Grading a 3-team trade that would land the Spurs a starting center

Despite having already made several off-season trades, the San Antonio Spurs are all but certain to make another deal before next season. With 17 players under contract and two prospects waiting to be signed, the Spurs will have to cut their roster down to reach the 15-man roster limit. They could waive two players and look to trade others to open up roster space, which leads to a recent proposal from Bleacher Report.

Jake Fischer proposed several possible deals involving the Spurs but saved the best one for last. In his hypothetical 3-team deal, the Spurs would receive Clint Capela, and the Toronto Raptors would add Kobe Bufkin, Devonte' Graham, DeAndre Hunter, and two firsts. Additionally, the Atlanta Hawks would receive Pascal Siakam and Reggie Bullock.

Would the Spurs agree to the proposed trade?

With the Spurs needing to shed players, moving Graham and Bullock would be a big help. Better yet, it would make them better in the front court by adding Capela, though it would make Zach Collins expendable. The cost would be the lesser of the Atlanta Hawks' unprotected 2025 first-round pick and the Chicago Bulls' top-10 protected 2025 first.

At the moment, it looks like that pick could be in the teens, which would be a fair price to acquire a starting center with two affordable years remaining on his contract. Then again, the Spurs could keep Collins, who thrived as a starter last season, and look to move Graham and Bullock in separate deals for second-round picks. However, were they to agree to Fischer's proposed deal, the Spurs could possibly move Collins for a first-round pick.

That's a tough decision, though I would probably prefer to keep Collins. Even still, the proposal is a solid one for the Spurs since it attempts to address the concern about who will play next to their new franchise player. As for whether Toronto or Atlanta would do the deal, Atlanta would add a third star in Siakam and a three-and-d wing in Bullock. Meanwhile, the Raptors would receive a starting wing in Hunter, point guard help in Bufkin and Graham, and two first-round picks.

That's a pretty good return for a star on an expiring contract who may not re-sign and who the Raptors may not want to re-sign. It would worsen their team some, but not necessarily enough to jeopardize the 2024 top-six protected Raptors pick that the Spurs own. That makes this a good potential deal for the Spurs.

Grade: B+