5 Just-traded players Spurs should've snagged themselves

The 2024 NBA trade deadline has officially passed, and the San Antonio Spurs will look ever so slightly different going forward. While it was understood that no major changes needed to be made right now given the win-loss record, the team made a small move for the future in dealing Doug McDermott and freeing up an additional roster spot.

But as the dust settles on trade season in the NBA and the reasoning behind certain moves becomes clearer, there will become players that stand out and other teams will begin to wish they had made a move for them. A few players may end up fitting in this category for the Spurs.

Steven Adams

Traded to the Rockets from the Memphis Grizzlies a week before the deadline, Steven Adams will now join the youngsters in Houston and bring them a guiding veteran presence. He will still be sidelined for the remainder of the current season after undergoing PCL surgery in October.

But when he returns to the court, he will show that he is the type of veteran the Spurs would have loved to have in their locker room. Right now, it appears that moving Victor Wembanyama to center was the right move, as his numbers have jumped significantly.

However, in the circumstances where it would make sense to play Victor at power forward, Adams would be the perfect center to put next to him to grab rebounds, impose his physicality on opponents and generally make life easier for Wemby. He would have been an excellent replacement for Zach Collins, who has frequently frustrated fans this season.

Patrick Beverley

In general, it made sense for the Spurs to get younger at this deadline, and try to align their roster's average age with Victor Wembanyama. The team's timeline revolves around him, and getting players that are compatible with Wemby is the top priority.

But Patrick Beverley is the rare exception of an older player that would have been beneficial to have on this team. After the Philadelphia 76ers traded him to the Bucks for Cam Payne and a second-rounder, San Antonio may wish they had made a move for the 12-year league vet.

Part of the reason he would have been a solid fit with the Spurs is just the nature of who he is as a player. Beverley is known as a fiery competitor that brings it on defense every night and frustrates opponents to no end. Combine that with his veteran leadership and he would have been a fantastic player for Victor Wembanyama to learn from.

The other biggest reason Beverley would have made sense lies in his contract. He is currently on a one-year, $3.1 million deal, and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

San Antonio would not have been tied down paying Pat Bev a lot of money for an extended period of time. They would have had a cheap deal for a winning player that could bring a spark to the locker room for bare minimum the last two months of the season.

Troy Brown Jr.

But enough discussion about aging veterans. Now we get to the players that are more aligned with Wembanyama's timeline that would have made sense to put around him. Troy Brown Jr. was sent from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Detroit Pistons in order to acquire Monte Morris.

Brown is by no means a bad player. The primary reason he was only getting 11.1 minutes per night in Minnesota is that he was buried in the rotation by a long line of veteran players. The Timberwolves are in win-now mode, and they have a bunch of experienced players positioned around Anthony Edwards, which made it harder for Troy to get on the floor.

It would have made sense for the Spurs to pursue a young talent the likes of Brown. He is an effective three-and-D player that can be plugged and placed in multiple places in a lineup, and at just 24 years old his timeline fits that of Wembanyama, Vassell, and other young players in San Antonio's core.

Now, Brown will get a chance to showcase his talent in Detroit, where there will undoubtedly be more minutes available for him than on the Western Conference-leading Timberwolves. He may not be a future All-Star, but the Spurs missed a prime opportunity to get a potential rotational player for a low price.

P.J. Washington

After spending the first four and a half seasons of his career with the Charlotte Hornets, P.J. Washington will be heading to Dallas to join up with Luka Doncic and company. Now playing for San Antonio's cross-state rival, the Spurs will be seeing a lot of more of him than they did before.

While P.J. is undoubtedly the most expensive player on this list (and the argument can be made that the Mavericks overpaid for him), he was one of the best players on the trade market overall. Washington's production was somewhat inconsistent in Charlotte, but his talent spoke for itself.

Whether the Spurs want to continue playing Wemby at the five or go back to the four, Washington could have been an excellent choice for his partner in the frontcourt. P.J. has seen significant time at center and power forward over the course of his career, and he creates matchup problems for opposing players at both positions.

His passing ability, sharp shooting prowess, and capability on defense make him the prototype of a successful frontcourt player in the modern NBA. He can even erupt for 40-plus points on nights where his shot is falling. While there were no rumors leaked of the Spurs seeking out Washington, it is hard to think they will not look back and wish they had made a run at him.

Tre Mann

The NBA is all about opportunity. Teams around the league draft players based on potential, and sometimes a player's potential gets hidden from the world simply because they are not in position to play significant minutes and put their skill to the test on the hardwood in regular season games.

But when a player is traded out of a restricting situation and the right opportunity comes along, fans can sometimes see a whole new player and wonder where that level of talent was on his old team. There does not seem to be anyone that this notion applies to more at this deadline than Tre Mann.

Traded from Oklahoma City to Charlotte, Tre will be getting a fresh start after seeing his minutes dwindle as the Thunder began winning more games. Bucks superstar Damian Lillard spoke about Mann on a podcast a few months ago. "I don’t know if it’s gonna be in Oklahoma City but wherever he’s at, Tre Mann is nice," said Lillard. "When he gets an opportunity somewhere, I’m telling you."

It is not hard to see why Lillard feels this way. When you watch Mann play, he is shifty, quick, makes good decisions with the ball and has a lethal jump shot. He is the type of athlete that can have a high ceiling in this league. With the Spurs currently looking for an answer at the point guard position, this one certainly feels like a missed opportunity.