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

Would the San Antonio Spurs agree to this trade?

Believe it or not, there is a scenario in which this trade could make sense for the Spurs with some minor tweaks. The Spurs already own Chicago's 2025 top-10 protected first-round pick. While the Bulls are set to tank this season, San Antonio would still have a chance to receive that pick in 2026 and 2027, with it being top 8 protected in both years.

If Schwartz's deal alters the protections of that pick, making it unprotected in 2026, then not only would the Spurs receive an unprotected first in 2029 from Chicago, but they would also get one in 2026 too. At the moment, it's questionable whether the Bulls pick will convey so guaranteeing that it would be like receiving two firsts.

Even so, giving up two rotation players just before the start of training camp for a star working his way back from injury is risky, as is adding the remaining three years and $137 million left on his contract. However, Johnson and Collins' contracts would offset almost half of that, and a healthy LaVine would be better than either player.

The Spurs would probably never do a deal like this at this point in the offseason, but it would make a lot more sense ahead of the trade deadline. If LaVine looks fine, the Spurs are on the outside of the playoff race, and the Bulls want to beef up their tanking efforts, then both teams might agree to the altered deal, as would the Clippers and Suns.