Something is going to happen for the Spurs, no matter what the outcome of the Kevin Durant saga is. Rumors get us excited because they give us something to talk about or potentially look forward to. It's a license to let our imaginations run wild with the possibilities and the consequences. But there's a silver lining to nothing happening in this particular situation for San Antonio.
Everyone has told us that this is the offseason when the front office gets more aggressive. Both local and national reporters have reiterated this point, so it's not breaking news by any means. What we should expect is for something to happen. Predicting what it will be will be the most difficult challenge, considering the organization we're dealing with.
To the unreasonable, it will look like SA "struck out" with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant, but it's not over until it's over, and there's a lot of offseason left to go. I've said before that unexpected trades happen all the time, and last week's Desmond Bane trade was an example of that, but it's not the only one.
Surprise trades happen in the NBA all the time
2008- Pau Gasol to the Lakers
This trade should never have happened. The deal sent Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, first-round picks in 2008 and 2010 (became Donte Greene and Greivis Vasquez), and Marc Gasol (rights from the 2007 Draft) to the Grizzlies for Pau Gasol and a second-round pick. The move helped LA win back-to-back titles.
When the deal was made, those players combined didn't equal Pau's worth, so it was a shock to the NBA world. Marc Gasol ended up turning into an all-time player in the Grizzlies franchise history, but nobody thought that would happen at the time.
2011- Chris Paul to the Clippers
We all should know this one because what came before it was something we had never seen before. David Stern blocked a potential blockbuster deal that would have sent CP3 to the Lakers. LA's fans still haven't forgiven him for it.
For the receiving team to turn into the Clippers, who had been a joke of a franchise for their entire history, was very shocking, but it turned the Clips into a contender when Lob City was born.
2012- James Harden
OKC fans are very close to being completely over how this played out, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company have to finish off the Pacers. Whether they can do it remains to be seen, but if they do, Thunder fans will forget all about Sam Presti's decision to trade Harden to the Houston Rockets fresh off a trip to the NBA Finals.
Oklahoma City got back Jeremy Lamb and a bag of Doritos. It was shocking and unexpected to most of the NBA world, and the Rockets were propelled into relevance out of nowhere.
Kyrie to the Celtics, Paul George to the Clippers, and Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves are all examples of trades that came about unexpectedly. The Spurs are in a position to make a move, and we know they want to make one. It may not be for Durant, and if not, we just have to accept that we may not see it coming, but embrace the success sure to follow.