Spurs mailbag: The hot-button issues as things begin to pick up before the trade deadline

Plus, y'all dove into some Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell talk, as well as a spicy NBA Draft hypothetical for which I don't have a great answer.

Photo courtesy of Bally Sports Southwest

I appreciate everyone who submitted questions so quickly on Sunday — you helped make this a nice, hefty mailbag. We finally saw some major action on the trade market yesterday, and it seems likely the Kyrie Irving trade is going to set more pieces in motion in the coming days. So let’s dive right into the trade stuff, and a few other non-transactional items to boot.

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David Counts: Do you think the Spurs will be active in trades as a place to salary dump and pick up some picks in the process?

When Myles Turner and the Indiana Pacers renegotiated and extended his current contract a little more than a week ago, it essentially left San Antonio as the only team in the league capable of finding a way to take on max money. So yes, the Spurs may as well have a dedicated phone line on hold for any team that needs access to their $27 million in cap space.

It dawned on me that while I’ve mentioned San Antonio as a “dumping ground” in past articles, I may not have explained thoroughly why this is important. So, to anyone who may not be familiar with how this stuff works: When two teams that are over the salary cap are trying to execute a trade that involves at least one high-priced player (e.g. Russell Westbrook and his $47 million), it can be extremely difficult for the acquiring team to stay within the set salary-matching parameters without gutting its own roster or giving up an equally priced player in return.

This is where the Spurs can step in. Because they have so much cap space, they can help facilitate a trade by taking on big contracts, in turn helping the trade in progress meet the salary-matching requirements in the aggregate. And most importantly, they’d get paid in assets for the inconvenience.

So San Antonio is all ears. If another team needs assistance making a deal happen, the Spurs are on Line One. But it’s gonna cost you a pick or two.

Aaron: If the Spurs do trade for Westbrook, couldn’t they keep him on the team and then work with him on a sign-and-trade in the offseason? A lot he could teach to these young guys and also maybe get another pick or player with the sign-and-trade.

Acquiring picks is one thing, but keeping Westbrook on board would be another thing entirely. There’s inherent value in having veterans on a young team, but you’d prefer those veterans be lower-usage players. I’ve got nothing against Russ as a player in the locker room — for the most part, younger guys look up to him — but you need your draft picks getting the real reps, and Westbrook is not someone who plays off the ball.

Players like Doug McDermott, Josh Richardson and Gorgui Dieng are perfect for the situation the Spurs are in, but I can’t go there with Russ. San Antonio wouldn’t want him playing the role he’s accustomed to (despite Gregg Popovich’s respect for him), and he wouldn’t want the role the Spurs would prefer he play. If there’s a trade made and the team gets some picks, great. But from there, just buy him out and let him go find a better situation. Nothing personal.

And while the idea of a sign-and-trade might sound appealing, there really isn’t a market for Westbrook these days. The likelihood of getting something substantial in return is quite slim, especially with teams knowing the Spurs wouldn’t be re-signing him anyway. Minimal value and a lack of leverage doesn’t really make the limbo period in between worth it for either party.

Pablo A: With Dallas going all in, would they be more inclined to trade Bertans and a first-round pick for Doug McDermott or Josh Richardson?

Yeah I don’t believe the Mavs are done. In trading for Kyrie Irving, they’ve addressed their secondary-scoring concerns in a big way — someone, ANYONE other than Luka Doncic — but they’ve got other major problems. They were terrible defensively even before they traded for a point guard not at all known for his ability to guard people, and they were truly lacking in depth even before they traded two players for one.

This was a desperate move to go absolutely all in right now, so Dallas might as well fully commit. It can’t half-ass this thing and fail to add supplemental pieces to address the remaining glaring issues, because that roster ain’t winning the title as presently constituted. There are so many other risks the Mavs just took in acquiring Kyrie, but to keep this Spurs-related we’ll just stick to the question at hand.

I think the most likely trade candidates for the Mavs would be Richardson, Jakob Poeltl or Zach Collins. McDermott is the kind of player any contending team could use, but I cannot fathom Dallas bringing in another bad defender. Add McDermott to a lineup that features Doncic, Irving and Christian Wood and you might as well burn a hole in the ground under your own basket.

The Mavs were one of the potential suitors I listed in this Poeltl piece, so you can check out my extended thoughts on that situation there. But now, with a lack of depth at the guard position and on the wing, Richardson certainly enters the conversation. He adds a little bit of everything Dallas is going to need: secondary scoring, ball-handling, shooting, an ability to force turnovers, and just solid, effective depth.

I’ve been skeptical the Spurs would be able to land a first-round pick in any potential Richardson talks, but the Mavs’ desperation changes the math a little bit. There will be other options out there, but Dallas could definitely use a guy like him, especially given his familiarity with the organization (Richardson was a Maverick during the 2020-21 season).

As for Collins, let’s head to the next question…

QUAN: Still very curious about the Spurs big-man situation. The name everyone hears is Jak, but Collins has been thrown into the mix now, and they also have Charles Bassey waiting in the G League. Feels like the Spurs have major options at the big-man spot. Who is most likely to get moved?

Since I’ve written exhaustively about Jak, we’ll stick to the Collins angle. And it is an interesting one.

Honestly, you don’t even need sourced reporting to know teams are interested in Zach. He’s a 7-footer who can score at the rim, out of the post, in the mid-range and from beyond the 3-point line, he’s a good shot-blocker (when he’s not fouling), and he continues to improve as a passer. Frankly, he continues to improve on a monthly basis in almost every aspect of his game, and perhaps most importantly, he’s stayed healthy since returning from his massive injury layoff last season.

Collins is a starting-caliber center playing on a nonguaranteed, dirt-cheap contract ($7.35 million annually), so you bet your ass teams are interested. But the issue for said teams is the Spurs won’t be in a hurry to move off him. As is the case with Poeltl, San Antonio is perfectly fine keeping this guy around, as he’s nothing but upside at this point. So while a first-round pick probably seems like a lot to ask in return, it’s highly unlikely he’s moved for anything less. Collins provides the Spurs with a ton of flexibility moving forward — even if they move Poeltl — at practically no cost, and that’s worth a lot more than a couple of second-round picks.

The only issue that may arise, especially if San Antonio keeps Jakob at the deadline and re-signs him this summer, is Collins’ expiring contract next year. If he continues to stay healthy and play well, he’s going to be in line for a major pay raise, and there’s no way the Spurs would keep both of those big men on the books long term. But that’s not necessarily something they have to worry about now, and at the very least, having a contingency plan in place if Poeltl moves on is pretty important in the short term.

Long story short, if teams want either of San Antonio’s big men, they’re probably going to have to pay above market price. So I’d probably put it near even odds in terms of who’s most likely moved. As for Bassey — man, y’all did so well steering this discussion without even knowing it.

By the way, if you want to read another Spursy newsletter that offers the fan’s perspective (particularly one that isn’t always sunshine and daisies), check out QUAN’s substack, eQUANomics. I disagree with him constantly — CONSTANTLY — but he always offers questions and thoughts to ponder when he writes.

Zyrek: I would love to hear more on Charles Bassey. It seemed for a few weeks he was a solid part of the rotation but after that he has not been getting much use. Are there any concerns about him or how the Spurs are using him?

A few of things here:

1. It’s important to remember the majority of Bassey’s rotation minutes this season have come when Poeltl and/or Collins were missing games. As I’ve mentioned already, those two are pretty good, and it’s just difficult for a young, raw prospect to unseat established young veterans who both have obvious pathways to being a major part of this team’s future.

2. Bassey is a Two-Way player, and this is basically exactly how you want to use them. Two-Way players can suit up for a maximum of 50 NBA games, and he’s already been in San Antonio for 24 games. With the trade deadline approaching and the uncertainty of what the roster will look like beyond it, the Spurs have done well in not eating up all his available games. If one of their main centers is traded, you can bet money Bassey will see a much larger role with the big club going forward. You’ll probably even see his contract converted to a standard deal down the line.

3. There’s been a clamoring — from a small group of folks more than others — for more Bassey at times, but as I previously mentioned, this guy is a project. He’s got all the physical and athletic intangibles, as well as nice touch around the rim and a willingness to make plays for teammates within the flow of the offense, but he’s got a long way to go before he truly understands the nuances of the NBA game. Players like him need all the minutes they can handle, and the G-League is a perfect place to find them. Austin has served the Spurs very well as a development space over the years, and they’re going to continue to utilize it.

Trevor Zickgraf: Can I ask a question about development? Is that allowed around trade deadline? How much of Devin Vassell’s uptick in production is development, and how much of it is he has had a clear runway to do Devin things this year?

Trevor, thank you for reminding us of Devin Vassell. It’s been too long, and it’s important we do not forget about the work he was putting in — on a balky knee, no less.

It’s gotta be a combination of both, but there was probably a little chicken-or-the-egg thing going on. Vassell knew the job and responsibility was likely going to be his moving forward once the Spurs traded Derrick White at last season’s deadline, but to his credit he came in prepared. Because prior to his knee procedure, he wasn’t just racking up the counting stats in conjunction with his increase in minutes and usage, the uptick came with an increase in efficiency and overall expansion of his game.

Vassell’s shooting percentages jumped along with his assist percentage and free-throw rate as his usage increased, and it’s always a great sign when a player becomes more efficient while also taking on a larger workload. He was doing all this as the team’s No. 2 option, and at times its top option on some nights. And with that came more defensive attention, against which Vassell was truly showing his development.

Not only did his effectiveness spike (the important part), but oh man, the aesthetics were pleasing. That crossover into a step-back in the mid-range, the turnaround fadeaway over his right shoulder, the side-step jumpers, the dribble-penetration, the attacking of closeouts, the scoring at the basket and at the line, the playmaking growth — Vassell showed he was learning how to create good shots in one-on-one matchups off the dribble, and when the defense collapsed on him he was finding his teammates, a combination of skills this Spurs team doesn’t possess in spades.

So while opportunity plays a big role here, the guy was flat-out ready. And barring any setbacks or change of plans, he will be back this season. I’d been asked before whether San Antonio might shut Vassell down for the rest of the season for precautionary reasons (and maybe even “precautionary” reasons), but that does not appear to be the plan. They want him playing, and arthroscopic procedures are minimally invasive, so there’s not a ton of concern over reinjury. Hell, he was on a treadmill at the practice facility less than a week removed from the surgery, so expect some updates in the coming weeks.

Again, thank you for this, Trevor. We must all be reminded this guy truly was hoopin’ before going under the scope.

Chris: How has Keldon’s 3-point shot looked the past month? Any progression back to his form at the start of the year?

Oh buddy lemme tell ya, I’ve been watching that thing like a hawk, and the best answer I can give at this point is … sometimes?

Somewhere around the new year his shot started to look good again. He was stepping into it, he was on balance, he wasn’t leaning back as much, he wasn’t pulling the ball all the way back behind his ear, he wasn’t kicking his right leg way out like he was shooting stationary fadeaways — it was all coming back into place.

But now it just seems to have stagnated, oscillating back and forth between the good Keldon shot and the bad one. There’s just a lack of consistency, and if you watch closely enough it’s fairly easy to identify. Some shots look great off his hand, others look like they’re just thrown up at the rim. But while there is obviously some concern over this development, I’m not sure it’s necessarily an indicator of things to come long-term.

The Spurs are asking A LOT of Keldon this season, and even though he’s handled the massive spike in offensive responsibility admirably — especially with Vassell out of the lineup — he’s constantly put in situations where he has to expend significant energy and take some really tough shots that one could argue are beyond his paygrade. As this rebuild rolls along, after he’s gotten a chance to get back in the gym over the summer and put in the hours and hours of reps, and as more help arrives, I’d expect him to be able to operate with a more steady flow offensively without as much pressure in his face. It will be helpful for him to realize he doesn’t have to put the ball in the basket every time he touches it.

I think we can all appreciate the idea that people are more effective in any walk of life when they’re put in the best positions to succeed, and I do believe Keldon will eventually find a more appropriate comfort zone as time moves along. And hopefully, for both the Spurs’ sake and his own, that will result in a more consistent and steady shooting motion.

Markus Garcia: If the Spurs land the third pick in the draft, instead of the first or second, should they put Keldon or Devin on the block to try and move up to No. 2?

Man, I don’t have a ton to say about this hypothetical other than it’s a great question. As good as this draft class appears to be on the whole, it’s looking like there’s going to be a steep drop-off from the first slot to the second, and from the second to the third.

We all know about Victor Wembenyama, but Scoot Henderson is electrifying, a potential franchise-changing point guard. I’m curious to see what folks think in the comments, but if Henderson is the potential superstar many folks think he is, it’s worth the discussion. Of course, it would take more than just Keldon or Devin. The Spurs would likely have to attach their pick this season (and potentially another in the future) just to move up one spot, but the idea of creating that lineup hierarchy — give Scoot the reins at point, let Keldon/Devin have their space on the wing, and give Jeremy Sochan more room to do Sochan things — is an intriguing one.

For now, let’s just say the Spurs and everyone else who follows this team hopes the lottery balls roll in a way that precludes them from ever having to make that consideration.