How deadline day unfolded for the Spurs, and what it means for the future of the team

Plus, a look at San Antonio's big-man situation, the 30,000-foot view of its stockpile of assets, and what's going on with the team's cap space.

Photo courtesy of Bally Sports Southwest

The days and weeks leading up to the NBA’s annual February trade deadline are typically pretty quiet. There may be a few deals done on the side — as there were this year — but for the most part, the buildup is comprised primarily of posturing, conversations about potential deals, and monitoring what folks in other rooms around the league are trying to accomplish. It isn’t until that pressure of the afternoon deadline crunches the space and dominos begin to fall.

And holy hell did they tumble.

Beginning with the significant three-team transaction Wednesday night between the Lakers, Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves that relieved Los Angeles of the Russell Westbrook experience, 17 trades were made with 52 draft picks and swaps changing hands in the final 20 or so hours ahead of the 2 p.m. deadline on Thursday. That calm before the proverbial storm turned into a tornado of activity that left puzzle pieces scattered across the floor for the more than 20 teams that opted into the day’s mayhem.

But of those 52 picks, only seven were first-rounders. Of those seven, four were included in the absolute blockbuster of a deal that sent Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns. And San Antonio was one of just three other teams to acquire a bit of the most valuable leftovers. Early Wednesday evening, Marc Stein reported that over the course of the previous day the Spurs had sent out “the strongest signals to date” they were prepared to move Jakob Poeltl before Thursday’s trade deadline. Just a few hours later, that smoke revealed itself to be actual fire.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported late in the evening San Antonio had sent its starting center to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for big man Khem Birch, a top-6 protected 2024 first-round pick and two future second-round picks — a deal that was finalized just a couple of hours after the Raptors had beaten Poeltl and the Spurs, 112-98, in Toronto.

Just a totally normal professional sports league.

Trading Poeltl had not been a major priority for the Spurs in the weeks and months leading up to the deadline. Even considering the big man’s upcoming expiring contract, San Antonio was confident enough it would be able to retain Poeltl as an anchor for the rebuild should the right offer not come along. But the Spurs had also been clear since the start of said rebuild they were going to take any action they felt gave them the highest level of optionality moving forward; and in a market that appeared to be correcting itself after a wild summer of league-wide spending, San Antonio found an offer it felt accomplished that goal.

The price of picks

I wrote recently about teams around the league feeling the need to rein in the spending of first-round draft capital in transactions, which would in turn likely limit the Spurs’ trade opportunities should they maintain a high asking price for Poeltl. On Wednesday and Thursday, we saw that extra effort toward frugality in action.

The Lakers only had to send out one first-round pick on top of Westbrook and a couple of seldom-used bench players to acquire D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt, a trio of impactful players. Phoenix traded away Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and a first-round swap for Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren, a haul that was roughly equal to the one Minnesota gave up last summer to acquire Rudy Gobert(!). In another small deal, the Knicks sent Cam Reddish and one protected first-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers for Josh Hart.

On Thursday, not a single first-round pick changed hands, and considering the stinginess of the market, what San Antonio was able to extract for Poeltl may not have been spectacular, but it was damn solid. This is what the status quo used to look like before things went off the rails in recent years, and given that context, what the Spurs received for their big man was a fine return.

But on the flip side, teams around the league were willing to sling around second-round picks without an ounce of discretion. The Spurs traded Josh Richardson to the New Orleans Pelicans for guard Devonte’ Graham and four second-round picks about half an hour before the deadline, capping off a strong showing during the league’s in-season transactional period. Richardson was always the likeliest Spur to be moved considering the logjam in the backcourt and his expiring contract, but there was plenty of uncertainty surrounding what type of haul he’d command.

San Antonio had set a precedent of acquiring at least one first-round pick in deals over the last couple of seasons, but the market was not going to allow for that to happen this time around. Still, after the dust settled, those additional four second-round picks in exchange for a player who was not going to be in San Antonio next season left the Spurs sitting on a stash of up to 30 total picks through the year 2029, 12 of which are first-rounders with a couple of swaps sprinkled into the mix.

And if you need an explanation on just how in the world they’re going to use all that draft capital, look no further than the events that unfolded over the last couple of days and the deluge of second-rounders used as currency. The Spurs now have assets out the wazoo, and if the lottery-protected draft pick owed to them by the Charlotte Hornets conveys next summer— it clearly isn’t happening this summer — and the top-10 protected pick owed by the Chicago Bulls conveys the year after, San Antonio could have up to three first-round picks in each of the 2024 and 2025 NBA drafts on top of its slew of second-rounders. This gives them a ton of ammunition in the bag to either trade up in any upcoming draft or make a future move for an impact player on the market when they’re ready to truly compete.

And make no mistake, part of the calculus in the decision to trade Poeltl was getting a draft pick in return that would convey quickly. The Spurs are not going to rush the rebuild — between player development and talent acquisition, they have been adamant about not skipping steps — but they are not interested in drawing this thing out any more than they have to. They want to hit the upslope this summer, not to remain lingering in the low point of the trough.

So, in getting a lightly protected 2024 first-round pick from a team that, frankly, might not be a world-beater next season either, they’ve added an asset that potentially carries a good deal more value than what the 27-year-old Poeltl would’ve given them on their timeline. He will be missed, but that’s the type of pick — along with the two second-rounders as sweeteners — they were targeting if they were going to move on from their starting center.

Next big man up

In making the decision to move Jakob, San Antonio inherently issued a real vote of confidence in 25-year-old Zach Collins as its new starting center. It’s been a slow return to form over the last year for Collins after what was essentially a two-and-a-half season absence from basketball following multiple foot and ankle surgeries, but it’s been nothing if not steady. He’s remained healthy, he’s refined his game from the rim to the 3-point line, and he’s continued to improve as a passer from the elbows — something he’ll have to do a lot of in replacing the Poeltl Hub.

Not only is this an opportunity for Collins, but it’s a chance for the Spurs to assess his long-term outlook. He’s making less than $7.5 million a year with one season left on his non-guaranteed contract, and without Jakob and his new potentially pricy contract in the mix going forward, San Antonio will no longer have to make a decision on paying Collins should it feel he’s the man for the job.

On top of that — and this might prove to be one of the more important elements in the equation — spacing will not be a concern, particularly as it pertains to his frontcourt running mate Jeremy Sochan. As great as Poeltl is at creating space as a screener, roller and passer, there was a limit to the room he was capable of providing due to his lack of range. But Collins’ ability to stretch out to the perimeter could open up more opportunities for Sochan to work inside-out. Despite the rookie’s steady improvement as a shooter this season, he’s still got a long way to go to become a consistent threat to defenses on the perimeter. So removing the clutter in front of his unpredictable forays into the paint could prove beneficial.

Collins does not have the refined and unique skill set Poeltl possesses as a big man, but he’s a reasonable facsimile. He’s a big body, a solid rebounder and shot-blocker, and while he isn’t the offensive orchestrator Jakob was for this team, he’s a more-than-willing screener and passer. The Spurs’ hope is that he continues to improve that element of his game, and that his presence as a sound three-level scoring threat can help make up for what they’ll be losing with Poeltl’s departure.

The other question as it pertains to San Antonio’s bigs: What about the backup spot? Only time will tell what contributions Birch — an undersized but high-energy big who theoretically plays the role of a long, active defender — will make, as it’s difficult to forecast right now, mostly because the guy hasn’t played in a game in more than a month. At this point, there has been no indication the Spurs intend to waive the $6.6-million center, so for the time being he seems to be part of the plan.

Which brings us to Charles Bassey, Dominick Barlow, and even Gorgui Dieng. The most palpable interest going forward remains with Bassey, who was recently invited to the G-League Next Up Game during All-Star weekend because of his stellar play in Austin this season. The Two-Way player has had several stints in San Antonio this season (some of them eye-opening), but with both Poeltl and Collins occupying most of the minutes when healthy, it’s been difficult for the unseasoned second-year player to find time with the big club.

The story has mostly been the same for Bassey’s Two-Way teammate Barlow. While the 19-year-old has flashed some impressive stuff at the G-League level, he’s still very much a project in need of minutes, which he wasn’t going to be able to get in San Antonio. And even though he’s spent some time in San Antonio recently because of the open roster spot vacated once Dieng’s most recent 10-day contract ended, and due to what the team is calling a minor injury to Bassey, Barlow seems destined for more time in Austin once the rest the roster is sorted.

And speaking of Dieng, once the post-deadline smoke clears, there is a possibility the team brings him back aboard. This is not in any way reporting — I am not here to insinuate there are under-the-table winky winks going on — but the Spurs love his leadership and have already worked him into the mix following transactions this season. Given the fact they’ve just lost Poeltl and Richardson, it’s possible they’d like to keep another veteran around with whom the team and young guys already have a great relationship. And he just so happens to be available.

What about all that cap space?

I’ll admit, it was probably at least somewhat the fault of the media for pumping up the idea the Spurs could end up reeling in a bunch of assets by offering up their cap space as a dumping ground. They did accomplish that in their dealings with Boston last month and Miami a few days ago, but there wasn’t some grand trade involving a player like Westbrook.

The reality is, the last thing teams want to do is trade valuable draft capital in order to unload a bad contract. It’s an admission of failure to a degree and a surrender to a total sunk cost. So when San Antonio didn’t land some big haul in exchange for its cap space, it wasn’t because it didn’t make itself available — helping Boston get rid of Noah Vonleh early in the proceedings was a clear sign it was open for business — it just meant nothing materialized.

The Spurs entered this season with two two distinct goals from a financial standpoint: Keep the books clean at the low point of the rebuild and maintain a reserve to maximize flexibility. If a bad contract came along, great, there’s room for it. If a team wanted to move a player or two to relieve itself of luxury-tax payments, awesome, no problem. If an intriguing prospect was suddenly available for picks and the potential trade partner didn’t want to take on money in the transaction, easy peasy. If an interesting or helpful young player appeared in free agency, the money is there to sign him.

And as we just saw, if nothing much happens at all, it’s hardly a problem. Because don’t you worry, that money is eventually going to be utilized. And spending cash right now just because you have it wouldn’t be prudent given the contract situations coming down the pike and the team’s ultimate goal on the court this season.

As very involved product consumers we tend to place too much value on cap space in general, when really it’s much more valuable to teams on the opposite side of the spectrum from where the Spurs currently find themselves. For contenders, any sliver of wiggle room is critical, and all levels of cap gymnastics are performed just to make sure there’s access to it. But for teams in the cellar, that space just needs to be massaged and kept healthy as a fallback so there is no concern about money complicating any roster moves, whether for the short or long term.

So far, the Spurs have executed that part of their plan to perfection.

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In sticking with its general goal of maximizing the assets in the building to build a lasting foundation, San Antonio had a solid deadline day. There was nothing flashy about it, it didn’t change the course of the team’s current direction, and it certainly didn’t do anything to bolster its current ranks. But while the floor underneath the team is going to give out a little further in Poeltl’s absence, the Spurs’ dealings this season have allowed for potentially higher ceiling over the long haul so long as the front office continues to do its job well.

Poeltl was a solid base for San Antonio’s young foundation, a role he could’ve played well moving forward had the Spurs decided to stick with him. But his value had likely peaked with this team that’s still years away from even thinking of contention, and San Antonio felt the offer it received was reason enough to move on from the last remaining member of the immediate post-Kawhi regime and fully transition to the new group.

Saying goodbye to important and beloved players like Poeltl and Richardson is something Gregg Popovich and San Antonio hate to do at their core, but they understand right now it’s necessary if they hope to soon return to the point where, on deadline day, they can once again be the same, boring old Spurs.