Spurs steal OKC's Thunder with dramatic proposed trade with Warriors

The San Antonio Spurs are hoping to upgrade their roster this summer after an ugly NBA Finals loss. Fortunately, they may have the perfect opportunity thanks to the Golden State Warriors.

With the NBA draft just days away, the Spurs should be looking to move up into the lottery. There, they should select Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who'd be an absolute dream fit.

He'd be a terrific two-way weapon who can step in and start next season for San Antonio. That makes him a hot commodity among several teams in the NBA draft.

In fact, the Oklahoma City Thunder could very well select him with the 12th overall pick given their need for a power forward. Despite having plenty of frontcourt depth, it didn't matter much in the playoffs after being dominated by Victor Wembanyama.

That should give San Antonio added motivation to try and move up in the draft, and the Warriors would be the perfect trade partners.

Spurs land Yaxel Lendeborg in proposed NBA Draft trade with Warriors

The proposed trade would see the Spurs trade the 20th pick and the 2027 unprotected Atlanta Hawks first they own to the Warriors. In exchange, they'd leapfrog OKC and land the 11th pick.

Moving up nine spots and selecting Lendenborg would be the perfect win-now move. Better yet, it would allow San Antonio to stick it to their arch rivals.

Normally playoff teams wouldn't look to the NBA draft to find a starter. Nevertheless, he has an incredibly well-rounded game that should make him capable of starting immediately on just about any team in the NBA next season.

Putting him next to Wembanyama would bolster San Antonio defensively, with Lendeborg posting an outrageous 2.3 stocks per game last season.

Offensively, he can do a little bit of everything and is a capable 3-point shooter. That would allow him to space the floor while De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, or Dylan Harper has the ball.

The Spurs should throw caution to the wind in proposed trade

The Spurs rarely trade future first-round picks. However, the 2027 NBA draft is widely seen as a clunker. Therefore, San Antonio would be wise to try and move their pick now rather than be disappointed later.

If the 2027 NBA Draft is considered disappointing, then why would the Warriors want that pick? Well, Golden State turning one first-round pick into two could help them in a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade.

The more picks, the better. Particularly with the NBA's recent lottery changes making the draft an actual lottery. It's also worth mentioning that there is far less consensus in the 10-20 range of this draft.

Golden State may not be overly impressed by the prospects available. Or not impressed enough to pass up an opportunity to bolster their trade offer for Giannis.

Ultimately, if Golden State is willing to trade back, San Antonio should jump at a chance by offering the 20th pick and Atlanta's 2027 first. If the Spurs are able to trade up, then Lendeborg would be the no-brainer choice. Especially if it keeps him away from the Thunder.

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