3 Players whom the San Antonio Spurs should look to trade away
The San Antonio Spurs are the model franchise for any team to look at across sports. They have managed to have continued success year after year, making the NBA Playoffs for 22 straight years. But as everyone knows, a dynasty always comes to an end and it seems like it is time for the Spurs to take a step back and look to rebuild their team.
Ever since Kawhi Leonard left, the Spurs do not look like the world-beaters they were with him on the team. With DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge, they have been successful but have not created a splash. With rumors that the head coach Gregg Popovich could also retire soon, this seems like the best time for the Spurs to look to rebuild.
On that note, here are the 3 players the Spurs could look to trade away.
#3 Rudy Gay
Rudy Gay has been one of the best role players in the NBA for the past few seasons, but injuries seems to have hampered his trajectory as a top NBA player. He has been playing for the San Antonio Spurs since the 2017-18 season and has played an important role in their rotation ever since.
Injuries did not let him become the 3rd star in the roster but he still has managed to put up respectable numbers. This season Rudy Gay has not been able to perform at his best, averaging just 10.9 points and 5.8 rebounds in 22 minutes per game.
But maybe a trade to a contender is just something to re-ignite his career again. Gay is a superb shooter, averaging 45.6% over the span of 16 years in the NBA and at 33 years old has just 2 years left on his contract. The Spurs can try to get a young player or a first-round pick for him and try and rebuild for the future, with players like Trey Lyles and Keldon Johnson waiting in the wings.
#2 LaMarcus Aldridge
LaMarcus Aldridge has been one of the best big men this league has got to offer and has been one of the most reliable players during his career. Aldridge is 35 years old but has continued to show remarkable skill even now as a post scorer and is putting up big numbers for the San Antonio Spurs this season.
He is averaging 18.9 points along with 7.5 rebounds per game and is still a great rim-protector, averaging 1.8 blocks too. The Spurs rotation though, falls off a cliff the moment Aldridge goes to the bench. Players like Trey Lyles and Jakob Poeltl have not stepped up and become an asset to the team.
Aldridge is in the final year of his contract and the Spurs should look to trade him for a young rotation player as well as a first-round pick in order to get the most out of his deal. They can use their asset in the off-season to further strengthen the team and give their young guns a shot at proving themselves.
#1 DeMar DeRozan
DeMar DeRozan has been one of the best players in the NBA for quite a few seasons and his consistency has kept him relevant even though he is a mid-range player in a game where shooting 3s is the norm. Although DeRozan is the leading scorer on this aging Spurs team, he is the one keeping this team from blossoming into the future powerhouse it can become.
DeRozan is now 30 years old and on the 4th year of a 5 year contract, in which the last season in a player option. Given that the Spurs guard rotation is full of young players like Derrick White, Lonnie Walker IV, Bryn Forbes looking for a chance to break out, Spurs should look to trade DeRozan while he still has value.
DeRozan is averaging 22.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5 assists per game and can be a centerpiece for a team that is on the cusp of pushing for playoff relevance. Recently, the Orlando Magic were mentioned as a possible destination for DeRozan in a trade.
The Spurs could look to get a budding young star in return along with a first-round pick, maximizing his value this season and giving the Spurs a chance for a breather before returning stronger than ever.