The NBA is a superstar-driven league. You either have generational talent, or you’re searching for a transcendent player to construct a foundation for future success.
Finding a cornerstone is only part of the equation as more and more household names are forcing their way out of town with several years left on their contract, a dilemma all Spurs fans are familiar with after the Kawhi Leonard saga during the summer of 2018.
The Brooklyn Nets are seemingly in a similar quandary, with Kevin Durant becoming the latest superstar chasing greener pastures. Things have also soured between ownership and Kyrie Irving, giving general manager Sean Marks the colossal task of finding new dwellings for his perennial All-NBA candidates or acting as mediator. Correcting course is the ideal route, but if fences remain unmended, San Antonio could capitalize.
Though Durant has an abundance of suitors, Brooklyn has been rightfully patient, establishing a nearly impossible asking price. And why not? Jrue Holiday and Dejounte Murray commanded four first-rounders on the trade market within the last couple of seasons, and neither All-Star approaches the value of Durant. This deadlock could drag out, but the Irving situation is where PATFO might make themselves uniquely useful.
Whispers about LeBron James and Kyrie Irving showing mutual interest in reuniting in Los Angeles have floated around the rumor mill for almost one month, but a few obstacles make negotiations difficult. The Lakers cannot afford Kyrie without including Russell Westbrook in the deal, and Brooklyn has zero desire to bring the all-time triple-double leader aboard. With that said, the Spurs could help facilitate this blockbuster.
Before we cover the specifics of any hypothetical transaction, why would San Antonio aid the Purple and Gold in netting the missing piece required to reopen their championship window? Gregg Popovich has been hesitant to do business with Western Conference opponents, and few teams have as extensive of a rivalry with him as the Lakers. Regardless, the Spurs are in talent acquisition mode, and there is no place for pettiness.
The Silver and Black shouldn’t be looking to do anyone favors without an acceptable return. Westbrook still carries cachet in certain circles, but he is nothing more than a means to the goal of gaining as much draft capital as possible. Considering the Lakers can only start trading their first-round picks again in 2027 and 2029, coming to terms might get complicated. Yet that shouldn’t stop the good guys from trying to get extra bites of the draft apple.
While Westbrook could suit up for San Antonio, there is no incentive to let him monopolize touches that would be more worthwhile for prospects like Josh Primo, Blake Wesley, and Devin Vassell. A buyout would probably be more beneficial, and it could go a long way for their reputation if the nine-time All-Star chooses where he lands instead of enduring a potential John Wall captive scenario in the 2-1-0.
Eating approximately $47.1M of salary probably sounds like a horrendous proposition. However, Westbrook is in the final year of his deal, and there would be no financial repercussions. Quite the opposite. The Spurs would unlock more cap space in 2023 since they must attach outgoing salary to make this trade work, and they have a handful of sensible choices as they contemplate moving players amid their rebuild.
Packaging Jakob Poeltl and Romeo Langford clears three roster spaces if San Antonio waives Westbrook, giving them a clear avenue to re-sign Joe Wieskamp and ink a pair of cheap fillers in free agency. This deal is easily the least attractive, especially since Poeltl might fetch multiple first-round picks at the trade deadline.
Josh Richardson is another contender for this three-way bargaining, and he provides a playoff-hopeful like Brooklyn a 3&D skillset that should pay off immediately. But seeing what the front office got for an aging bench-warmer like Thaddeus Young, they might want to keep their options open until the All-Star Break.
That leaves Doug McDermott as the final nominee. Much like Richardson and Poeltl, the 30-year-old marksman still delivers value as a low-volume, high-efficiency role player who can make life easier for all the youngsters in Alamo City. Unlike his fellow veterans, McDermott has two seasons and $27.5M left on his contract, and shedding his wages would give the Spurs more options next offseason.
The Nets and Lakers would still have to sign off on everything, and there is a chance they have further demands for each other that leave this idea dead in the water. But it would behoove general manager Brian Wright to remain proactive as he endeavors to rebuild a once proud franchise, even if it means placing pride aside in business dealings that keep friends close and enemies closer.
Who knows where Los Angeles will be in five years? LeBron James will be in his early 40s, father time is undefeated, and the Lakers effectively have no way to add youth to their roster. If those future first-rounders become lottery tickets, San Antonio could have the last laugh at the expense of an anxious adversary going all-in on a superteam that may very well have a short-lived expiration date.
