1 trade, 1 signing that could make Spurs competitive next season

Now that the dust has settled after the surprising NBA Draft lottery, the San Antonio Spurs find themselves in a great spot heading into the summer. They will select fourth and eighth in this year's draft and have almost $20 million in cap space to make moves to improve their roster.

With reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama having an extended summer to develop, including playing in the Olympics, Spurs fans are probably hoping for a huge offseason renovation to build around their new franchise centerpiece. They could do so by nailing their draft picks, pulling off a big trade and making a key free agent signing.

That won't necessarily be easy but San Antonio has a great draft track record—the 2021 NBA Draft—notwithstanding. They have also shown more willingness to make deals under G.M. Brian Wright, though they have yet to make a blockbuster trade.

After being in rebuilding mode for the last several seasons, this summer may finally be the time for that to happen. Meanwhile, the Spurs haven't had a big free agent signing since LaMarcus Aldridge back in 2015, and although there aren't any big fish like him this summer, San Antonio may have a chance to sign a key player. Next, we'll take a look at one player the Spurs should trade for.

One Trade that could make Spurs competitive next season

A recent report by Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer states that the Spurs are unlikely to trade for Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young, leading to questions about who they might target instead. If they aren't interested in Young, it's hard to see them making a move for Cleveland Cavaliers guards Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland.

Instead, former Spurs guard Dejounte Murray may still be an option. After all, he would probably cost less than any of the aforementioned players, and he also still has a close relationship with coach Gregg Popovich.

With higher-profile players available, San Antonio could go after him in hopes of bringing Murray back on a bargain deal. The Hawks tried and failed to receive two first-round picks and a good young player for Murray near the trade deadline.

Therefore, the Spurs could offer Zach Collins, Devonte Graham, and Charlotte's lottery protected first, as well as the least favorable of Chicago's, Atlanta's, and San Antonio's first-round selections in 2025. That would probably still be a lottery pick but with the Spurs keeping the most favorable selections while still giving the Hawks a better offer than they have received for Murray thus far.

Even with Charlotte's pick unlikely to convey next season, it would still convert into two useful second-round picks. With Murray, the Spurs would upgrade at point guard with a player they know can fit in and run the offense. That's important because he would be able to get Wembanyama the ball more consistently than anyone they have on the roster.

He also has the highest defensive ceiling of any point guard available and the hope would be that he could get back to his peak level and help San Antonio on both ends of the floor.

One signing that could make Spurs competitive next season

The thought of bringing in future Hall of Famer and long-time rival Chris Paul might not be all that popular among Spurs fans but it would be a smart move. Nevertheless, it might take a lot for Paul to become a free agent but it's not impossible.

The Warriors could trade him this summer in a deal for a star or younger rotation players and Paul's new team may either shop him again or opt to cut him loose. If he were to become a free agent, the Spurs should pounce and look to sign Paul.

Paul joining an up-and-coming team might seem like an awkward fit but he may be both an on-court upgrade and a culture-setter for the Spurs. His ability to create in the pick-and-roll by knocking down pull-up jumpers, tossing lobs to the roll man or finding open shooters on the perimeter would be huge for a team.

Signing Paul to a one-year contract wouldn't negatively affect the team's long-term goal of building around Wembanyama. In fact, he can serve as a mentor to whoever they select in the 2024 NBA draft and also help Wembanyama take the next step into superstardom.

That alone would be worth it since a fully realized Wemby could attract other stars or veterans to San Antonio, allowing the Spurs to bring in key players down the road and that would start with signing Paul this summer.