Grade the trade: Spurs lose it to ring chase with LeBron in trade proposal

This is the time of year when news is slow around the NBA. Journalists, writers and talk show hosts throw things at the wall to provide content for readers who love nothing more than to be entrenched in the processes of their favorite teams. However, unless you are staffed by the team, some of what's discussed is speculation, but it's important to be responsible with your speculation, and that doesn't always happen.

People are so excited about Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs' assets that they're subjecting the team to some of this irresponsible speculation. It's fun to think about different trade scenarios that have legitimate plausibility. But there comes a point where the line of reality is crossed into delusion and when that happens, people will either turn their ears off or scold you for your nonsense. Spurs fans can choose their own path for this one.

For a clean view of the proposed trade, it has been included below.

This would be terribly shortsighted for the Spurs

There are several problems with this proposal. San Antonio already added one player pushing 40 years old. They don't need another one. LeBron James may have played 71 games last season, but in the three years prior, he hadn't played more than 56. He's playing in the Olympics again this summer, adding to his body's wear, so the chances he can make it through another 70 games are slim. With Chris Paul also expected to miss time due to rest or injury, that's not ideal and in the West, if you are going to chase a title, home-court advantage matters.

Devin Vassell is 24 years old and has proven he can hit tough shots while averaging 20 points per game. Giving him up right now for a slim chance at a quick championship wouldn't be smart business. He hasn't even reached his peak yet and if he hasn't reached his peak, you can't expect the young guys left on the roster to be ready to chase a championship. They still have a lot of growing to do, and that includes Wemby, who wouldn't be featured as much under this dynamic, possibly stunting his growth.

The timing isn't right to add LeBron James

LeBron needs certain types of players around him to maximize his abilities. He's an orchestrator who needs wing defenders and shooters. If you move Devin Vassell, you will be getting rid of one of the best fits on the roster. Shooting is already a problem for this team, and Steph can't do it all himself. More moves would have to be made to shape the roster around James' talents, which would require trading away more assets.

Steph has never been a great defender, but he made himself into a serviceable one. His offense is enough to offset a lot of that, and if San Antonio could make a deal for Steph by himself, that would be worth a discussion, but the Lakers need to be removed from this proposal. Nick Wright is one of LeBron's most vocal supporters, so a major part of this is a desire to see him win another ring. Playing under one of the greatest coaches of all time would help him but this is a hard pass.