Thaddeus Young – San Antonio Spurs
In a similar situation to that of Goran Dragic in Toronto, Thaddeus Young is a veteran in the final year of his contract with the San Antonio Spurs. During the offseason, the Spurs sent All-Star DeMar DeRozan to the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal that gave them a future first-round pick, Al-Farouq Aminu and Thaddeus Young.
Aminu was waived early on by the Spurs and it seems like Young could be the next to be waived by the Spurs pending what happens at the trade deadline.
Since arriving in San Antonio, the Spurs have been gauging trade interest in Thaddeus Young to try and flip him for future value. It was initially said that the Spurs were wanting a first-round pick for the veteran big man, but now, it appears as if they are willing to come down on their asking price with the trade deadline being two weeks away.
In 68 games with the Bulls last season, Thaddeus Young was a key producer in the frontcourt, averaging 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.1 steals and shooting 55.9% from the floor. While he has not played much with the Spurs this season, he has still proven to be effective in his limited minutes.
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At 33-years-old, Thaddeus Young is nearing the end of his career, but still has a little bit more left in the tank for a playoff contending team in this league.
The Spurs and Suns have talked at length about a possible trade revolving around second-year big man Jalen Smith and draft compensation, but there are no indications that Phoenix is going to make a trade for Thaddeus Young at this time.
The Celtics and Pelicans are two other teams that have been mentioned as possible destinations for Thaddeus Young, but this is due to the fact that they have hefty trade exceptions that could absorb the veteran’s contract.
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Unless the Spurs come to an agreement on a trade with the Suns, it seems like Thaddeus Young and San Antonio are heading towards a buyout agreement, especially since the Spurs are rebuilding right now.
It is definitely possible that the two sides could just work out a mutual agreement for him to remain in San Antonio through the rest of the season given that he is in the final year of his contract, but it is more likely that terms of a buyout will be agreed upon.
