Spurs have reached painfully obvious Giannis decision fans should have seen coming

Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein just dropped the nugget that Spurs fans should be thrilled (paid) to hear about the team's trade deadline plans if Giannis Antetokounmpo does officially hit the market.

"There is a growing belief among trade-trackers that San Antonio and Houston, like Oklahoma City, do not plan to join the chase for Antetokounmpo," Stein wrote in his Substack. That's the Greek Freak. He's a top-three player in the game today, so it sounds sacrilegious to suggest the Spurs wouldn't be interested in a guy like that. It's the right decision, though, and you shouldn't need much convincing to see that.

The Spurs are 18-7 after sending the Thunder back to Oklahoma City with a big, fat Vegas-themed L. They've beaten the Lakers, Nuggets, Rockets, and Magic. That's quite the resume for this young team, and it's the best reason you could give anyone to stand pat with the current roster. They just don't need to disrupt their flow—even for Giannis.

The Spurs are making the right choice on Giannis

What if I told you that Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper will make it to the Hall of Fame? Would you still even consider trading for Giannis? I think there's a very strong chance of that happening, and trading either of those players away should be a nonstarter because of it.

De'Aaron Fox has all the talent in the world. He could also get a gold jacket with the right amount of winning, which he's more poised to do now than ever before. And this isn't fantasy basketball. Recent reports have indicated that the younger two members of the Slash Bros were off limits, so if that's the case, how are you making a trade with San Antonio if you work in Milwaukee's front office?

Their fan base would riot if they traded away the best player in their franchise's history for a few picks and a bunch of role players. Just two days ago, I was asked if I would trade Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, De'Aaron Fox, and picks for the Greek Freak, and I said no. They looked at me like I was crazy before I explained my position.

Depth has been this team's superpower, and I don't want to sacrifice it for anyone. The Spurs could stack the deck like Golden State did by acquiring Kevin Durant many moons ago, but that's just not appealing to me. I am not a hypocrite. I don't need, nor do I want, an incredibly stacked deck that was essentially purchased as the highest bidder.

Victor is already one of the best players in the league. Harper and Castle have a clear path to joining him as elite-level guards regarded as top NBA talents. Fox is already a top-30 player. They can win multiple championships without sacrificing their depth and future flexibility. Doing it that way is the preferred method—at least for me.