with the Spurs potentially not being able to re-sign him to a long-term deal given financial constraints. Still, it would be an unpopular move given how much he's meant to this team. As a result, my money is on Vassell.

Vassell will still be under contract for the next three years, and his deal looks much more reasonable than it did at the beginning of this season. San Antonio still needs him, with Vassell being their best all-around shooter and a good defender.

However, shedding his long-term contract might make sense. This is particularly true if a big trade, such as for Kevin Durant or Michael Porter Jr.—both controversial options—requires his large salary to be used in a deal. In that case, Johnson would also have to be included.

I don't expect it to happen this summer, with San Antonio probably not doing much beyond using their first-round pick and signing veterans to fill out the roster. Still, if a player were to be traded, I expect it to be Vassell.

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