Realistic path just opened for Spurs to steal young starter from Nuggets

Although the San Antonio Spurs are having their best season in nearly a decade, they should be keeping a close eye on the competition. The Denver Nuggets have had a surprisingly strong season, with them holding up well despite having injury upon injury.

Part of their success has been the emergence of Peyton Watson, who averaged an impressive 21.5 points per game during superstar Nikola Jokic's 12-game absence.

Ironically, they had a chance to lock him up on a long-term deal over the summer but opted against it to instead pay starter Christian Braun. Now, they may be forced to trade Braun to clear out space to re-sign Watson.

If that were to occur, San Antonio should consider Braun as a potential trade target.

Spurs have a path to steal Christian Braun from the Nuggets

Braun is an intriguing trade target for San Antonio given his age and skill set. After all, Braun is a low-usage player who can score off cuts, hit open threes, and defend.

For those reasons, he'd fit the Spurs' roster perfectly, as well as their timeline. He is also under contract for the next four seasons and would fit seamlessly with San Antonio's existing core.

That makes him an ideal long-term fit to play alongside ballhandlers De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle as well as superstar Victor Wembanyama. Still, the Spurs would have to get creative to acquire him.

Can the Spurs trade for Christian Braun this summer?

The easiest path would be for them to ship Keldon Johnson out in a deal for Braun, though both sides may balk at that deal. Johnson is obviously important to San Antonio both on and off the court.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets would only save about $3.5 million in that deal, not enough to keep Watson. If Denver could also offload Zeke Nnaji in a deal with the Spurs, then that might make more sense from their perspective.

If it means that the Spurs could get their hands on Braun, then that might be a worthwhile deal for them too. Ultimately, San Antonio doesn't have many holes to fill, with their young core filling them.

But if the Nuggets are forced to move on from Braun, the Spurs should get creative and try to land him to pair him with their young core.