Phoenix Suns Receive: F/C Thaddeus Young
San Antonio Spurs Receive: F Dario Saric, F/C Jalen Smith
Thaddeus Young is going to be on his third team this offseason after this move. He will go from Chicago with a detour in San Antonio before landing in Phoenix, where he will spend the 2021-22 season.
This trade will have to wait a little while to be made, as new players cannot be traded again for a specific amount of time in the NBA. Once that time passes, Young will be joining the Western Conference champion, Phoenix Suns.
In exchange for Young, the Spurs will be landing Dario Saric and Jalen Smith. While this package may seem underwhelming, especially with Saric expected to miss the season, Smith was a lottery pick last season.
That is a good piece to get for a player that will end up playing zero minutes for your franchise.
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If you look at it as a continuation from the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade, the Spurs essentially turned him into Smith, Saric, Al-Farouq Aminu, a future first-round pick and multiple future second-round picks. In that lens, this deal looks a little better for San Antonio.
What would motivate each team to take part in this deal? Let’s break down why each team would do it, starting with the Spurs.
