Why The San Antonio Spurs Do The Deal
Once again, the Spurs are only concerned with draft capital here. So the question becomes whether they’re receiving enough in this exchange.
They are. Poeltl is a strong player, but on an expiring contract, he’s unlikely to fetch more than one first-round pick this summer. When looking at, for example, the deal the Pistons got for Jerami Grant, the Spurs would be lucky to even get that much for him.
Meanwhile, neither McDermott nor Richardson is landing them a first-rounder on their own. They’re both solid rotation pieces, but neither will have that kind of trade value.
The Spurs shouldn’t flinch at absorbing Harris’ contract either. He’s a high-end starter, but given the rest of their roster, he won’t impact the value of their 2023 first-round pick. If the sum is greater than the parts, and the Spurs are winning more games than they’ve comfortable with, they can shut him down for the year.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: Philadelphia 76ers Gauging Trade Interest For Tobias Harris
All of which sounds odd in relation to the Spurs. This is not an organization that’s known for “tanking”. With that said, it’s readily forgotten that they once did exactly that to land Tim Duncan. If they have the same luck next summer, they’ll be welcoming French phenom Victor Wembenyama into their storied organization.
