By Devon Birdsong | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-06-24 14:18:53
嘿，瞧瞧这是谁，PTR 信箱来啦！
我们就像《大盗麦克》一样卷土重来，准备好深入探讨一些休赛期的话题了。
在长时间的休整之后，我们觉得，在自由球员市场开启前的这段空窗期，不妨去追逐一些疯狂的设想，这或许是个不错的选择，尤其是当这些设想围绕着一个非常具体的交易讨论焦点——达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 展开时。
（对我们非欧洲的读者说明一下，列那狐是中世纪一系列冒险故事的主人公。你们最熟悉它的可能是 1973 年迪士尼动画版的《罗宾汉》，该片用列那狐故事中的拟人化动物来致敬已故的华特·迪士尼，他花了几十年时间试图将这些故事搬上银幕。）
随着圣安东尼奥在总决赛失利（现在打出这几个字仍感觉太快了），以及福克斯在带伤作战下经历的一段漫长的低迷期，整个 NBA 世界（双关，暗指推特）都在热议马刺应该如何送走福克斯，尽管马刺方面在某种程度上公开表示了支持。
因此，就本期信箱而言，我将带各位浏览一批这样的交易提案（多亏了一大群马刺推特用户热心提供），并根据可行性和适配度的不同等级对它们进行排名。
和往常一样，欢迎在下方评论区提出相关（或不相关）的问题，以供未来的信箱栏目使用。如果你有今天未能解答的问题，可以继续在下方评论区提交它（及其他问题），因为我们绝对会仔细梳理这些评论。
此外，你也可以像在这里评论一样，在我们的推特信箱帖子评论区提交问题。当然，你随时可以直接私信我你的问题。（请注意，反问句和陈述性声明不太可能被收录到信箱中。）
好了，现在让我们开始吧！
好吧，既然我们最近似乎都在讨论如何处理达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)，我很想看看你们最好的交易提案。
提案可以尽可能现实，也可以天马行空，尽管发到这里，我看看能不能在 @ poundingtherock 的一期福克斯专题信箱里用到它们。
— 德文·伯德桑 (@ DevonBirdsong) 2026年6月18日
极不可能/近乎疯狂（可能有钓鱼成分）
好吧，我觉得有必要嵌入上面的推文，这样我们都能看到并理解，我事先告诉过大家，他们的想法可以既天马行空又现实可行。
这样做对吗？我不知道。但我确实知道我花了几乎相同的时间来大笑和扶额。
达龙·福克斯 + 凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) + 三个次轮签（26年、29年、30年）换扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 ——由 @ChiChiandPato 提交
公平地说，这位提交者承认此举带有一些白日做梦的钓鱼性质，但这笔交易显然不现实，原因有几个，其中最主要的是完全没有报道表明扬尼斯和密尔沃基雄鹿队管理层对阿拉莫城有兴趣。马刺确实拥有扎实的资产和薪金组合可以用来报价，但用这样的筹码去换一个即将32岁、相当依赖运动能力且合同只剩一个保障赛季的球员，对圣安东尼奥来说几乎肯定行不通，而福克斯季后赛的低迷更让雄鹿不太可能将其视为优质资产（这还没考虑凯尔登·约翰逊季后赛表现的不稳定性）。更可能的情况是，雄鹿会想要迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)，我想我们都能同意这绝对不行，即使不考虑送走27年亚特兰大老鹰签、31年萨克拉门托国王签和/或30年明尼苏达森林狼互换权，这也是不可能的。
评级：-1/10 （更新评级：-1，000/10，迈阿密热火为了得到扬尼斯可是拆了整支球队）
达龙·福克斯换贾·莫兰特 + 泰·杰罗姆 ——由 @flygodd22 提交
考虑到据报道孟菲斯灰熊希望送走莫兰特，筹码中缺少选秀权这一点实际上感觉有些现实。然而，圣安东尼奥似乎是最不可能的目的地之一，原因在于：1. 这对球队来说是相当严重的个人品质冲突；2. 球队已经拥有了卡斯尔和哈珀这对保底高、天花板也高的未来后场组合，莫兰特的加入将再次造成拥挤；3. 没有证据表明莫兰特愿意相应地调整他的自负和/或比赛风格；4. 其他位置有更大的需求；5. 莫兰特肉眼可见的下滑和他的伤病史表明，福克斯仍然是更好、更可靠的选择。如果马刺管理层要冒险，很可能不会再冒险在另一名后卫身上，而且几乎肯定不会冒险在一个一贯展现出与马刺偏好的“团队至上”精神背道而驰的球员身上。你可能会破坏一支总决赛球队的化学反应，可能在莫兰特和你无可争议的球队基石之间增加一场内部权力斗争，带来更多的后卫轮换问题，并且这一切很可能最终因伤病/衰退而变成死钱。此外，据萨姆·阿米克 (Sam Amick) 报道，灰熊希望将莫兰特作为那些错过扬尼斯球队的一个“B计划”诱饵。换句话说，孟菲斯希望占一个绝望冤大头的便宜。马刺绝不是那种冤大头，也不应该是。除非马刺能设法换回选秀权资产（并且让莫兰特歃血为盟，发誓痛改前非），否则我看不到这发生的可能。
评级：三块五
达龙·福克斯去快船 + 科怀·伦纳德去热火 + 安德鲁·威金斯和尼古拉·约维奇来马刺 ——由 @RomanSATX 提交
没错，这是我们第一个三方交易，光是打出来我就觉得恶心。暂且不提似乎没人真正搞懂伦纳德、快船以及他们那套理论上“挂羊头卖狗肉”洗钱操作后果到底是怎么回事，光是威金斯作为前锋尺寸不对、约维奇是个护筐平庸且远程投射断崖式下滑的球员，以及这两个球员都对篮板问题帮助甚微这些事，就问题重重。再加上热火在培养和使用角色球员方面相当有马刺风范，你大致可以得出：约维奇是更弱化版且合同年限更长、年薪更高的卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet)，而威金斯解决不了圣安东尼奥四号位的任何问题（尽管他的合同即将到期），只会加剧三号位现有的人员拥堵。马刺还拿不到任何选秀权。我宁可让人用奶酪刨丝器给我做足疗，也不愿眼睁睁看着这样的交易发生。
评级：满满一桶我的厌恶
达龙·福克斯换卢卡·东契奇 ——由 @HarperEasy2 提交
除了最近日益增长的担忧——马刺球迷是不是被困扰洛杉矶湖人球迷大脑的那种片面交易狂热症给传染了——之外，我对这笔交易几乎没有任何抱怨。不过，这种事你也不能再说绝无可能了，如果湖人解雇罗伯·佩林卡然后聘请尼克·哈里森，那就一切皆有可能。但即使那样，也必然要涉及一些选秀权。尼克·哈里森可喜欢选秀权了。
评级：2.5 大胆指数分 + 1 个一个人在做疯狂计算的表情包，计算这要怎样才能真正实现
有一定可能但几率不大/存疑
达龙·福克斯 + 卢克·科内特 (或选秀权) 换 伊曼纽尔·奎克利 + 雅各布·珀尔特尔 ——由多人/多个账户提交
这是迄今为止最受欢迎的提案，伴随着各种选秀权和/或科内特的不同变体，表面上看起来相当合理。珀尔特尔熟悉圣安东尼奥及其体系，他仍然是一个高于平均水平的护筐者和篮板手，并且在其位置上算是不错的传球手。奎克利则能根据需要胜任替补和首发职责，三分球肯定能投，并且拥有无缝融入球队的理想性格。两名球员都完全有能力临时首发并提供高下限的深度。然而，第一个问题是珀尔特尔正在走下坡路，他的健康问题几乎从他到达多伦多后就一直存在，而且相对于他的价值，他即将变得非常昂贵（还有3年全额保障合同），这正是多伦多想要摆脱他的原因。第二个问题是奎克利还有3年合同，年薪约占工资帽的20%，对于一个大部分时间将在替补席度过的球员来说，这笔费用可不小。我认为这笔交易本身并不算差，但我确实觉得，它带来的问题几乎和简单留下福克斯一样多，尤其是在福克斯目前的交易价值很可能低于马刺预期的情况下。这可能提高球队下限，但几乎肯定无法提高上限，如果科内特也在交易中，实际上并没有真正帮助到深度。最重要的是，它并没有真正降低成本。如果既不降低成本也不提高上限，我不认为马刺会做这笔交易。
评级：4.5/10（取决于资产变动）
达龙·福克斯换朱利叶斯·兰德尔 + 唐特·迪温琴佐 ——由多人/多个账户提交
这是第二受欢迎的提案，我理解其中的逻辑。兰德尔和迪温琴佐确实填补了球队的需求，有可能提高球队的下限和上限。迪温琴佐是个神准射手，拥有出色的无球技巧，并且是个不错的防守者，能够增强首发阵容和/或替补席。兰德尔在大前锋位置上是个天赋异禀的独角兽，在最佳状态下，他能拉开空间，防守前锋和大个子，传出犀利的助攻，并且在篮板球上胜过更高大的球员。然而，“最佳状态”仍然是关键限定词，因为兰德尔整个职业生涯都令人困惑地不稳定，赛季与赛季之间、场与场之间、甚至一节与一节之间都如此。讽刺的是，兰德尔在执行力和努力程度上的不稳定，却是他在每一站最“稳定”的方面之一。以他的技术特点，如果他能够更专注并且（据记者和球迷所说）真正听教练的话，他不太可能辗转这么多地方。当你再把迪温琴佐几乎肯定需要全年恢复的跟腱伤病算进来，这笔交易基本上就是莫兰特交易，只不过位置适配性更好。如果这笔交易的主角换成纳兹·里德，那可能真的很有意思。但里德和迪温琴佐一样，深受所在球队和明尼苏达球迷的喜爱和珍视（Canis Hoopus的蒂洛·维德在《与敌联谊》节目中对两人都赞不绝口），正因如此，我预计森林狼会留住他们两个。同样，我预计马刺会避免单独用福克斯去换兰德尔。充其量，他们可能会帮助森林狼促成某些交易以获取资产（似乎他们非常急于送走兰德尔），但考虑到明尼苏达作为西部竞争者的地位，我对此表示怀疑。
评级：4/10（因为位置适配性） （更新评级：3/10，明尼苏达最终不得不搭上资产才把兰德尔交易到布鲁克林篮网，但实际上只是一个选秀权互换。不值当。）
达龙·福克斯 + 选秀权换凯文·杜兰特 ——由多人/多个账户提交
过去几天我开始看到更多这个提案，同样，我理解从需求角度的逻辑。马刺需要得分、投射和身高。杜兰特三者兼备，而且不止于此。自从他在德克萨斯大学时期起，他的到来就一直是一大群马刺球迷长久以来的渴望，而在 NBA 75周年纪念活动期间，杜兰特穿着乔治·“冰人”·格文的球衣拍照后，这种呼声更高了。需要明确的是，薪金匹配没问题，杜兰特的合同只剩两年看起来很理想。理论上，技术特点也适配。但杜兰特整个职业生涯就没简单过，而且近年来伤病真的开始累积。早在杜兰特最近在休斯顿火箭那段经历之前，就有他破坏球队化学反应的传闻，现在，很多指责又指向了他。杜兰特会像过去那样试图强行要求续约，然后在被拒绝后以损害自身交易价值的闹剧吗？为了追求更多冠军，他愿意再次扮演二当家（甚至三当家）吗？他愿意在圣安东尼奥的体系相对受限的环境下打球吗？随着他的星光开始黯淡，他会尊重仍在成长的主教练和更年轻、正在上升期的天才吗？对于这位同代人中最令人困惑却又无可否认的纯粹天才之一，这些都是重要的问题。然而，我认为最大的影响因素很可能是休斯顿不愿将他送到马刺，马刺是他们的长期竞争对手，也是当前争夺区域影响力和西部排名的对手。这两支球队上一次做交易是在2007年，当时马刺将路易斯·斯科拉送到了休斯顿。在那之前，你得追溯到1992年。再往前呢？1984年。事实上，马刺和火箭两队历史上一共总共只做过4次交易。这是一个有趣的思维实验，但就是不会发生。不过，如果它真的发生了，你或许真该考虑去买张彩票。
评级：5/10（问题太多 + 可能性太小）
达龙·福克斯 + 末段首轮签 去 篮网，迈克尔·波特 + 一个马刺次轮签 去 国王，多曼塔斯·萨博尼斯 来 马刺 ——由区区在下提交
好吧，听我说完。篮网急需一名控球后卫，并且随着他们继续重建（即：囤积选秀权），刚刚接手了兰德尔和他的合同。随着兰德尔入队，感觉波特可能会被交易，而国王确实可以利用他的投射、得分能力以及相对年轻+薪金减少的优势。篮网得到一个首轮签和一次博福克斯状态回暖的上行机会，这让他们可以根据情况选择留用或用他换取更多资产。马刺得到萨博尼斯，他不仅比福克斯略便宜，而且合同只剩两年。而且，仔细分析一下，萨博尼斯对圣安东尼奥来说其实是一个非常引人注目的适配人选。他不仅能打中锋和大前锋两个位置，他还可能是尼古拉·约基奇之外传球最好的大个子（在卡尔-安东尼·唐斯展现出稳定性之前，我不会把他排在萨博尼斯之上），是一个顽强的篮板手，并且在去年之前的连续三个赛季三分命中率平均达到38.9%。简而言之，马刺可以像纽约尼克斯使用唐斯那样使用他，只不过萨博尼斯得分效率更高，在犯规控制上也更聪明。虽然萨博尼斯在防守端确实暴露了一些弱点，但他职业生涯大部分时间的防守正负值都是正值，并且当他和文班亚马或科内特搭档时，会受到一些保护。这笔交易最大的问题是可行性。在最近几年被马刺“打劫”了两次之后，国王还愿意再和他们打交道吗？篮网会要求更多补偿吗？他们想留下波特吗？他们的老板会像过去那样强迫他们做赢在当下的操作吗？两支球队会试图从马刺身上榨取最大价值吗？这其中有太多变数和“如果”，而且据说马刺无论如何也不想交易福克斯。适配性可能很棒，这笔交易对每支球队都有好处，但这看起来仍然是一个非常遥远的可能。不过，老天，那该多有意思啊。
评级：5/10（未知变量太多）
适配性佳 + 可行性较高
达龙·福克斯 + 多个首轮签 换 小贾伦·杰克逊 ——由 @DonMegaBets 提交
如果要说适配性，这可能比萨博尼斯更好，尽管杰克逊在篮板和传球方面明显不如后者那么令人印象深刻。进攻端，杰克逊在更高出手量的远距离投篮下，是一个更稳定的空间点，并且本身也是一个相当高效的得分手，但真正令人垂涎的是其造成防守端“恐怖袭击”的潜力。你谈论的是将自圣安东尼奥双塔时代以来最令人窒息的两名护筐手组合在一起，两人都可以在任何一次攻防回合中在四号位和五号位之间来回切换，并且能像其他任何前场组合一样真正地拉开空间。我真的只看到三个问题：1. 杰克逊最近存在一些健康问题；2. 除了马刺其他冉冉升起的新星和文班亚马之外，还要应对杰克逊的合同（以及可能的未来合同）；3. 丹尼·安吉。考虑到马刺医疗团队的声誉和谨慎处理，以及精明的上场时间分配，第一个问题我不太担心。第二个问题感觉就像香槟问题。“哦不！他们怎么能付得起付给队里所有优秀球员的钱？！”然而，第三个问题几乎肯定是最大的问题。一般来说，避免与丹尼·安吉做交易是个好主意。首先，他为了得到杰克逊已经小搞了一次打劫，没有任何迹象表明他想交易他。其次，安吉有着打劫其他球队/一旦知道他们想要某个球员就榨取最大价值的悠久历史。没有折扣，没有真正的薄弱时刻，没有任何真正的谈判筹码。安吉要么得到他想要的，要么免谈。这意味着这笔交易几乎肯定会耗尽圣安东尼奥最后多余的选秀权储备。这值得吗？是的，可能值得。马刺会真的这么做吗？我真的非常怀疑。
评级：6/10（安吉看起来不太可能做这笔交易）
达龙·福克斯 + 首轮签 换 劳里·马尔卡宁 ——由 @TheFinalQuan 提交
完全坦白地讲，我一直不太看好马尔卡宁，但在这个场景下，他看起来确实是个完美的适配人选。在这支马刺队的背景下，他基本上就是轻量版凯文·杜兰特。他是一个从三个层次都非常高效的射手，增加了身高、篮板和得分火力，却没有那些戏剧性事件。合同基本上是完美薪金对等互换，马尔卡宁应该能够毫不费力地融入现有的体系。防守不是很好，但他的身高加上马刺已有的防守者群应该能弥补很多不足。而且合同只剩三年，如果效果不佳，马刺应该能很快摆脱他。障碍，再一次，是丹尼·安吉，他可能非常乐意等待，直到收到他确切的报价，因为留住马尔卡宁对他来说真的不是问题，即使爵士又选了一个前锋。由于没有真正的不和或想要交易他的传闻，你可以预期安吉会为马尔卡宁的服务索要高价。马刺本身就不常做交易，所以我不会赌这笔交易会发生。不过，这确实是两个都非常喜欢自己掌握主动权的交易伙伴。如果马刺能在不被安吉开膛破肚的情况下完成这笔交易，马刺球迷又得欠管理层一次道歉了。但这绝非易事。
评级：7/10（或更高，取决于成本）
达龙·福克斯 + 多个首轮签（2-3个）换 特雷·墨菲 和 赫伯·琼斯 ——由 @DonMegaBets 提交
然而，对于适配性和可行性的完美结合，我认为这个感觉对路。适配性虽然不像其他一些提案那么引人注目，但非常接近了，因为赫伯·琼斯自进入 NBA 以来看起来就像是一个理想的马刺人，而墨菲的特点则有些像是马刺此前引进的两位球员——鲁迪·盖伊和哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes)——的结合体。据ESPN的马克·斯皮尔斯报道，新奥尔良鹈鹕实际上正在寻求交易墨菲，而且他们正是那种马刺喜欢“占便宜”的球队。整个组织都处于动荡之中，“迄今为止，篮球运营和业务部门至少有 25 个职位空缺”，包括据报道被*“掏空”*的医疗和分析部门，这本身就不是好兆头，且不论新任篮球运营总裁乔·杜马斯本就不太稳定的管理层历史。这个场景下真正的问题在于，鹈鹕是会继续他们长期以来围绕锡安·威廉姆森打造赢在当下阵容的尝试，还是他们只对收集资产感兴趣。如果是前者（甚至是试图两者同时进行），这笔交易突然变得非常可行，而且甚至可能不会让圣安东尼奥付出他们垂涎的2031年萨克拉门托国王互换权。一个处于变动中、寻求方向的管理层（结合恰到好处的绝望感），以及一些因更耀眼的选项而被忽视的优秀球员，这正是一次老派马刺式“打劫”的完美配方。我仍然认为马刺本赛季不会交易福克斯，但在所有的交易想法中，这个看起来确实可能发生。
评级：8.5/10（乔·杜马斯是混乱善良的典范）
好吧，本期PtR信箱到此为止！请在下方评论区告诉我们你的想法和/或留下你的交易构思。我们看看今晚选秀大会进展如何。最后，一如既往，Go Spurs Go！
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。
点击查看原文：PTR Mailbag: Offseason Trade Scenarios
PTR Mailbag: Offseason Trade Scenarios
Well, lookie here, it’s the PTR Mailbag!
We’re back like Mack The Knife and ready to dig into some off-season conversation.
After an extended break, we thought it might be nice to fill some of the pre-free agency vacuum by chasing some wild hares, particularly when it comes to a very specific vein of trade conversation — De’Aaron Fox.
(For our non-Euro readers, Reynard the Fox is the hero of a series of adventure tales from the Middle Ages. You probably know him best from Disney’s animated Robin Hood from 1973, which used the anthropomorphic animals of the Reynard stories as a tribute to the late Walt Disney, who spent decades trying to find a way to adapt them for the screen)
Following San Antonio’s Finals loss (still feels too soon to type that), and an extended rough stretch while playing injured, the NBA world is a-twitter (pun intended) with ideas about how the Spurs should move on from Fox, in spite of the Spurs somewhat public declaration of support.
So, as far as this edition of the Mailbag is concerned, I’m going to be taking you through a bunch of those proposed trades (which a bunch of Spurs Twitter users were lovely enough to provide) and ranking them according to various scales of feasibility and fit.
As always, feel free to drop related (and unrelated) questions down below in the comments for use in future mailbags. If you have questions that didn’t get answered today, you can continue submitting it (and others) in the comments below, as we will absolutely be combing through them.
Additionally, you can also submit questions in the comments on our Twitter Mailbag posts, just as you would in the comments here. And of course, you can always DM me your question directly. (Please note that rhetorical questions and declarative statements are less likely to make the mailbag)
All right, now let’s get to it!
Ok, since we all seem to be on the subject of what to do with De’Aaron Fox lately, I’d love to see your best trade proposals
Make them as realistic or outlandish as you like, but drop them here, and I’ll see if I can use them in a special Fox-centric @ poundingtherock mailbag
— Devon Birdsong (@ DevonBirdsong) June 18, 2026
Extremely Unlikely/Borderline Insane (possible trolling)
Ok, I felt the need to embed the above tweet so that we all can see and understand that I told people that their ideas could be as outlandish as they were realistic.
Was this the right call? I have no idea. I do know that I spent an almost equal amount of time laughing and facepalming.
De’Aaron Fox + Keldon Johnson + three 2nd round picks (’26, ’29, ’30) for Giannis Antetokounmpo submitted by @ChiChiandPato
To be fair, this person admitted to a bit of pie-in-the-sky trolling, but this is obviously unrealistic for several reasons, chief among them being the complete lack of reported interest in the Alamo City on the part of both Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Front Office. The Spurs do have a solid combination of assets and salaries with which they could make an offer, but to do so for one guaranteed season of a soon-to-be 32-year-old who is pretty athleticism dependent is almost certainly a no-go for San Antonio, and Fox’s postseason swoon makes it even more unlikely that the Bucks will see him as a favorable asset (and that’s without considering Keldon’s postseason inconsistency). Much more likely the Bucks would want to make a demand for Dylan Harper, and I think we can all agree that that’s a no-go, even without considering shipping out the ’27 Atlanta, ’31 Sacramento, and/or the ’30 Minnesota swap.
Grade: -1/10 (Updated Grade -1,000/10, the Miami Heat had to gut their team for Giannis)
De’Aaron Fox for Ja Morant + Ty Jerome submitted by @flygodd22
The lack of picks here actually feels somewhat realistic, given Memphis’ reported desire to move on from Morant. However, San Antonio seems like one of the most unlikely destinations due to: 1. A pretty significant personal character conflict for the franchise, 2. Already possessing a high-floor + high-ceiling back-court of the future in Castle and Harper that would again become cramped with Morant, 3. No evidence that Morant would be willing to adapt his ego and/or playing style accordingly, 4. Bigger needs at other positions, 5. Visible decline and an injury history that suggests that Fox is still the better and more reliable option. If the Spurs front office is going to take a risk, it’s probably not going to be on another guard, and almost certainly not on someone who has consistently displayed the opposite of their preferred ‘over themselves’ ethos. You risk upsetting the chemistry of a Finals team, the possibility of adding an internal power-struggle between Morant and your unquestioned franchise pillar, more guard rotation issues, and the possibility of it all ending up dead money anyway due to injury/regression. And according to Sam Amick, the Grizzlies are hoping to dangle Morant as a ‘Plan B’ for teams that miss out on Giannis. In other words, Memphis is hoping to take advantage of a desperate sucker. That’s just not the Spurs. Nor should it be. Unless the Spurs could somehow get draft assets back (and a blood-oath on pain of self-immolation from Morant for best-behavior), I don’t see this happening.
Grade: Tree Fiddy
De’Aaron Fox to The Clippers + Kawhi Leonard to The Heat + Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jović to The Spurs submitted by @RomanSATX
Yep, it’s our first three-team trade, and I felt nauseous just typing it out. Ignoring the fact that no one really seems to know what the hell is going on with Leonard, The Clippers, and the theoretical consequences of their arboreal money-laundering scheme, there are still the issues of Wiggins being the wrong size forward, Jović being a milquetoast rim protector whose long-distance shot fell off a cliff, and neither player helping much with the rebounding issues. Add to the equation that the Heat are pretty Spursian in their ability to elevate and make use of role-players, and you basically get that Jović is a lesser version of Kornet who will be paid more than Kornet, for more years, and that Wiggins solves none of San Antonio’s issues at the 4 (though his contact will be expiring), and only increases the existing log-jam at the 3. And the Spurs get no picks. I would rather have someone give me a pedicure with a cheese grater than to have to watch a trade like this go down.
Grade: 1 chum bucket full of my disgust
De’Aaron Fox for Luka Dončić submitted by @HarperEasy2
I have almost no complaints about this trade other than some recently developing concerns that Spurs fans have been infected by whatever one-sided trade-related malady it is that ails the brains of Los Angeles Laker fans. Still, you can’t really call this sort of thing an impossibility anymore, and if the Lakers were to fire Rob Pelinka and then hire Nico Harrison, all bets are off. Even then, though, there would have to be some picks involved. Nico Harrison loves him some picks.
Grade: 2.5 audacity points + 1 gif of a guy doing the insane math of what it would take for that to actually happen
Possible Yet Improbable/Questionable
De’Aaron Fox + Luke Kornet (or picks) for Immanuel Quickley + Jakob Poeltl submitted by multiple people/accounts
This was the most popular submission by far, and it came with different variations of picks and/or Kornet, and it looks fairly rational on the surface. Poeltl is familiar with San Antonio and their system, and is still an above-average rim defender and rebounder, and a decent passer for his position. And Quickley is capable of handling bench and starting duties as needed, can definitely shoot the three, and has also has an ideal disposition for joining the roster seamlessly. Both players are more than capable of spot-starting and offer high-floor depth. However, issue number one is that Poeltl is on the decline, and his health has been an issue pretty much since he got to Toronto, and he’s about to get really expensive proportionate to his value (with 3 years fully guaranteed) which is why Toronto would be looking to get off him. Issue two is that Quickley still has 3 years left on a contract that’s about 20% of the cap, which is a bundle for a player who will get a lot of his minutes with the bench. I don’t think that this is a bad trade, per se. But I do feel like it presents just as many problems as simply keeping Fox, especially with his current trade value probably being lower than the Spurs would like. It may raise the floor, but almost certainly doesn’t raise the ceiling, and if Kornet is in the swap, it actually doesn’t really help depth. Most of all, it doesn’t really reduce cost. And if it doesn’t reduce cost or raise the ceiling, I don’t see the Spurs doing it.
Grade: 4.5/10 (depending on asset variation)
De’Aaron Fox for Julius Randle + Donte DiVincenzo submitted by multiple people/accounts
This was the 2nd most popular submission, and I understand the reasoning. Randle and DiVincenzo actually fill needs for the team, potentially raising the floor and the ceiling. DiVincenzo is a dead-eye shooter with terrific off-ball skills and is a decent defender capable of adding to the starting unit and/or the bench. Randle is a unicorn in terms of talent at Power-Forward, and at his best, is capable of stretching the floor, defending forwards and big men, making sharp passes, and out-rebounding bigger players. ‘At his best’ remains the operative phrase, though, as Randle has been confoundingly inconsistent over his career, season-to-season, game-to-game, quarter-to-quarter. Ironically, Randle’s inconsistent execution and effort level have been among the most consistent aspects of his game at each of his stops. It’s unlikely he would have bounced around so much for a player with his skillset had he been capable of greater focus and (per both reporters and fans) actually listening to his coaches. When you add DiVincenzo’s almost certainly year-long Achilles rehab to the equation, this is basically the Morant trade, just with better positional fits. If this trade featured Naz Reid instead, it might really be interesting, but Reid is as beloved and valued by his team and Minnesota fans as DiVincenzo is (Thilo Widder of Canis Hoopus gave glowing reviews of both during Fraternizing with the Enemy), and because of that, I expect the Wolves to hold onto both of them. Likewise, I expect the Spurs to avoid a solo swap for Randle. At best, they might help facilitate something for the Wolves for an asset (as they seem very motivated to move Randle), but considering Minnesota’s status as a Western Conference contender, I doubt it.
Grade: 4/10 (because of positional fit) (Updated Grade: 3/10, Minnesota had to send assets to trade Randle to the Nets, but it was really just a pick swap. Not worth it.)
De’Aaron Fox + pick for Kevin Durant submitted by multiple people/accounts
I’ve started to see this one more over the last several days, and again, I understand the reasoning need-wise. The Spurs need scoring, shooting, and size. Durant offers all three, and then some. His arrival has been a longstanding desire for a large cohort of Spurs fans since his tenure at the University of Texas, and then gained more steam around the NBA’s 75th anniversary, when Durant put on a George ‘Iceman’ Gervin jersey for a photo-op. And to be clear, the money works, and Durant’s contract only lasting two seasons seems ideal. Theoretically, the skill-set fits. But nothing about Durant has been simple over his career, and the injuries have really started to stack up over recent years. There have been rumors about Durant sabotaging team chemistry long before his recent stint with the Rockets, and once again, a lot of fingers are being pointed. Will Durant try to force an extension as he has in the past, and then throw a trade-value sabotaging fit when denied? Will he be willing to play second (or even 3rd) fiddle again in pursuit of more titles? Will he want to play within the relative confines of San Antonio’s system? Will he respect the still-developing head coach and younger ascending talents as his star begins to wane? All important questions when it comes to one of the most perplexing yet undeniably pure talents of his generation. However, I think the biggest factor is likely going to be Houston’s reluctance to send him to the Spurs, a long-time rival and current opponent for regional dominance as well as Western Conference seeding. The last time these two teams got together for a trade was 2007, when the Spurs shipped Luis Scola to Houston. Prior to that, you have to go back to 1992. Prior to that? 1984. In fact, the Spurs and Rockets have combined for exactly 4 trades with each other, total. It’s an interesting thought exercise, but it’s just not happening. If it does, though, you might want to think about buying a lottery ticket.
Grade: 5/10 (too many questions + too little chance)
De’Aaron Fox + late 1st to The Nets, Michael Porter Jr. + a Spurs 2nd to the Kings, Domantas Sabonis to The Spurs submitted by Yours Truly
Ok, hear me out. The Nets badly need a point guard, and just took on Randle and his salary as they continue their rebuild (ie: hoarding picks). With Randle in the fold, it feels like Porter could be on the move, and the Kings could really use his shooting, scoring, and relative youth + cap reduction. The Nets get a 1st and an upside play that Fox will return to form, allowing them to either keep or trade him for more assets. The Spurs get Sabonis, who is not only slightly cheaper than Fox, but only has two years left on his contract. And Sabonis is actually a pretty compelling fit for San Antonio when you break it down. Not only is he capable of playing both Center and Power-Forward, he’s also arguably the best passing big-man outside of Nikola Jokić (I’m not putting Karl-Anthony Towns over Sabonis until I see some consistency), is a tenacious rebounder, and averaged .389 from three over the 3 consecutive seasons prior to last year. In short, the Spurs would be able to use him the way that the Knicks have used Towns, except that Sabonis is a more efficient scorer and is smarter when it comes to fouls. And while Sabonis does showcase some defensive vulnerability, he’s had a positive Defensive Box Plus/Minus for most of his career, and will be protected a bit when playing with Wemby or Kornet. The biggest issue with this trade is feasibility. After getting fleeced by the Spurs twice in the past couple of years, will the Kings want to deal with them again? Will the Nets want more compensation? Do they want to keep Porter? Will their owner force them to make win-now moves? (as he has in the past) Will both teams try to extract maximum value from the Spurs? It’s just a lot of moving parts and ‘ifs’ and supposedly the Spurs don’t want to move Fox anyway. The fit could be amazing, and the trade has upsides for each team, but it just seems like a major stretch. Man could it be fun, though.
Grade: 5/10 (too many unknown variables)
Good Fit + More Feasible
De’Aaron Fox + Multiple 1sts for Jaren Jackson Jr. submitted by @DonMegaBets
If you wanna talk about fit, this might be even better than Sabonis, though Jackson is decidedly not as impressive a rebounder or passer. Offensively, Jackson’s a more consistent floor stretcher on a higher diet of long-distance shots, and is a pretty efficient scorer in his own right, but it’s the potential for outright defensive terrorism that gives this mouth-watering potential. You’re talking about pairing two of the most smothering rim protectors since San Antonio’s Twin Towers, both of whom can switch back and forth between the 4 and the 5 any given possession, and who can legitimately space the floor like no other front-court. I really only see three issues: 1. Jackson has had some trouble staying healthy as of late, 2. Juggling Jackson’s contract (and possible future contracts) in addition to other budding Spurs stars and Wemby, 3. Danny Ainge. The first issue I would feel less concerned about when considering the reputation and kid-glove handling of the Spurs medical team, and shrewd playing time allocations. The second issue just feels like champagne problems. ‘Oh no! How can they afford to pay all the great players they have on the roster?!’. The third issue, however, is almost certainly the biggest one. As a general rule, it’s a good idea to steer clear of wheeling and dealing with Danny Ainge. For starters, he already pulled off a small heist in order to land Jackson, and there’s no indication that he’d want to move him. Secondly, Ainge has a long history of fleecing teams + extracting maximum value once he knows they want a player. There are no discounts, no real weak moments, no real leverage. Ainge is going to get what he wants, or no dice. And that means this almost certainly empties the last of the San Antonio’s excess pick hoard. Would it be worth it? Yeah, probably. Would the Spurs actually do it? I sincerely doubt it.
Grade: 6/10 (Ainge seems unlikely to do it)
De’Aaron Fox + 1st for Lauri Markkanen submitted by @TheFinalQuan
Full disclosure, I’ve never been big on Markkanen, but he sure looks like a perfect fit in this scenario. Within the context of this Spurs team, he’s basically Kevin Durant-lite. He’s a very efficient shooter from all three levels who adds size, rebounding, and scoring punch, minus all of the drama. The contract is basically a perfect swap, and Markkanen should be able to slide right into the existing ecosystem without much trouble. The defense isn’t great, but his size + the Spurs existing corral of defenders should make up for a lot of that. And with only three years left, the Spurs should be able to move off of him pretty quickly if it doesn’t pan out. The snag is, once again, Danny Ainge, who will probably be prefectly content waiting until he gets exactly the offer he want, as keeping Markkanen really isn’t a problem for him, even if the Jazz draft another forward. With no real rumors of discord or desire to move him, you can expect Ainge to extract a premium for Markkanen’s services. And the Spurs don’t make a lot of trades to begin with, so I wouldn’t bet on this one happening. These are two trade partners who really prefer to dictate their own terms. Spurs fans would owe the front office yet another apology if they pulled it off without getting disemboweled by Ainge, though. But that’s a tall order.
Grade: 7/10 (or higher, depending on cost)
De’Aaron Fox + Multiple 1sts (2-3) for Trey Murphy and Herb Jones submitted by @DonMegaBets
For the perfect mixture of fit and feasibility, though, I think this feels right. The fit isn’t quite as compelling as some of the other propositions, but it’s close, as Herb Jones has seemed like an ideal Spur since he arrived in the NBA, and Murphy shares a somewhat combined profile of two previous Spurs additions in Rudy Gay and Harrison Barnes. Per ESPN’s Marc Spears, the Pelicans are actually looking to move Murphy, and they are exactly the kind of team the Spurs like to take advantage of. The entire organization is in a state of flux with “at least 25 vacancies across basketball operations and business departments so far’, including the medical and analytics departments, which were reportedly “gutted”, which doesn’t bode well, disregarding new president of basketball operations Joe Dumars’ already inconsistent front-office history. The real question in this scenario will be whether the Pelicans will try to continue their long-standing win-now attempts to build around Zion Williamson, or if they’re only interested in collecting assets. If it’s the former (or even an attempt to do both at once) this suddenly becomes very feasible, and might not even cost San Antonio their coveted 2031 Sacramento Kings swap. A front-office in flux and in search of direction (in combination with the right mixture of desperation), with good players who are being ignored for flashier options, is the perfect recipe for a good-old-fashioned Spurs heist. I still don’t think the Spurs are trading Fox this season, but of all the trade ideas, this one seems actually seems possible.
Grade: 8.5/10 (Joe Dumars is the epitome of chaotic good)
Well, that’ll do it for this edition of the PtR mailbag! Let us know your thoughts and/or drop your trade ideas in the comments below. We’ll see how things go tonight in the Draft. And, as always, Go Spurs Go!
By Devon Birdsong, via Pounding The Rock