Does this trade make sense for the San Antonio Spurs?

While adding Ben Simmons gives the Spurs a new identity and a star to build around, I am not so sure that they would be willing to make this trade. Giving up Dejounte Murray is one thing, but giving up Devin Vassell as well could end up being the deal breaker for this team. 

A swap of Murray for Simmons is something that could be appealing to them, but Vassell has turned into such a huge asset for them off-the-bench and being just 21-years-old, he has a chance to be a very important player in San Antonio for many years to come. 

In 18 games off-the-bench this season, Devin Vassell is averaging 11.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals and is shooting 46.8% from the floor, 38.8% from three-point range. Coming into the league last year, Vassell was being labeled as a “3-and-D” guy on the wing, which he still is, but he has really improved as a mid-range scorer and someone who can create space for himself. 

Moving him, Murray and McDermott for Ben Simmons definitely is not a terrible move for this franchise to make, but quite honestly, they would be better off sticking with what they have and trying to pursue other high-level talents. 

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Dejounte Murray is only going to continue to get better with time, as will Devin Vassell, and Ben Simmons is a major liability to bring in at the cost of so much value. There is no guarantee that he would want to play in San Antonio long-term and given the struggles he has on offense, the Spurs would really have no real scoring weapons anymore after making this trade. 

As mentioned earlier, Murray, Vassell and McDermott make up about 33.6% of the Spurs’ total scoring output this season and this is a number that Ben Simmons surely would not be able to reach. 

For a team that already struggles to score and ranks just 24th in the league in offensive rating, this is probably a trade that the Spurs should stay away from.