4 Trades the Spurs must strongly consider to take advantage of Nets fire sale

The San Antonio Spurs are better than expected and growing by the second. Victor Wembanyama is the brightest young star in the world and continuously adding to his game. Stephon Castle looks like a future All-Star and has San Antonio considering adding pieces before the deadline to push towards contention in the loaded Western Conference.

The Brooklyn Nets are rumored to be willing to move their veterans (subscription required) as they enter a rebuild. It started with trading Mikal Bridges in the offseason, but the Nets are far from finished. Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson, Dennis Schroder, and Bojan Bogdanovic all figure to draw interest. Cam Thomas and Nicolas Claxton will have suitors if made available. Brooklyn has to decide who is staying through their rebuild and should attempt to trade the others for future assets.

The Spurs are loaded with draft picks and searching for pieces to help Victor Wembanyama get his first playoff experience. Brooklyn has multiple players who could assist the Spurs, and both sides should be exploring these deals.

4. Spurs add needed 3-and-D wing

The Spurs need shooting and defense. They are currently 13th in defensive rating and 23rd on offense. San Antonio is taking plenty of threes but sits 16th in 3-point percentage. Getting another efficient shooter comfortable playing off the ball would be ideal. They would love to find wing to fill some of the minutes currently being played by Julian Champagnie and Keldon Johnson.

Dorian Finney-Smith is in his prime and ready to help a contender. He played a key role in the Mavericks reaching the conference finals in 2022 and could be just the option the Spurs need.

Doe-Doe has shot over 39 percent from 3-point range in three of the last four seasons. He can guard multiple positions and is a low-maintenance player. The 31-year-old is comfortable sinking open shots and playing stout defense.

This package looks like too much, but it allows the Spurs to move off of Collins’ contract and gives the Nets their desired return with a catch. The Hornets' pick is lottery-protected this season and turns into two second-rounders if it falls in the top 14. Giving up a mid-first-rounder and two seconds to get Finney-Smith and dump Collins’ $18 million salary for next season is a win for San Antonio.

3. Spurs upgrade from Keldon Johnson

Johnson looks like a prime trade candidate. His minutes are down for the second straight year and much of that has been without Devin Vassell. Johnson is averaging 11.9 points, 5.6 rebounds. 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steal in 26.5 minutes per game, but his inconsistent jumper and defense have the Spurs looking to upgrade.

The Nets have an elite shooter capable of solving a longstanding problem for the Spurs in Cameron Johnson.

Brooklyn should be searching for draft capital, but this trade may give them two bites at the apple. They get the Spurs 2029 first here with a top-ten protection and could flip Keldon for more assets. He may not net a first-rounder, but multiple seconds would help Brooklyn as they are just starting a total retool.

The Spurs get a 39.2 percent career 3-point shooter in this deal capable of averaging 15 points per game and helping his team win. Do not forget Johnson played a key role in two playoff runs for the Suns, including helping them reach the 2021 NBA Finals.

2. Spurs get bold in acquiring talent

San Antonio has gotten inconsistent play at the five behind Victor Wembanyama. Solving their remaining center minutes and adding on the wings should be their trade deadline priorities if they want to contend. The Spurs could check all of their boxes in one move with the Nets.

Sharpe has yet to play this season because of a hamstring injury, but minutes will be difficult to come by in Brooklyn. The Nets signed Nicolas Claxton to a four-year extension this offseason to be their center of the present and future, which could make Sharpe expendable.

The 23-year-old has shown intriguing potential and could make it worth the Spurs giving up multiple second-round picks from the Hornets to acquire him. Swapping Keldon Johnson for Cameron Johnson is a slight upgrade, but Sharpe filling a need takes this to the next level for the Spurs. It is a hefty price, but one San Antonio must consider to round out their roster.

1. San Antonio goes on a buying spree during Nets fire sale

This is the unlikely all-in move. The Nets will want to make multiple trades to get draft capital from several sources. It improves their chances of landing a high draft pick and often gets a larger return as teams get desperate near the deadline.

The Spurs have the assets to acquire three key pieces and solve their woes. Willingness to spend may be another story, but this move would make sense for both sides.

There would be plenty of back and forth about what selections are included in this deal. The Nets would want unprotected picks and likely favor the ones from Atlanta. Can they convince the Spurs to part with them? San Antonio is focused on building a sustainable contender around Wemby and will be cautious with their picks.

This could give the Spurs the shooting and defense they need to make a run in the Western Conference. It would give fans a look at playoff Wemby and instantly make San Antonio a feared team. Do not expect it to happen, but there should be plenty of consideration from both sides in talks.

The San Antonio Spurs are a few pieces away from contention and may trade with the Nets to solve their issues. Brooklyn is rebuilding and ready to move their veterans. Stay tuned to see if San Antonio bites.