Spurs sacrifice depth to land a star in tempting blockbuster 4-way proposal

Spurs land Zach LaVine in the deal

The cliff notes of the proposed deal involve the Spurs sending the Suns Zach Collins and the Bulls Keldon Johnson in exchange for Zach LaVine and an unprotected 2029 first. Additionally, the LA Clippers would receive Bradley Beal, an unprotected first from the Suns and two seconds, though not from the Spurs.

In return, the Suns would also get Norm Powell and PJ Tucker in addition to Collins. It's a lot, with the Spurs giving up two key players for an injured star on an awful contract and an unprotected first. That is a deal that would have made more sense before the Wembanyama era.

On the other hand, Collins is wildly overpaid as a backup center, and Johnson is far more replaceable with the additions of Castle and Barnes. Also, LaVine is the best player in the deal, assuming that he is healthy next season.

Add in a distant unprotected first in 2029, and the framework is there for a reasonable deal for San Antonio. Still, there is a minor tweak that might make the deal even better for the Spurs and the other teams might agree to. Next, we'll see whether the Spurs would do the trade.