What’s the minimum the Spurs should accept for Doug McDermott?

For much of this season, fans of the San Antonio Spurs have expected that each of the team's veteran rotation players would be moved ahead of February's trade deadline. However, that may not be the case with Doug McDermott, who hasn't seemed to gain the same amount of interest from other teams as Jakob Poeltl and Josh Richardson have.

That isn't to suggest McDermott isn't useful; however, unlike Poeltl and Richardson, his value is limited to the offensive end of the floor. He'll also make $14 million next season, making him a less desirable asset. Still, another team could utilize his skill set and make the Spurs an offer, but what's the minimum the Spurs should accept for McDermott? Let's take a look.

What could Doug McDermott fetch in a trade?

While receiving a first-round pick for each of Richardson, Poeltl, and McDermott would obviously be great, trading McDermott for a first-round pick outright may be wishful thinking. Fortunately, the Thaddeus Young trade from last season could serve as a potential template for a McDermott trade. The Spurs traded Young and Detroit's second-round pick to the Raptors for their first-round pick, with Goran Dragic's expiring contract being used as salary filler. That deal allowed the Spurs to move up 14 spots in the draft, providing them with a good return for a solid veteran.

The Spurs could do something similar with McDermott by agreeing to trade him and a second-round pick in exchange for an expiring contract and a first-round pick. Or, they could use McDermott's contract to take back long-term salary to land another first-rounder.
Russell Westbrook could be an option, though the Los Angeles Lakers may opt to stand pat at the trade deadline.

Another option could be trading McDermott for former Spur Davis Bertans, a top-three projected 2025 first, and a 2027 pick swap. Bertans is slated to make $33 million over the next two seasons and has played a limited role for the Mavericks thus far this season. Assuming the Mavericks are trying to get off his salary while upgrading their roster, lightly protecting a future pick and agreeing to swap rights on another could make sense. After all, it could save them a significant amount of money to spend for the 2024–25 season.

The Spurs could receive a lot if they're willing to take back bad contracts.

That trade would give the Spurs their 14th first-round selection in the next seven years. They'd also have future swap rights with a team that's built to win now but hasn't built as well as they could around Luka Doncic. For all we know, he might not even be on the team by then. As for Bertans, he'll make slightly more than McDermott next season.

Also, depending on whether he plays at least 75% of the team's games next season, he could be waived for just $5 million in 2024. Or, his expiring $17 million salary could be used, in combination with a Spurs pick, to improve, depending on how good the team is in a couple of years. 

Ultimately, McDermott may not fetch as much as Poeltl or Richardson, given his lack of defense. That being said, he's one of the better shooters in the NBA, so the minimum offer the Spurs should accept is one that includes a first-round pick.