Ranking every Spurs player by trade likelihood

With one-third of the NBA season now in the books, the San Antonio Spurs now have a good idea of how their roster fits. The Spurs appear likely to make a deal or two before the trade deadline in February, and with 18 players on their roster, several could be on the move. Of course, some players are more likely than others to be moved, but what is the likelihood of each Spur being traded?

Tier 5: Not worth it

18) Charles Bediako
17) David Duke Jr.
16) Dominick Barlow
15) Sidy Cissoko

This group is reserved for players who have little to no chance of being traded, not because they are invaluable to the team but because they have little value to other teams. The two most intriguing of the four are Dominick Barlow and Sidy Cissoko, but they are still commodities without enough value to warrant a call from other teams.

Barlow is a 6'9 power forward who is a nice finisher around the rim and possesses defensive potential when guarding away from the basket. He is in his second season with the Spurs, and while he has a chance to be a capable NBA player, Barlow still has a ways to go before he reaches that point.

Meanwhile, Cissoko was San Antonio's second-round pick and projects to be a big and bruising wing with some playmaking skill. He probably won't see much time this season or even next in the NBA, and he develops in the G-League, but there's hope that he can turn into a player for the Spurs. Despite their potential, Barlow and Cissoko, as well as Charles Bediako and the recently signed David Duke Jr., shouldn't worry about being traded ahead of the February 12th deadline.

Tier 4: Spurs' long-haul projects

14) Julian Champagnie
13) Charles Bassey
12) Sandro Mamukelashvili

This 3-man group of Spurs players holds some value, but mostly to the Spurs. Julian Champagnie was signed to a cheap four-year contract after his strong play at the end of last season. At the time, it seemed like a worthwhile signing, and it still might be but he hasn't been good nearly one-third through the season. He shouldn't be worried about being dealt unless a salary match is needed in a larger deal but that's highly unlikely.

Before he got injured, Charles Bassey had established himself as a solid backup center for the Spurs. Had he stayed healthy, he might have been an interesting trade target for another team, with Victor Wembanyama now starting at center, Zach Collins backing him up and Bassey suddenly out of the rotation. Now, Bassey's minimal trade value has likely dissipated, and he will have to recover from a second straight season-ending injury.

Sandro Mamukelashvili, on the other hand, cannot be traded without his consent because he signed a one-year deal. Were the Spurs to release him, he might draw interest, but not enough for a team to try and trade for him.

Tier 3: Possibly accepting calls for these Spurs players

11) Devonte Graham
10) Blake Wesley
9) Doug McDermott
8) Cedi Osman
7) Zach Collins

Now we're starting to get warmer. Of the 18 Spurs on the roster, Doug McDermott, Cedi Osman, Devonte Graham, and Blake Wesley all stand a chance to get moved before the February 12th deadline. McDermott and Osman are both terrific shooters who are on affordable expiring contracts, making it easy for a playoff team to trade for them, provided they have second-round picks to spare.

Graham has a small guarantee for next season. Considering the Spurs have chosen not to play him, it is more likely that he gets waived after the deadline and signed up by a team in need of shooting but not before, in case the Spurs need to match salaries in a big trade.

As for Wesley, a long-term role seems unlikely. He's faster than most, has some craftiness, and may become a decent shooter, but San Antonio's experimentation at point guard has buried him deep on the bench. That could be the case next season if they draft a point guard in the lottery. They will also still have Tre Jones, and they could look to sign a guard in free agency.

As a result, if the Spurs make a big trade that includes some combination of McDermott, Graham, and Osman, it shouldn't be a surprise if Blake is included as a means to extract value out of a late first-round pick before he loses more value not playing.

With Zach Collins being demoted to center and Wembanyama playing well, the decision to extend Collins at starter-level money looks slightly worse in retrospect. Keeping Collins through the end of this season appears likely due to Bassey's injury, but it doesn't make sense to have him as Wembanyama's backup going forward at his cost. He is a prime trade candidate for the off-season, though.

Tier 2: Spurs players who may (but probably won't) get traded

6) Tre Jones
5) Malaki Branham
4) Keldon Johnson

Small forward Keldon Johnson headlines this group, and joining Johnson in this group are Tre Jones and Malaki Branham. Neither player is likely to get moved, but it is not out of the realm of possibility. Jones has played a more limited role than many expected, even though he is the best passer on the Spurs.

He has just one year left on his contract, and the Spurs may draft his eventual replacement in June, not to mention they could also look to sign a point guard in free agency. If a team is looking for an upgrade at backup point guard, then the Spurs may be open to trading him, but that would leave them without a true playmaking guard.

As for Braham, he has had an up-and-down season but still projects to be a skilled offensive player once he figures things out. He's not untouchable, but, at 20 and with two years left on his rookie deal, it wouldn't make sense to trade him unless they were throwing in the kitchen sink in a deal for a star.

Johnson's name has come up in recent trade rumors, though it is unclear if the Spurs would move their starting small forward and longest-tenured player. With two lottery picks in the 2024 NBA draft, the Spurs could look to capitalize on Johnson's trade value, with him having one of the best contracts in the NBA.

If they can get two or even three firsts—assuming they are willing to take back a big contract—then it would be wise to do so. Especially if they can get picks toward the second half of the decade. That would enable them to build around Wembanyama when he is on his second contract and making $50 million a season; an inevitability. That deal may not materialize before the deadline, but it might happen this summer.

Tier 1: Young Spurs staples who won't be traded

3) Devin Vassell
2) Jeremy Sochan
1) Victor Wembanyama

Devin Vassell recently signed a 5-year deal worth $146 million before the season. While he can technically be traded, the team wouldn't have signed him to a rare rookie extension that would keep him in San Antonio for six seasons if they intended to trade him months later. Whether he plays out that contract in San Antonio remains to be seen, but the hope is that he can be the team's second option going forward.

Sochan appears to be much less untouchable this season than he was last season, but he is still guaranteed not to be traded. The Spurs have moved away from the Sochan at point guard experiment, but he hasn't quite returned to being a good off-the-ball player, and his defense hasn't been as good this season. Even then, the point guard experiment suggests the Spurs have long-term plans for Sochan so fans should expect to see the Polish Prince for the foreseeable future.

Lastly, we get to Wembanyama. Breaking news: he will not be traded. Better yet, any major move San Antonio makes will be with him in mind. Ultimately, it's possible that several players get traded, but we'll have to wait until the February deadline to know for sure.