The San Antonio Spurs look to be out of the running for the Play-In Tournament after it was revealed that their first-time All-Star center Victor Wembanyama would miss the rest of the 2024-25 season due to deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder on Feb. 22.
The generational 7-foot-3 big man and newly acquired superstar point guard De’Aaron Fox had led the Spurs to within striking distance prior to the injury, but their current 26-34 record places the franchise as the No. 13 seed in the Western Conference.
Though the Spurs won’t be competitive this season, recent trade proposals have indicated that San Antonio’s general manager Brian Wright could plausibly reach out to the Phoenix Suns this summer to perform a blockbuster transaction that would send 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant to the Spurs to team up with the dynamic duo of Fox and Wembanyama.
“The Spurs have a generational talent in Victor Wembanyama and a new point guard in De’Aaron Fox, but they need a veteran star to accelerate their timeline,” Fadeaway World’s Eddie Bitar wrote Tuesday.
“Pairing Durant with Wembanyama and Fox would instantly make San Antonio a force in the West, giving the Spurs a devastating inside-out combo to work with.”
“Durant’s scoring and floor-spacing would take immense pressure off the young big man, allowing him to grow into his role without the weight of carrying a franchise on his shoulders.”
In a wild trade concept, Bitar suggests that Durant could be shipped to San Antonio for a package including Rookie of the Year front-runner Stephon Castle, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and two first-round picks.
At 36 years old, the Suns’ two-time NBA Finals MVP and 2014 NBA MVP has been placed firmly on the trade block for this offseason despite proving that he can still contribute at an MVP-level. The 6-foot-11 small forward has averaged 26.9 points and 6.0 rebounds this season on a ridiculous 63.5% true shooting percentage in 49 appearances this season.
By hypothetically forming yet another Big Three, Durant could find success due to the versatile scoring prowess of his two prospective teammates and the defensive ability of Wembanyama.
The Spurs would be forced to make a difficult decision in this scenario, as they’d be letting go of their surging rookie talent in Castle. As a 20-year-old, the 6-foot-6 guard is contributing 13.2 points and 3.5 assists, though his 47.5% effective field goal percentage could definitely improve.
Durant could ultimately figure that the Spurs aren’t the right destination for next season and beyond due to his age, but he may likely be swayed solely through Wembanyama’s sheer potential to become one of the greatest players the game has ever seen.
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