San Antonio Spurs Trade Idea Pairs Victor Wembanyama With $196 Million All Star
San Antonio Spurs Trade Idea Pairs Victor Wembanyama With $196 Million All Star originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The San Antonio Spurs are at an important inflection point in their franchise. Just a few weeks shy of the NBA Draft, where they hold two lottery picks, the Spurs have to decide who they're going to pair with Victor Wembanyama, De'Aaron Fox, and Stephon Castle - either through the draft, trade, or free agency.
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The Spurs were primed for a playoff spot before injuries derailed their 2024-25 campaign, which ended up with them earning the No. 2 and No. 14 overall picks. Many analysts believe the Spurs will draft Rutgers guard Dylan Harper with the No. 2 overall pick, but the No. 14 pick could be on the move.
Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey recently proposed a trade that would send Lauri Markkanen to the Spurs, pairing him with Wembanyama.
San Antonio Spurs receive: Lauri Markkanen
Utah Jazz receive: Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, 2025 first-round pick (No. 14), 2029 first-round pick, 2032 first-round pick swap
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"For the Spurs," Bailey said, "this is a heck of a fallback if they aren't able to land Giannis [Antetokounmpo]. Markkanen's finishing ability, both as an outside shooter and dunker, would draw tons of attention from Victor Wembanyama."
Markkanen is a former lottery pick himself, being taken with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. It took a little while for Markkanen to get going, but after landing with the Utah Jazz, Markkanen earned his first All-Star nod and was named the NBA's Most Improved Player in 2023.
In his three years with the Jazz, Markkanen has averaged 23.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 38.0 percent from three on eight attempts per game.
Markkanen had a bit of a down year in 2024-25, riddled by injuries. In 47 games, he shot just 42.3 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from three, albeit in 8.5 attempts per game.
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Markkanen had the second-worst shooting numbers at the rim of his career last season, making 63.8 percent of his shots from within three feet of the basket. It's a fine mark on its own, but compared to the prior two seasons, where he made 71.7 and 72.4 percent of those looks, respectively, it's a little concerning.
The package itself may be a bit of an overpay for San Antonio. Vassell is a valuable 3-and-D archetype with some ball skills that really elevate his value and scoring ceiling. Sending him along with a lottery pick, another first, and a swap might be a bit much.
Related: Chris Paul Talks Retirement and Hints at Next Team He Could Play For
Related: San Antonio Spurs' Guard Provides Offseason Update
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
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