Latest Hawks report highlights Spurs will receive massive payoff no matter what

An interesting factor when holding so many draft picks is how closely you become tied to the teams you received draft picks from. Fans will lock in on the decisions of those organizations because their choices will have a direct impact on your favorite team. Since San Antonio holds so many of Atlanta's draft picks, their offseason becomes paramount to Spurs fans, and any report of a shift in direction is met with a mountain of intrigue from South Texas.

There have been conflicting whispers regarding the Hawks' direction. Some have insisted they have an interest in trading either Trae Young or Dejounte Murray and building around the other. While there have been others saying they would rather keep both and just add to their roster since they have the number one draft pick. The latest rumor is a deviation from all of those scenarios.

The Spurs will benefit from most of the paths the Hawks can take

Atlanta thought they captured lightning in a bottle when they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021. That excitement led them to make the deal for Dejounte Murray. Unfortunately, for them, the move hasn't paid off and they are seemingly ready to move on. It doesn't matter how far you have traveled; if you figure out that you're going in the wrong direction, you must turn around.

It's exactly what they should be doing but the circumstances are beneficial for San Antonio, who gained significant draft capital from the Hawks in that deal but it's not just that. It's the acquisition of the rest of the assets the Spurs possess that puts them in a position to be the best landing spot for Young or Murray from Atlanta's point of view. If they could trade both players and completely swap their players for Alamo City's chest of picks, they likely would.

Even if the Spurs didn't have Victor Wembanyama, they would be considered to be in a better position than Atlanta based on their assets. That reality sets San Antonio up to benefit from just about anything the Hawks do.