The San Antonio Spurs have already shown they’re not interested in forcing anything before the season begins. After losing the 2026 NBA Finals, they’ve made it clear they’re going to stay patient. But once the games start, that restraint could give way to a very different kind of conversation, and three trade names stand out.
The biggest reason the Spurs may eventually have to explore the market is money. De'Aaron Fox’s Finals showing didn’t stop the outside noise from building around him, but San Antonio doubled down anyway. Even so, his $222 million deal over the next four seasons makes the long-term picture complicated, especially with Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle both in line for extensions.
Michael Porter Jr. is the cleanest fit of the group. The Spurs already added Tobias Harris this summer, but there’s always room for more shooting in today’s league.
Porter Jr. brings exactly that, and he’d slide neatly into a wing rotation that already includes Harris, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant, and Julian Champagnie. He’s owed $40.6 million next season, and one possible path would be flipping Fox to the Brooklyn Nets to make the numbers work.
Porter Jr.’s injury history is part of the equation, but San Antonio’s depth on the wing would help absorb that risk. And if he can help push the Spurs closer to a title while hitting big shots, the idea of paying him on a short-term, expensive deal starts to make sense.
Devin Booker is the swing-for-the-fences option. Last season, Booker put up 26.1 points, six assists, and 3.9 rebounds for the Phoenix Suns, and he remains one of the best scorers in the league.
San Antonio would have to give up Fox and draft picks to get him, but the payoff would be massive. Booker has been asked to run the offense in Phoenix; in San Antonio, he could settle into a role where he plays off the ball and gets easier looks.
He’s under contract for four more seasons and is owed $251.3 million, which means the Spurs would eventually have to decide between Castle, Harper, and Booker. Still, the idea of having all three alongside Wembanyama for four seasons is the kind of temptation that can change a front office’s thinking.
Isaiah Stewart is the hard-nosed answer. The Spurs don’t really have an enforcer right now, and Stewart would immediately fill that lane.
He was moved to the Memphis Grizzlies this summer in a six-team trade, and with Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey, Taylor Hendricks, and GG Jackson in the mix, Memphis has younger big men to lean on. That makes Stewart a sensible piece to move.
If San Antonio has truly cooled on Kornet, then adding experienced center depth would be a logical step. The Spurs did draft Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed, but neither has proven himself as an NBA contributor yet.
Stewart averaged ten points and five rebounds last season, can stretch the floor a bit, and brings the kind of rim protection that doesn’t get enough attention. Just as important, his presence alone would make life harder for anyone thinking about getting too physical with Victor Wembanyama.
With the Spurs’ success tied to Wemby, that edge matters.
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