The San Antonio Spurs made it clear that they plan on building from the ground up when they surprisingly traded away 25-year-old NBA All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks.
In return for Murray and his two-way services, the Spurs received in return Danilo Gallinari, three first-round picks — two of which are unprotected — and an additional potential pick swap.
With all of that draft capital in tow, the Spurs can focus their efforts on maximizing their lottery odds and selling off their remaining veterans for additional future assets. Eradicating what’s left of their talent will aid the Spurs’ rebuild in two different ways.
Firstly, by purposefully weakening their roster, San Antonio can ensure that it piles up as many losses as possible next season, bettering their lottery odds and increasing their chances at landing Victor Wembenyama or one of the other generational talents projected to be available in the 2023 NBA Draft.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND RUMORS: San Antonio Spurs Veterans Considered Available On NBA Trade Block?
Secondly, the Spurs will likely pick up on additional draft compensation in return for whatever spare parts they still have to sell. Two-way guard Josh Richardson is one of the remaining players that are sure to command a significant amount of interest.
Here are three teams that should be pursuing Josh Richardson in a trade this season: