Rumors: Spurs may be looking for involvement in Kevin Durant trade

The San Antonio Spurs have been extremely frugal with their money so far this offseason, and some executives believe there's a reason for it.

While many big-name free agents are finding new homes and stars are being traded, the Spurs made their one huge trade of Dejounte Murray and have been sitting back ever since. As it stands, they have the most projected practical cap space in the NBA with $35.6 million, according to Spotrac.com.

Per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, some NBA executives believe the Kevin Durant trade request drama could be at the center of why the Spurs are holding onto so much cap space. Before you get too excited, such a deal wouldn't mean the 12-time All-Star would end up in the Alamo City.

Much as with the Russell Westbrook trade rumors, the Spurs would simply be using their cap space in a salary dump position to facilitate a trade, acquiring draft picks in the process. Just as with the Westbrook situation, it's believed most trades between two teams alone involving Durant would be impossible due to cap space restrictions. This is especially the case since he only has a limited list of teams he'd willingly join -- unsurprisingly one that includes only contenders.

Will the Spurs actually play a facilitator role this summer?

There are several ways the San Antonio Spurs can approach the rest of the summer, and acting as a facilitator to acquire even more future draft picks is certainly one of them. However, they could have competition in doing so, such as the Indiana Pacers, who have an abundance of cap space themselves.

During the Spurs' third Summer League game on Monday, General Manager Brian Wright mentioned how the front office has many ways to build up the team again. I'd expect they will be keeping their phones nearby with ringers on throughout the summer and up until next year's NBA trade deadline, and they won't hesitate to make a move that will net more picks without handicapping their cap space for next offseason.

While there doesn't seem to be a path to trade Kevin Durant to somewhere he wants to go right now, that could change in the coming weeks and months, and the Spurs will be listening.