Vic-and-Roll: Spurs Trade Deadline Special
Who should San Antonio pursue before the clock runs out on Thursday?
The NBA Trade Deadline is tomorrow at 2:00 PM CT, and the San Antonio Spurs have made a handful of familiar faces available to potential suitors. Doug McDermott, Cedi Osman, and Devonte’ Graham could soon be on the move as PATFO clear minutes for younger prospects to eventually earn some late-season run. But fans are crossing their fingers to hear breaking news about a blockbuster involving their favorite franchise.
While the odds of an earth-shattering transaction happening are negligible, we asked readers to share their favorite trade targets with us on Twitter, Threads, and Substack. We tallied the submissions and gathered as much relevant data, tape, and information on the five most requested names as we could to see whether the good guys should be buyers as the proverbial clock strikes midnight. So, which players made the final cut?
Matisse Thybulle | Portland Trail Blazers | Forward
The first name on this wishlist makes sense on paper for San Antonio, but acquiring Matisse Thybulle could be a complicated endeavor for the front office. Since the Trail Blazers matched the offer sheet he signed with the Mavericks last summer, he has the right to veto any trade during the first season of his brand-new three-year deal. With the Spurs sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, there is virtually no incentive for the 27-year-old to relocate from one rebuilding situation to another.
Even if Matisse green-lights the transaction, Doug McDermott is the only reasonable outgoing player who can help both organizations match salaries without necessitating additional waivers. Though Portland could use a tried-and-true floor spacer, they will likely ask for draft compensation to balance the return and mitigate the risk of losing the veteran marksman for nothing in free agency this offseason. Logistics aside, what are the positives and negatives of the Silver and Black adding Thybulle to their roster?
Considering the Spurs have allowed their opponents to score the fifth-most points per game, sliding a two-time All-Defensive Second Team honoree into their lineup should help them clean up their performance on that end of the court. Matisse is an unrivaled event creator who racks up steals and blocks with his seven-foot wingspan. He wreaks havoc in passing lanes, swats shots with rearview contests, blows up dribble handoffs, and makes ball-handlers uneasy with his suffocating pressure at the point of attack.
With that in mind, Thybulle has an unorthodox method of defense that often sees him intentionally trailing plays so he can reach around to poke the ball free or erase layups from behind. His high-risk, high-reward approach worked fine with an imposing rim-protector like Joel Embiid to negate his mistakes, but it was not as successful with the Trail Blazers. Nonetheless, you could envision his gambles paying off alongside Victor Wembanyama, a generational paint deterrent who offers his teammates more leeway.
As for the other side of the ball, the fifth-year forward has turned a corner as a reliable three-point shooter. Matisse has drained 38% of his 166 catch-and-shoot attempts and buried 42.1% of his corner triples this season. However, he tends to stagnate in a half-court setting, with minimal relocating or cutting within the natural flow of the action. And despite being an above-average vertical and straight-line athlete, he has only shot 43.4% in transition, a concerning number for a team that loves to push the tempo.
Andre Drummond | Chicago Bulls | Center
San Antonio could be in the market for frontcourt depth, and Andre Drummond gives them a rock-solid contingency plan if Zach Collins lands on the sidelines or continues struggling on both ends of the floor. There are rumors that the Bulls are looking to hit the reset button after a season-ending injury to Zach LaVine, and Brian Wright might have a chance to capitalize on a possible fire sale. The Spurs have an excess of second-rounders and minimum-salary youngsters that could entice Chicago at the deadline.
Drummond is no longer an All-Star, but he has graciously accepted life as a role player as he has aged. The 30-year-old center is an outstanding screener and dependable roll-man who can generate space for ball-handlers and finish above or below the rim when he builds a head full of steam. While he lacks range outside of about five feet from the hoop, his unmatched offensive rebounding manufactures an insane volume of second-chance points, a valuable trait for one of the least efficient teams in the association.
Dwindling athleticism has sapped Drummond of his lateral mobility, but he has found a way to become an adequate defender in drop coverage. With active hands, incredible anticipation, and extraordinary length, the 12th-year veteran has collected a combined 1.7 steals and blocks per game despite logging less than 16 minutes each night. And at 279 pounds, he can bang bodies with bruisers and spare Wembanyama from matching up against Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Jonas Valanciunas, and other big men of that ilk.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Celtics, Mavericks, Lakers, and Suns have trade interest in Drummond. Those playoff contenders could be willing to outbid San Antonio at the deadline to bolster their postseason rotation. Regardless, the Spurs have the assets to offer a more attractive package than any reported suitors. Still, with no mention of PATFO from any genuine sources, fans probably shouldn’t get too hung up on the idea of Andre donning the Silver and Black anytime soon.
Tyus Jones | Washington Wizards | Point Guard
While Drummond to San Antonio may be a pipe dream, there is legitimate buzz about Tyus Jones heading to the 2-1-0. Michael Scotto reported that the Spurs are one of five teams with interest in the diminutive point guard earlier this week, and acquiring him would be more than a feel-good story about him joining forces with his young brother Tre. Plus, if he is available for the reasonable price of a singular first-rounder, then the Spurs should be willing to reach into their stockpile of draft capital at the deadline.
As much love as we have for Tre Jones, Tyus is an unquestionable upgrade who would start immediately upon arrival. The 27-year-old floor general is a slippery ball handler who understands how to use change of pace to keep defenders off balance in the pick-and-roll and get his teammates involved. He may not be the most dynamic playmaker. But his league-leading assist-to-turnover ratio highlights his ability to make the right reads at the helm of the offense while protecting the basketball on every possession.
Jones has averaged a career-high 12.2 points and 6.3 assists while shooting 49.1% from the field and 39.2% from three. He has expanded and polished his scoring arsenal each season. The ninth-year veteran can sink triples off the bounce, drain pull-up midrange jumpers, and feather in floaters over the outstretched arms of shot blockers. While his dribble penetration seldom reaches the restricted area, he is enough of a multifaceted threat to bend defenses and produce noticeable advantages as a lead guard.
The Silver and Black have one of the lousiest defenses in the league. Plugging a 6-foot-1 perimeter player into the equation will likely not improve their situation. Opponents have shot 53.6% against Tyus this season, and his size makes him an obvious target for mismatches. However, he is active in passing lanes, smothers shaky ball-handlers, and steals the rock with prompt digs on drives. Jones makes up for his physical limitations with constant effort, applaudable discipline, and fantastic communication.
So, what deal could the Spurs put on the table to convince Washington to say au revoir to Tyus? With San Antonio able to absorb a little over $2M in salary, sending Devonte’ Graham and a first-round pick might do the trick. Not only would the Wizards get the draft capital they want, but they would receive a functional facilitator who can stretch the court and stabilize the offense for their young prospects. Best yet, Graham is only on a partially guaranteed contract that barely impacts their cap room this offseason.
Herbert Jones | New Orleans Pelicans | Forward
Between Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum, the Pelicans are short on funds to sign free agents or extend their in-house talent. Trey Murphy III is next in line for a lucrative payday, but that could become complicated for New Orleans unless they move other pieces on their roster. That potential financial log jam has caught the attention of the Spurs faithful, and they want to know what it may cost to secure Herb Jones, how he would benefit this young team, and where he fits in the rotation.
Jones has garnered a reputation as one of the best defenders in the NBA. He is scheme versatile and proficient as a team, man-to-man, and point-of-attack stopper. The third-year forward effortlessly switches across positions, using his deft feet, lateral mobility, and seven-foot wingspan to suffocate drives and make plays on the ball. He rotates for weakside blocks, makes calculated gambles in the passing lanes, and forces premature pickups with timely gap help. Needless to say, San Antonio could use his services.
Though Herb can put the clamps on almost anyone in the league, he has turned into a dependable contributor on the opposite side of the hardwood. He is shooting a career-high 39.2% from three, which has opened up opportunities for him to attack closeouts and finish at the rim. The 25-year-old wing is an effective cutter who finds gaps in the defense for uncontested dunks and layups. Jones also ranks in the 92nd percentile as a transition scorer, a skill that makes him a perfect fit for the run-and-gun Spurs.
You might be wondering how someone like Jones is available. Unfortunately, we have some depressing news for Spurs fans. According to the latest article from Marc Stein, New Orleans is “not open to fielding offers for their defensive ace.” That intel isn’t all that shocking. Even if that wasn’t the case, San Antonio lacks the win-now assets that could entice a playoff contender like the Pelicans to trade them a staple of the defense and starting lineup. Sorry for being the messenger to deliver such a downbeat update.
Darius Garland | Cleveland Cavaliers | Point Guard
We have discussed trading for Trae Young and Anfernee Simons in recent articles, but Darius Garland feels like a perfect middle ground as we enter the final stage of fantasy land transaction hypotheticals. There is no indication that the Cavaliers are looking to find a new home for their All-Star. However, it is worth noting they went 15-4 without him from mid-December to late January as he recovered from a broken jaw. With that said, it would be disingenuous to act like their turnaround somehow lowered his value.
Garland is a three-level scorer who can rack up buckets in bunches from anywhere on the floor. Though his points and assists per game have dropped since teaming up with Donovan Mitchell, his shifty handle, smooth pull-up jumper, and swift first step make you ponder whether he could reach another gear and develop into a fringe superstar if furnished the freedom to test his limits without deferring to another lead ball handler. He would be second fiddle to Wembanyama, but the orange would still be in his mitts.
Garland is a skilled facilitator capable of executing challenging reads and creative live-dribble deliveries with both hands. Rather than simply hitting open shooters from one man away, the fifth-year point guard can leverage his gravity and manipulate defenses with his eyes to pass teammates open. And with how routinely he tossed pinpoint lobs to Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, it is all too easy to get caught up daydreaming about the alley-oops he would churn out with Wembanyama as his pick-and-roll partner.
Similar to Tyus Jones, Garland is a player that opposing coaches hunt due to his small stature. Standing 6-foot-1 and weighing 192 pounds, the 24-year-old lacks the build to provide much resistance against most players. The effort is there on most possessions, but he has allowed opponents to shoot 51.1% from the field, 5.3% higher than expected given their shot diet. Could San Antonio hide him as they cobble together a defensive-minded core around Vic? Maybe, and his activity in the passing lanes is encouraging.
Aside from the Cavaliers seeming keen on retaining Garland, San Antonio would have a tough time assembling a persuasive offer. Keldon Johnson and Doug McDermott are the only combination that fills a need for Cleveland while matching salaries in a trade. If the Silver and Black want to move the needle, it may take multiple unprotected first-rounders. The former Vanderbilt standout could be worth the steep price tag, but only if he can level up into an undisputed co-star and number two option next to Wemby.
Kind of a bummer that it seems like most of these players are either unavailable or unattainable with what the Spurs have to offer. Appreciate you looking into Herb. Still my favorite target that isn’t a star player for the Spurs.