The San Antonio Spurs already have a guard room that looks built for the long haul, but that hasn’t stopped the idea of another major move from floating into the conversation.
Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle sit at the center of everything San Antonio is building, and the hype around Harper and Castle has already gotten loud. Charles Barkley even put the comparison in unmistakable terms: “If I’m a guard in the NBA, I do not want to see them boys the next 10 years. They’re going to be the new Steph and Klay,” NBA legend Charles Barkley said.
Even with that kind of upside, the Spurs still came up short of the Finals last season, and that missed chance has clearly kept the pressure on. Bill Simmons recently suggested a swap that would send De’Aaron Fox out and bring in Los Angeles Clippers young star Darius Garland.
“If I'm the Clippers, I'm at least calling the spurs and be like we have Garland. We love him, but if you want to talk about flipping four years of Fox for two years of Garland and throwing some of your stuff at us, we're happy to have the conversation," Simmons said."If you are the Spurs, you're like we messed up the Fox thing.”
The idea has traction because Garland is widely seen as the NBA player most likely to be traded this season. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley framed it as a possible gamble for Los Angeles, writing: “ In short, it's mostly a speculative wager that the Clippers could have to consider a Garland trade to help restock the asset collection after their recent five-first-round-picks punishment. L.A.'s long-term outlook is now the bleakest in basketball, but letting go of Garland could bring hope of some eventual relief,”
From the Spurs’ side, the fit is easy to picture. Fox, by this account, cost San Antonio at least one game in the Finals, and the young pieces already showed they can share the floor. Garland, who is on a $197 million contract, would give the Spurs another dangerous ball-handler and raise the level of play at point guard even further.
If San Antonio ever went down that road, the backcourt depth would be a problem for everyone else. Garland, Harper and the rest of that group would leave the Spurs with very little drop-off no matter who came off the bench. It would be the kind of move that looks built for a title chase.
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Spurs Backcourt Plans Could Suddenly Raise Keldon Johnsons Stakes
San Antonio's backcourt picture has a few moving parts, and De'Aaron Fox sits right at the center of it for now. The Spurs have made it clear they view Fox as a valued contributor and part of their future, but the rest of the guard rotation could look different depending on how the roster evolves, especially with Dylan Harper in the mix.
Keldon Johnson is one of the players who could feel those ripple effects most. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year has been a steady spark off the bench, and his value only grows if San Antonio needs more proven production in that role while sorting out the rest of its lineup. Johnson is also entering a contract year, so whatever happens next with the Spurs' backcourt could have a real effect on both his usage and his next deal. [Read more 🡒]
Victor Wembanyama Is Forcing A New NBA Debate Spurs Fans Will Love
Victor Wembanyamas rise has already changed the conversation around the Spurs, but it also appears to be changing the wider NBA one. The 7-foot-4 phenom has become the kind of two-way force that bends games to his will, and as San Antonio has moved back into the picture as a real contender, his presence has made the franchise feel relevant in a way it has not in years.
What makes the latest wave of praise interesting is where it is coming from. Stephen A. Smith, who once said an international player could never be the face of the league, has now gone in the opposite direction as Wembanyamas reputation has exploded. For Spurs fans, that kind of turn is more than media chatter, it is another sign that the league is beginning to treat their cornerstone like the superstar driving the next great NBA debate. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Already Have A Wembanyama Problem They Can't Ignore
Victor Wembanyamas third season confirmed what the Spurs already knew: they have a franchise center who can drag a team all the way to the NBA Finals. He put up 26.0 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game in the Finals, but San Antonio still came up short against a Knicks team that found ways to make life difficult for him on the biggest stage.
That is where the long-term concern starts to creep in for the Spurs. Wembanyama is already the centerpiece, but Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle give the franchise two more promising young guards to develop, and DeAaron Foxs extension adds another layer to the roster picture as the team looks ahead. The talent is there, but fitting all of it together around one star is going to take some careful decisions. [Read more 🡒]