Why The San Antonio Spurs Do The Deal 

We’ll put it this way: if Markelle Fultz ruins the Spurs’ tanking odds in 2022-23, he’ll have to have had an incredible enough season to make them not care in the first place. 

In other words, he’ll have to play like a former number one overall pick. 

After all, this Spurs roster looks relatively threadbare. Keldon Johnson is a good player, but he’s the type of wing who’s probably reliant on a primary playmaker to be maximized. He’ll miss the recently departed Dejounte Murray. 

Sure, there’s a world where Fultz can replicate Murray’s offensive performance from last season. He’s still unlikely to provide his elite point-of-attack defense. Moreover, the Spurs will miss Vassell’s two-way play and Doug McDermott’s elite floor-spacing as well. 

Realistically, the Spurs land the best player in this trade without compromising their tank in any significant way.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Orlando Magic & San Antonio Spurs Updates

Fultz has never been a top option before – even if he thrives in that position, he’s highly unlikely to do so to such an extent that the Spurs are competitive. If he does, they’ve got their new franchise player anyway.