Spurs: LIVE Final NBA Trade Deadline Day Rumor Round-up
By Josh Paredes
The NBA trade deadline is hours away, and the San Antonio Spurs have been fairly active over the past few weeks.
While it wasn't a splashy, game-changing move, General Manager Brian Wright's trade of Juancho Hernangomez on Wednesday netted another second-round pick from the Utah Jazz and Tomas Satoransky from Portland. That return increased the value of the previous trade of Bryn Forbes to an additional second-round pick to pair with the one they already received plus $2.35 million.
While I wouldn't expect Satoransky to be part of the rotation (he might even be flipped immediately), the move was mostly about continuing to stockpile assets. As Collin Reid of Project Spurs pointed out, the Spurs now have five future second-round picks and one swap from other teams between now and 2028.
With Thursday's NBA trade deadline happening at 3 p.m. ET, there are bound to be more deals across the NBA, and the Spurs are at the center of several rumors heading into it. While you can go here for some live, up-to-the-minute breakdowns of each non-Spurs trade and their effects on them, let's recap everything we've heard about the Silver and Black heading into the final hours.
Thaddeus Young
I've recapped this plenty of times in the past, but the team that keeps coming up in rumors for Thaddeus Young is the Phoenix Suns. From Marc Stein to The Athletic to HoopsHype, several reports have ranged from a trade for Jalen Smith, Dario Saric, and pick(s) to them waiting for a buyout of the veteran.
The most recent credible chatter I've seen about Young came on Wednesday evening:
The wording of "eventually landing in Phoenix" seems troublesome to me -- almost as if Young may already have a plan to head to the Suns after an inevitable buyout by the Spurs. If they already know San Antonio plans to buy him out and he'll choose them, they won't be motivated to strike a deal and give up anything for him.
This is just what I'm concluding from hearsay, however, so we'll have to see if San Antonio has another trade in their chamber given the interest he's been drawing all season. In my ranking of the three best outcomes for moving Young in early January, I had the Suns deal as the optimal choice and dealing him to a non-contender as second-best.
It sounds like the Spurs might already have an offer (or close to it) on the table from Minnesota centered around Taurean Prince and a second-round pick if they want it. Would they be close enough to a contender to satisfy Young? Should that matter to the organization? This will probably be the loudest chatter around a Spurs player you'll hear on Thursday.
UPDATE (12:03 pm ET): According to Adrian Wojnarowksi, Thaddeus Young is headed to Toronto along with Drew Eubanks and a 2022 second-round pick. The Spurs are getting Goran Dragic, a protected first-round pick this year, and a future pick.
Jakob Poeltl
While his name has been floating around trade rumors for a few weeks, it would surprise me to see Jakob Poeltl moved at the deadline. If he does, it would reportedly be for a big return, as it should be.
The latest intel on Poeltl came courtesy of Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer on February 8th:
"Jakob Poeltl remains a highly coveted center on the trade market. Chicago has recently been mentioned as another interested team in addition to Toronto and Charlotte. The Bulls are searching for reinforcements in the frontcourt, sources said, behind Nikola Vucevic."
UPDATE (12:10 pm): According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, talks are heating up between the Hornets and Spurs for Poeltl. He expands more here:
"The Charlotte Hornets and San Antonio Spurs have discussed a possible trade of PJ Washington, Kai Jones, and the inclusion of a first-round draft pick for Jakob Poeltl, league sources told HoopsHype. Currently, both sides are haggling over the potential inclusion of a first-round pick in the trade."
Lonnie Walker
In a Twitter Spaces with Basketball News on Wednesday evening, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto was asked about the availability of Lonnie Walker at the deadline.
"He is available, I'll just put it that way," he started. "He's a guy that has not fit there. Keldon Johnson, Josh Primo, Dejounte Murray, and Devin Vassell -- those are the future guys to build around. Lonnie Walker is definitely available."
Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer had similar things to say on Marc Stein's Spotify Greenroom later Wednesday night.
"I'll say Lonnie Walker's name has been out there since the draft for sure," he said. "I don't know if he'll get dealt. I haven't heard any interest for him -- just that he's available."
Walker played just 11 minutes on Wednesday as he returned from a right knee injury. Meanwhile, Josh Primo played 22.
Derrick White
In a shocking trade, the Spurs are sending Derrick White to Boston for Josh Richardson, a top-4 protected first-round pick in 2022, and Romeo Langford.
Stay tuned to this post for the latest rumors throughout Thursday morning and through the 3 p.m. deadline.