The Spurs' Bold Trade Deadline Shows They Mean Business

Recapping the Spurs’ uncharacteristically active trade season

First off, the Spurs traded Bryn Forbes to the Denver Nuggets in a three-team trade that returned Juancho Hernangomez and a future 2nd round pick. They have since traded Hernangomez in another three-teamer for Tomas Satoransky -- a veteran combo guard on an expiring $10 million deal -- and another 2nd round pick.

In essence, Wright turned Forbes’ expiring $4.7 million deal into two 2nd round picks and $10 million coming off the books this offseason. While the picks may not sound like much, it’s worth considering that San Antonio has drafted some excellent players in the second round, and it could also use those to facilitate future trades.

The next two trades have more significant ramifications in the short term and moving forward. San Antonio’s first deal on deadline day was a swap of Thaddeus Young, Drew Eubanks, and Detroit’s 2022 2nd round pick for Goran Dragic and a lottery-protected 1st rounder this year. 

After months of patiently waiting, Wright got the 1st rounder he desired in exchange for Young. That pick is currently projected to land at number 20 in the upcoming draft and is likely to fall between the late-teens and early-20s. 

As for Dragic, the veteran point guard (who ironically enough, was drafted by the Spurs and never played a game for them) is on an expiring $19.4 million. Conflicting reports have suggested that he might be bought out, though time will tell. More than anything, Dragic represents a significant amount of money that will come off the books this summer. 

The second deal is the real shocker that shows more about the Spurs’ current priorities than any other. San Antonio sent a homegrown product in White to the Boston Celtics for journeyman Josh Richardson, a young player in Romeo Langford, the Celtics’ 1st round pick on 2022, and the right to swap picks in 2028.

White is a beloved success story for the Spurs, who picked him 29th overall in 2017. A defensive stud whose streaky shooting made him a difficult offensive partner for Murray, White will be missed in San Antonio for his neverending effort, commitment to the community and general likeability for being a good person.

That being said, Wright made the kind of forward-thinking trade that theoretically should help his team in the long run. The Spurs now rank second on Tankathon’s Draft Power Rankings -- a tool that evaluates which teams have the best treasure trove of assets heading into the upcoming draft.

So what's next for the Silver and Black with their newfound assets?