By Mike Finger, Columnist | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-06-24 15:30:01
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
2023年11月2日周四，在菲尼克斯举行的一场NBA篮球比赛下半场，菲尼克斯太阳队前锋凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant) 对圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) (1号) 犯规。在NBA选秀前夕，马刺队拒绝将对其未来至关重要的资产，纳入与杜兰特和波士顿凯尔特人队克里斯塔普斯·波尔津吉斯 (Kristaps Porzingis) 的潜在交易中。（美联社图片/里克·斯库特里）
上周，马刺队本可以得到凯文·杜兰特。而现在，他们本可以拥有克里斯塔普斯·波尔津吉斯。所有这一切，只需要他们付出未来的一小部分筹码。
想从他们手中夺走这些？祝你好运。
当然，他们考虑过将史上最伟大的得分手之一招致麾下。他们也曾短暂考虑过，通过击败休斯顿火箭队向菲尼克斯太阳队为杜兰特提供的平平无奇的交易方案，让自己在下赛季变得更好。
那本会很容易。总经理布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 所需要做的，不过是拿起电话，打给太阳队管理层，然后说出四个音节：
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“斯蒂芬·卡斯尔。”
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或者，“迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)。”
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或者，“老鹰队未来的首轮签。”
只要莱特提到其中任何一项资产，杜兰特就已经在前往圣安东尼奥的路上了，他会立刻开始寻找当地最好训练馆和墨西哥卷饼店的Wi-Fi密码，以便发布推文。
但马刺队没有理由将太阳队真正想要的东西拱手相让，就像他们也没有理由满足波士顿凯尔特人队对波尔津吉斯提出的更低要求一样。
是的，这位7英尺2英寸的拉脱维亚人会很适合这里。不过，许多优秀球员也同样如此。而且，既然马刺队刚刚目睹雷霆队通过自主培养赢得了总冠军，圣安东尼奥队似乎没有理由不乐意走同样的路。
周三晚，马刺队将选中罗格斯大学后卫哈珀，他是今年NBA选秀中公认的第二号新秀。大约一个小时后，他们将解决投射或内线尺寸的需求，也许通过交易第14顺位选秀权来换取一名老将，或者通过向上交易来摘下像杜克大学的卡曼·马鲁阿奇 (Khaman Maluach)、乔治城大学的托马斯·索伯 (Thomas Sorber) 或法国的琼·贝林格 (Joan Beringer) 这样的年轻内线。
到晚上结束时，他们将处于有利地位，不仅能在下赛季争夺季后赛席位，还能在2027年到2035年左右，给自己一个争夺总冠军的现实机会。
那些年限，是非卖品。
不为杜兰特。
不为波尔津吉斯。
不为任何人。
当然，如果一名能够即刻提升球队实力的全明星球员以划算的价格自动送上门来，马刺队也不会对这样的机会不屑一顾。正如之前这里提到过的，用第14顺位选秀权加上德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 再加上一份额外的合同，对于杜兰特来说会是有意义的。这份筹码比火箭队付出的（第10顺位选秀权、杰伦·格林 (Jalen Green)、狄龙·布鲁克斯 (Dillon Brooks) 和一系列次轮选秀权）要轻一些。但如果用斯蒂芬·卡斯尔替换瓦塞尔，或者加上亚特兰大老鹰队2027年无保护的首轮签，那将彻底让休斯顿的报价望尘莫及。
然而，那也会是一笔糟糕的交易。莱特和马刺队不会那样运作。
他们不会像波特兰开拓者队这周所做的那样去解救凯尔特人队。在一笔广受报道的交易中，开拓者队同意接手朱·霍乐迪 (Jrue Holiday) 三年溢价的、已过巅峰期的合同，以换取更年轻、更便宜的安芬尼·西蒙斯 (Anfernee Simons)。波尔津吉斯的交易会不同，因为他的合同在下赛季结束后到期，不会侵蚀圣安东尼奥未来的薪金空间，但马刺队仍然不应该觉得有必要付出任何具有重要长期价值的回报。
很可能，波士顿会在其他地方找到更合适的清理薪资伙伴。尽管这会让马刺队仍然需要一名优秀的射手——这也是他们最初与杜兰特和波尔津吉斯联系起来的原因——但这并不意味着他们正处于绝境。
一个由德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)、瓦塞尔、斯蒂芬·卡斯尔、哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 和维克托·文班亚马组成的揭幕战首发阵容，拥有充足的拉开空间的可能性。而由哈珀、凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson)、朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 和杰里米·索汉组成的第二阵容虽然缺乏老将的内线高度，但这一点可以在不付出过多的未来选秀权的情况下得到补强。
在所有这些交易流言的狂潮中，我们几乎快要忘记马刺队现在所处的地位是多么令人羡慕了。有多少球队今天会选中哈珀，并立即将他视为自己的基石球员？又有多少球队会选中哈珀，并有90%的把握他会在五年内成为自己的基石球员？将他加入到一个已经拥有维克托·文班亚马和斯蒂芬·卡斯尔的21岁以下核心阵容中，这简直是球队建设上的“饕餮盛宴”。
怀疑论者会告诉你，关于未来的一切都没有保障。虽然怀疑论者往往很烦人，但他们也确实是对的。
但当联盟其他球队试图说服马刺队，是时候开始专注于当下的时候？无论有无保障，他们的未来都不会轻易放弃。
哪怕只是一小部分。
Dylan Harper talks to media at the 2025 NBA basketball Draft Combine in Chicago, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. The Spurs are expected to select Harper with the No. 2 overall pick in Wednesday’s draft after declining to trade for Phoenix’s Kevin Durant or Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Dylan Harper participates in the 2025 NBA basketball draft combine in Chicago, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. The Spurs are expected to select Harper with the No. 2 overall pick in Wednesday’s draft after declining to trade for Phoenix’s Kevin Durant or Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) battles for a rebound against San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) and forward Jeremy Sochan (10) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, in Boston. Ahead of the NBA Draft, the Spurs declined to include assets important for their future in potential trades for Porzingis and Phoenix’s Kevin Durant. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) guards Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the first quarter at Moody Center on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Austin, Texas. Ahead of the NBA Draft, the Spurs declined to include assets important for their future in potential trades for Durant and Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis.
San Antonio Spurs Chris Paul (3) battles Boston Celtics Kristaps Porzingis (8) for a loose ball on Saturday, March 29, 2025. Ahead of the NBA Draft, the Spurs declined to include assets important for their future in potential trades for Porzingis and Phoenix’s Kevin Durant.
点击查看原文：Spurs turn to NBA Draft after turning down Kevin Durant trade
Spurs turn to NBA Draft after turning down Kevin Durant trade
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant fouls San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Nov 2, 2023, in Phoenix. Ahead of the NBA Draft, the Spurs declined to include assets important for their future in potential trades for Durant and Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The Spurs could have had Kevin Durant last week. They could have Kristaps Porzingis right now. All it would cost them is a sliver of their future.
Good luck prying that away from them.
Of course, they thought about adding one of the greatest scorers in the history of the game. They considered, ever so briefly, making themselves better next year by beating the underwhelming trade package Houston sent to Phoenix for Durant.
It would have been easy. All general manager Brian Wright needed to do was pick up the phone, call the Suns’ front office, and utter four syllables:
“Steph-on Cast-le.”
Or, “Dy-lan Har-per.”
Or, “fu-ture Hawks’ first.”
Had Wright mentioned any of those assets, Durant would be on his way to San Antonio, already chasing down the Wi-Fi passwords of the best local practice gyms and taquerías to tweet from.
But the Spurs had no reason to give the Suns what they really wanted, just as they have no reason to meet Boston’s lesser demands for Porzingis.
Yes, the 7-foot-2 Latvian would fit here. So would a lot of good players, though. And now that the Spurs just watched the Thunder win a championship by growing their own, there’s little reason to think San Antonio wouldn’t be comfortable taking the same path.
Wednesday night, the Spurs will select Harper, the Rutgers guard who’s the consensus second-best prospect in this year’s NBA draft. An hour or so later, they’ll address a need for either shooting or size, perhaps by trading the No. 14 overall selection in a deal for a veteran, or maybe by moving up to grab a young big man like Duke’s Khaman Maluach, Georgetown’s Thomas Sorber or France’s Joan Beringer.
By the end of the evening, they’ll be well-positioned to compete for a playoff spot next season, and to give themselves a realistic chance at title contention from 2027 until about, oh, 2035 or so.
Those years are not for sale.
Not for Durant.
Not for Porzingis.
Not for anybody.
Now, if a win-now All-Star piece falls into their lap for a bargain price, the Spurs aren’t going to thumb their noses at an opportunity. As mentioned here before, the No. 14 pick plus Devin Vassell plus an extra salary would have made sense for Durant. That package was a bit lighter than what the Rockets gave up (the No. 10 pick, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and a slew of second-rounders). But subbing Castle for Vassell, or adding Atlanta’s unprotected 2027 first-rounder, would’ve blown Houston’s bid out of the water.
It also would have been a bad deal. Wright and the Spurs don’t operate that way.
They’re not going to bail out the Celtics like Portland did this week, when in a widely reported trade the Trail Blazers agreed to take back three overpriced contract years of a past-his-prime Jrue Holiday in exchange for the younger, cheaper Anfernee Simons. A Porzingis deal would be different, because his contract expires after next season and wouldn’t eat into San Antonio’s future cap space, but the Spurs still shouldn’t feel compelled to offer anything of significant long-term value in return.
Chances are, Boston will find a more compatible partner for salary-shedding elsewhere. And while that will leave the Spurs still in need of an accomplished shooter — the reason why they’ve been connected to Durant and Porzingis in the first place — it’s not as though they’re in desperate straits.
An opening night starting lineup of De’Aaron Fox, Vassell, Castle, Harrison Barnes and Victor Wembanyama has plenty of floor-spacing possibilities. A second unit of Harper, Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie and Jeremy Sochan lacks veteran size, but that can be acquired without going overboard on future picks.
In the middle of all this trade-rumor hysteria, it’s almost as if we’ve lost sight of how enviable the Spurs’ position already is. How many teams would draft Harper today and immediately consider him their franchise player? How many others would draft Harper and be 90% sure he’d be their franchise player within five years? Adding him to a 21-and-under core already featuring Wembanyama and Castle is team-building gluttony.
Skeptics will tell you that nothing about the future is guaranteed. Although skeptics tend to be annoying, they’re also correct.
But as the rest of the league tries to convince the Spurs that it’s time to start focusing on the present? Guaranteed or not, their future isn’t going to be just given away.
Not even a sliver of it.
By Mike Finger, Columnist, via San Antonio Express-News