Spurs repeatedly mentioned in KD rumors but that’s not the star they should target

With the San Antonio Spurs limping to the finish line of a disappointing season, this summer couldn't get here soon enough. They will have the NBA Draft and free agency to solve their roster flaws and put the finishing touches on a team that has enough talent to be a playoff team and, hopefully, a championship team if everything goes well.

Still, rumors have persisted that they will trade for Kevin Durant, which would dramatically change this teams' ceiling. Even despite many Spurs fans not wanting them to trade for a former rival.

Despite Durant making some sense for the Spurs, they should keep their powder dry in case another superstar becomes available. The Milwaukee Bucks have a lot of pressure riding on them with rumors that Giannis Antetokounmpo could demand a trade if they can't win another championship.

They are already facing an uphill battle to make the Eastern Conference Finals, let alone win another title, and they'll have to do that without Damian Lillard, who is currently out with a blood clot in his calf.

If they fail to win another championship this season, Giannis could put pressure on the Bucks to trade him, and San Antonio would seemingly be a perfect landing spot.

The Spurs shouldn't pursue KD in case Giannis becomes available

While the Oklahoma City Thunder would be their prime competition to land Giannis, they might not be willing to break up their young core or risk the flexibility of having all of those picks. The Spurs may be more willing to go all in, though that may or may not include having to trade Steph Castle.

San Antonio would assuredly be willing to trade Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and at least four firsts for Giannis, especially if it meant pairing De'Aaron Fox, Castle, Harrison Barnes, Giannis, and Wembanyama together.

It would dramatically accelerate the Spurs rebuild and thrust them back into title contention. Imagine teams having to stop a Giannis and Wembanyama pick-and-roll/pop. Giannis can already bully opponents on his way to the rim, but having Wembanyama there to knock down wide-open threes or rim-run would be impossible to stop. Defensively, having them paired together would be equally as nightmarish.

The trade-off would be that it could slow Wembanyama and Castle's development, but that ensemble cast could yield the Spurs multiple championships.

All in all, the Spurs should opt against entering the Durant sweepstakes considering that Giannis could become available. That may be a risky gamble for San Antonio to make, but if he does hit the trade market, they'd be well-positioned to land Giannis to pair with Wembanyama.