Spurs are realizing the grave mistake they made this summer

The San Antonio Spurs are having a charmed season as their young core comes together right before everyone's eyes. It's a rise that makes them regret not making a move for Kevin Durant this summer.

One of the main storylines of this past NBA offseason was where Kevin Durant would end up. The Phoenix Suns were locked into moving on from the future Hall of Famer, and the asking price was likely low enough for many teams around the league to get involved.

The question was which teams should get involved. Durant was turning 37 years old with a notable injury history and a large contract. The teams that could most use a win-now move were financially hampered, while the teams with the assets and money to make a move were not ready for a win-now move.

The San Antonio Spurs fell into the latter category. Their best player, Victor Wembanyama, had only 117 games under his belt. Stephon Castle had a strong rookie season but very real questions. The Spurs were adding the No. 2 pick. Even the All-Star they added via trade only played 17 games with the team.

That was the foundation of the argument not to trade for Kevin Durant. They were a young team still understanding their identity and were wise to develop organically rather than accelerate their timeline by trading for Durant.

The only problem with that argument is that they were wrong.

The Spurs should have traded for Kevin Durant

If the Spurs didn't trade for Kevin Durant because they were too early in their timeline, this season is proving that assumption to be false. San Antonio and their young core is ready for prime time.

The Spurs are 21-7, the second-best record in the Western Conference and third-best in the entire league. Victor Wembanyama is an MVP candidate, Castle has taken a step forward, and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper is already contributing to winning.

Not only did they come within a few plays of winning the NBA Cup, they did so by becoming only the second team all season to take down the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. As the playoffs inch closer, the Spurs look like a team that can make real noise.

That is why adding a player like Kevin Durant this summer could have pushed them even further up the ladder. Adding an aging star doesn't make sense if you don't become a contender; the Spurs already look like one without him, so it turns out they were the perfect team to trade for him.

The Houston Rockets ultimately pulled off the deal, and for an extremely reasonable price: Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the Suns' own No. 10 pick returned to them. That level of package could easily have been matched by the Spurs.

Would the Suns have preferred a package of Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, Harrison Barnes and the No. 14 pick? Perhaps with a second or two tossed on top, or a future first-round swap?

Such a deal would not have hindered the Spurs from making another trade down the line, and it would have added a knockdown shooter and scorer to a team that is ready to go to war now.

De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Kevin Durant and Victor Wembanyama as the starting lineup? Dylan Harper, Julian Champagnie and Luke Kornet as the foundation of the bench? That is an extremely formidable team, even more so than the one they have now.

The Spurs have time; missing out on Durant likely won't be a disaster. Yet with a rival team in the Rockets looking like a contender with Durant in the fold, the Spurs could regret not making the winning bid and making a run. Tomorrow is never promised in the NBA.

Today, the Spurs look really good. They probably could have been even better.