Spurs should pounce on Jaden McDaniels after Timberwolves' LaMelo Ball experiment fails

Jaden McDaniels is worth circling on Spurs Nation's radar right now, even though nothing about his situation looks unstable today. But don't worry, this LaMelo Ball test will change that soon enough. Minnesota just spent its offseason proving, for the second time in three years, that nobody on that roster is safe if a bigger swing presents itself.

The Wolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns in 2024. Then this summer, they sent out Julius Randle and Naz Reid. Anthony Edwards is the one constant through it all, making everyone else a variable.

McDaniels isn't available yet but the Timberwolves could get there

McDaniels is entering year three of his five-year extension, owed $26.2 million this season, $28 million in 2027-28, and just under $30 million in 2028-29. Minny's payroll is already pushing past $215 million this year.

That doesn't force a trade by itself, but it does mean the next roster swing comes with real financial teeth. McDaniels is one of the few players, outside of Edwards himself, who could return significant value if the Wolves decide they need another proven offensive piece, and I'm sure they will after they find out Ball is not the answer to their troubles.

I want to be careful not to cry wolf here. There's no report, no smoke, nothing suggesting McDaniels is unhappy or on the block. That's not the case I'm making.

This is the NBA, though. Things change quickly. Minnesota doesn't have to want to trade Jaden today. But a catastrophic campaign could force them to pivot and decide they need to move on to the next version of the roster. They've already reached that conclusion a couple of times, and it's very likely to happen again.

The Timberwolves are hoping the LaMelo Ball addition unlocks their offense by freeing Ant-Man from those pesky double teams, as he'd have another playmaker to fall back on. If it doesn't work the way they hope, McDaniels becomes one of the few trade chips on the roster capable of bringing back a real difference-maker without touching Minny's golden child.

That's a very believable path to Jaden becoming available.

The Spurs have a path to make a McDaniels trade happen

Here's where it gets interesting for the Spurs specifically. San Antonio has its own version of this fork coming with De'Aaron Fox. The Silver and Black have made their stance on moving Swipa clear, but that could easily change if Dylan Harper looks like the better long-term answer running the offense next to Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama.

A straight Fox-for-McDaniels swap would be a nightmare to construct given the salaries involved. A three-team trade could work, though. Brian Wright sends Fox to a team hunting for a starting point guard, that team sends Minnesota the assets or young talent it actually wants, and McDaniels ends up in San Antonio.

This version doesn't require pretending Fox and McDaniels carry equal value; the two sides would just need a third team in search of what the Spurs' playmaker offers. I could even see the Timberwolves ready to bail on Ball early. He could be the player moving to another destination so Minnesota can take Fox.

That's a pretty significant shuffle for these franchises, but San Antonio already has strong winds pushing them in that direction, and the Timberwolves have shown several times that they're willing to do that.

McDaniels isn't going anywhere tomorrow, and I'm not trying to tell you otherwise. But this isn't a random name drawn from a hat either. It's a trade that only needs one domino from the Spurs' side, with Fox becoming expendable, and one from the Timberwolves' side, with the Ball gamble falling flat. After that, anything is possible.

JMac would be a welcome addition in Alamo City. Could you imagine the defense in a lineup with him, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, and Victor Wembanyama? That's a world I could get used to.

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