San Antonio Spurs Receive: David Nwaba, 2029 First-Round Pick (Lottery Protected – PHI)
Houston Rockets Receive: G/F Matisse Thybulle, 2024 Second-Round Pick (SAS)
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: F Kenyon Martin Jr.
Ordinarily, we wouldn’t recommend a rebuilding team like the Houston Rockets move the 21-year-old Martin Jr. for an older player like Matisse Thybulle. With that said, the circumstances here may not be ordinary.
Kenyon Martin Sr. doesn’t seem to love the circumstance in Houston. The former NBAer has made some noise about preferring to see his son in a winning environment. The Rockets may not be able to provide one for several years.
Furthermore, the Rockets are obviously aiming at improving their 29th-ranked defense from 2021-22. They selected two of the best defensive wings in the 2022 draft in Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason. Might they like one more?
After all, Thybulle is only 25. It’s not like he’s entirely off this team’s rebuilding timeline.
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Finally, the Spurs are at the very onset of theirs: they’re flipping a second-round pick for a protected first-round pick at the expense of absorbing Nwaba’s contract. In their position, that’s a no-brainer.
