7 Stars the Spurs should wait to pursue over Trae Young

While some fans of the San Antonio Spurs might have expected their team to be relatively competitive in the Western Conference this season, that has clearly not been the case. The Spurs have had their moments, but an 11-44 record and owning the 15th spot in the West indicates that there is still much work to be done.

San Antonio is focused on building for the future while figuring out what exactly they have with their core of young players, which is a perfectly fine strategy. When you have a talent the likes of Victor Wembanyama leading your franchise, it only makes sense to build the best team around him possible.

Recently, many have speculated that the team may be pursuing Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young. The Spurs have a need at starting point guard, and they have the assets to put together a huge potential trade package in order to acquire the talented floor general.

But perhaps we are all focusing too hard on Young. While he will potentially be available as soon as the regular season ends in Atlanta given recent reports, there are other star players the Spurs could hold out for later in the offseason. These are the seven most notable they should be looking at.

1. Mikal Bridges

Coming on to the scene as an elite two-way wing player, Mikal Bridges is among the most talented young forwards in the game today. After spending the first four and a half seasons of his career playing next to Devin Booker in Phoenix, Bridges was traded to Brooklyn and has been able to thrive as the team's top offensive option.

Mikal is a player that would make a lot of sense in San Antonio. His two-way ability may not be on the same level, but it is somewhat reminiscent of a certain defensive savant-turned All-NBA level player that played for the Spurs last decade. For Spurs fans that have dreamed of what San Antonio could have looked like with both Wemby and Kawhi Leonard on the floor at the same time, Bridges may not completely fulfill that vision, but he might be the next best thing.

The only problem with Mikal is that he may be rather hard to obtain. The Nets have reportedly made him very hard to get in any potential trades. But if anyone has the ridiculously large stash of draft picks to make something happen, it is the Spurs.

2. Donovan Mitchell

One of the bigger surprises in the Eastern Conference this season has been the Cleveland Cavaliers. After a surprising flameout in the first round of the playoffs last year and throughout the beginning of their rough start to this season, many wondered if star guard Donovan Mitchell already had a foot out the door.

But after sitting at 18-15 overall on January 1, the Cavs have won an astounding 18 of their last 20 games. Their run is being heavily underrated right now, and they look like one of the best teams in the NBA. As of this writing, Cleveland owns the second best record in their conference by two and a half games.

However, there are still rumors that Mitchell could be trying to find a new landing spot after this season ends. After all, this is a team he was traded to and not one he chose in free agency. Donovan is currently under contract for one more season with a player option for the 2025-26 season.

If the Spurs made a trade for him, they would have to consider his over $30 million per year salary. But with that in mind, he would be an excellent fit next to Wemby. Mitchell's powerful scoring ability would create a fantastic one-two scoring punch and improve the Spurs' 28th-ranked offensive efficiency.

3. Evan Mobley

When it comes to production in the frontcourt, Victor Wembanyama can already do so much. He is one of the best shot blockers and rim protectors in the association, and he has only begun to scratch the surface of how he can impact the game with his scoring and playmaking ability.

What Victor has lacked so far is an All-Star caliber frontcourt teammate. No disrespect to Zach Collins, but the Spurs will at some point need someone they can put next to Wemby that can have a bigger overall impact on the game. So if that is ultimately the goal for San Antonio, why not try to re-create the glory days?

The second Cleveland Cavalier on our list, Evan Mobley is one of the most versatile young big guys in the league. His two-way impact has been there since he first stepped foot on the NBA hardwood, with a first-team All-Defensive selection to his name, along with finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting and third in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2023.

Putting Evan Mobley and Victor Wembanyama in the same front court would be eerily reminiscent of the Tim Duncan and David Robinson pairing that brought the Spurs their first two championships. Okay, maybe it's really not all that similar when comparing the players directly, but is it crazy to say this duo's ceiling could be in the same stratosphere as Tim and David?

4. Luka Doncic

For the last five and a half years, the Spurs and their fanbase have been tormented by the magic of Luka Doncic. His seventh career game was against San Antonio, a contest in which he dropped what was then a career-best 31 points.

On New Year's Eve in 2022, he dropped 51 points at the former AT&T Center after Head Coach Gregg Popovich made a tongue-in-cheek comment that the Spurs' goal was to hold Luka under 50 points. Doncic has surpassed his career expectations time and again, and he has certainly made the cross-state Mavericks-Spurs rivalry more fun and intense with his dazzling displays of talent.

Now I will admit that Luka is probably the biggest pipe dream on this entire list. As far as Mark Cuban and Dallas' ownership is concerned, I am sure they would rather sell their own houses than trade Doncic before he technically even enters his prime. Not to mention they would be helping their rival get better in the immediate future.

However, if the Spurs truly had their eyes on Luka and wanted to create a duo that could dominate the association for the next decade-plus, they would certainly be prepared to offer their entire treasure trove of picks plus whatever players on the roster not named Victor Wembanyama that the Mavericks wanted.

If there were even the slightest possibility of Doncic becoming available, the Spurs should be prepared to construct the biggest trade package ever assembled.

5. Cade Cunningham

I think we can all agree that the Spurs getting a player the likes of Doncic to put next to Wemby would effectively break the game of basketball. Much like when Kevin Durant joined the 73-9 Golden State Warriors, that would be a duo with the potential to dominate at a level we have scarcely ever seen before.

But the truth is that San Antonio does not necessarily need to stack the deck like that in order to find a suitable star teammate for Victor. They need to add a point guard, but acquiring arguably the best at that position in the sport is admittedly a bit of an ask. Instead, they could opt for another high-end target with a much lower price tag like Cade Cunningham.

Playing in his third season after being selected number one overall in 2021, Cunningham is still growing and developing as a player. After missing nearly all of last season, he is making up for lost time in a big way this season. Cade is averaging career-bests in points and assists per game, along with career-highs in his shooting percentages across the board.

He is a strong guard with good playmaking skill and an ability to draw defenders with how often he gets to the rim. Detroit likely still views him as their franchise cornerstone, so getting him in a trade would still not be easy. But there is an argument to be made that Cade could be every bit as good a fit next to Wembanyama as Trae Young in the long-term.

6. Lauri Markkanen

The majority of players we have looked at on this list so far have been perimeter players, simply due to the fact San Antonio is in desperate need of a starting point guard. Getting a player that can help further unlock the offensive prowess of Wemby who is also a talented guard in his own right would be an excellent step forward for the Spurs.

But what if they were to get another skilled frontcourt player that can play effectively off of Victor? We already looked at Evan Mobley for his huge defensive impact, now we can examine Lauri Markkanen for his equally impactful offensive game.

It was not long ago that Markkanen was viewed as a very expendable piece. When he was traded to the Utah Jazz ahead of the 2022-23 season, he was given away for pennies compared to what he is considered to be worth on the trade market now. But since his breakout season a year ago, his value has skyrocketed. Markkanen's impact as an outside shooter, rebounder, and pick-and-roll finisher are all immense.

A duo of Victor and Lauri would be an instant mismatch for nearly every frontcourt in the NBA. Markkanen is still just 26 years old as well, so his timeline is not that far removed from Wemby's.

7. Joel Embiid

We are all aware of the kind of otherworldly talent Joel Embiid possesses at this point. His antics can of course be obnoxious, but there is little doubting that he has mastered playing basketball at both ends of the floor.

Defensively, Joel has always been a savant. He defends inside and out, can move his feet well and block shots. But after winning MVP last season, it was Embiid's offense that was propelling him to another MVP-worthy season this year before injuries ultimately disqualified him. Somehow, the five-time All-NBA player found a way to get even better on the offensive end in his eighth professional season.

As you watch Embiid on offense, he is highly methodical. A quick jab step to test his defender's instincts, then a lightning-quick jumper over his head. The next time down the floor, it might be another jab step before a couple of quick dribble moves into another jumper or perhaps a well-timed pass to an open teammate.

Where necessary, Joel knows exactly how to manipulate defenders into getting called for fouls as well. For fans of opposing teams it is maddening, but there is no question he has worked hard to achieve this level of mastery of the sport. One of the only questions left surrounding Embiid is health. Will he ever be able to stay on the floor for a full season plus postseason at his peak?

It is perhaps the only reason Philadelphia would ever potentially consider a trade for him. Making a play for an oft-injured star would be a big risk for the Spurs, but the potential reward factor would obviously be monumental as well.