Spurs can bolster their defense with this trade of McDermott to Cavaliers

The San Antonio Spurs have been rumored to be interested in trading Doug McDermott ever since they signed him last summer, or so it has felt. The 31-year-old sharpshooter commands some value as an efficient offensive bench piece than can raise the ceiling of a winning team. 

These Spurs are not a winning team, so it makes sense to flip any and all veterans for players or assets that can help the Spurs succeed down the road instead of floundering now. The Lakers, Knicks, Bucks, and Heat all seem like a good fit for McDermott and would happily give up a draft pick in order to bolster their (often delusional) championship window. 

The Cavs are interested in Dougie McBuckets

Recent reports have thrown another team in the mix: the Cleveland Cavaliers. Currently fourth in the Eastern Conference, largely thanks to Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs are a young team on the rise and will certainly be in championship talks for the next several years. That being said, they attempt the 21st most threes in the league and make them at an average clip, so adding some shooting talent is a must-have for the franchise. 

The Spurs were hoping to get a future first-round pick for the shooter, but that seems less and less likely to happen. Cleveland has no picks to trade after moving their assets for Caris LeVert and Donovan Mitchell, so the Spurs would only be able to receive young players back. Here’s what I’ve come up with.

Spurs receive Isaac Okoro and Cedi Osman for Doug McDermott

Isaac Okoro and Cedi Osman are seeing a drop in minutes, and neither one of them is a world-beater when it comes to shooting. Osman is 27 and a decent do-all player off the bench whose role in Cleveland is decreasing, and Okoro just needs a change of scenery. Okoro never has been and never will be a scorer, but he could be a poor man’s Jeremy Sochan off the bench, giving the Spurs a much-needed burst of defense. He’s a former fifth-overall selection who could use a new home to improve. 

Would I rather the Spurs flip McDermott for a future pick? Yes, but the odds of that happening are rather slim. If teams really wanted him, they probably would have taken him over the summer instead of waiting for the deadline, so it could be time for the Spurs to sell low on their sharpshooter.