Latest news with #StephonCastle
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
2 way-too-early San Antonio Spurs trade candidates in 2025-26 season
The post 2 way-too-early San Antonio Spurs trade candidates in 2025-26 season appeared first on ClutchPoints. It's indeed a new era for the San Antonio Spurs after longtime coach Gregg Popovich announced in May that he was stepping down due to health reasons. Officially replacing him is erstwhile interim coach Mitch Johnson, who led the Spurs to a 32-45 record last season. The Spurs are in a solid position to improve on their previous campaign, with Victor Wembanyama cleared to play after recovering from a blood clot in his right shoulder and De'Aaron Fox entering his first full season. There's also Stephon Castle, who's fresh from being named Rookie of the Year. San Antonio will rely heavily on the inside-outside threat of Wembanyama, Fox, and Castle. They, however, have to build chemistry since they barely saw time together on the floor last season. For that to happen optimally, the Spurs might need to move some pieces, including two veterans. First trade candidate: Harrison Barnes Harrison Barnes is the quintessential Spurs player: Professional, smart, and fundamentally sound. He's also widely regarded as a terrific locker room guy. But with the team's younger guys continuing to develop, he's become increasingly expendable. While the 33-year-old Barnes has proven his durability, playing the entire 82 games for three consecutive years, the Spurs might want to trade him for future draft assets. Shipping the veteran forward would also allow more playing time for the 22-year-old Jeremy Sochan, 24-year-old Julian Champagnie, and 19-year-old Carter Bryant. Last season, Barnes started every single game for the Silver and Black, averaging 12.3 points on a career-high 50.8% shooting from the field and 3.8 rebounds in 27.2 minutes per game. The Spurs could also acquire a promising talent in exchange for Barnes, who has one year left in his contract (he is set to earn $19 million), like Ziarie Williams of the Brooklyn Nets or Patrick Williams of the Chicago Bulls. It could be argued that the Spurs should instead trade Keldon Johnson instead of Barnes. Johnson, however, is only 25 years old and remains a favorite of Popovich, who now serves as team president. Second trade candidate: Devin Vassell The Spurs viewed Devin Vassell as part of their future after selecting him as the 11th overall pick in 2020. He, however, has been hobbled by injuries in his five years with the squad. The 24-year-old guard can produce when he's on the floor, although his efficiency has always been suspect. In 64 games last season, he averaged 16.3 points on 50.8% shooting from the field. Also, for a player with a heavy usage rate, his paltry 2.9 assists won't cut it, especially for a team that espouses ball movement. The Spurs drafted Dylan Harper with the second overall pick in June. It could be argued that the squad sent a signal to Vassell that he's not untouchable. In fact, trading him could fast-track the development of the 19-year-old Harper and give more opportunities for the 20-year-old Castle. A small-ball trio of Fox, Castle, and Harper could wreak havoc on offense, allowing for more creative playmaking, which might also bode well for Wembanyama. To add, following Wembanyama and Castle, Harper could be the third consecutive player from the Spurs to be named Rookie of the Year—an unprecedented feat in the NBA. Clearly, the youth movement is alive in San Antonio. Vassell has a lot of upside, but the Spurs might want to consider trading him for a more durable piece who could provide leadership. Possible targets could be Jerami Grant of the Portland Trail Blazers or Dillon Brooks of the Phoenix Suns. San Antonio hasn't been to the playoffs for the past six seasons. It's almost unthinkable for a winning franchise with a proud culture. Trading Barnes and Vassell could be the difficult choice for the Spurs to move forward. Related: Spurs star Victor Wembanyama's 'craziest s**t' that blew Kevin Garnett's mind Related: Spurs star Jeremy Sochan's injury knocks him out of EuroBasket
Fox News
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Victor Wembanyama Cleared to Play After Season-Ending Blood Clots
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been fully cleared and expects to play next season after dealing with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder for the last few months, he told the French newspaper L'Equipe in remarks published Monday. "I'm officially cleared to return. … I'll finally be able to play a bit of basketball again," Wembanyama told the French sports daily. There was no immediate comment from the Spurs on the report. It has been expected that the team anticipated Wembanyama would be able to start this coming season, though there was no official word until now. Wembanyama was the league's rookie of the year two years ago, and Spurs guard Stephon Castle won that same trophy this past season. Wembanyama was the front-runner to be defensive player of the year last season when he was diagnosed with the blood clot in his right shoulder in February. He was averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 3.7 assists when he was shut down; the only other player in NBA history to finish a season averaging all that was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76. Wembanyama has traveled extensively in recent months and spent time last month at a Shaolin temple in Zhengzhou, China. The temple is a place that welcomes visitors who wish to study Chan meditation, Shaolin Kung Fu, traditional Chinese medicine and more. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
National Post
14-07-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Spurs' Victor Wembanyama says he's cleared to return following blood clot
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama expects to play this coming season and has been fully cleared after dealing with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder for the last few months, he told the French newspaper L'Equipe in remarks published Monday. Article content There was no immediate comment from the Spurs on the report. It has been expected that the team anticipated Wembanyama would be able to start this coming season, though there was no official word until now. Article content Article content 'I'm officially cleared to return. … I'll finally be able to play a bit of basketball again,' Wembanyama told the French sports daily. Wembanyama was the league's rookie of the year two years ago, and Spurs guard Stephon Castle won that same trophy this past season. Wembanyama was the front-runner to be defensive player of the year last season when he was diagnosed with the blood clot in his right shoulder in February. Article content He was averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 3.7 assists when he was shut down; the only other player in NBA history to finish a season averaging all that was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76. Article content
Al Arabiya
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Spurs' Victor Wembanyama says he's been cleared to return following blood clot
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama expects to play this coming season and has been fully cleared after dealing with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder for the last few months, he told the French newspaper L'Equipe in remarks published Monday. There was no immediate comment from the Spurs on the report. It has been expected that the team anticipated Wembanyama would be able to start this coming season though there was no official word until now. 'I'm officially cleared to return. … I'll finally be able to play a bit of basketball again,' Wembanyama told the French sports daily. Wembanyama was the league's rookie of the year two years ago and Spurs guard Stephon Castle won that same trophy this past season. Wembanyama was the front-runner to be defensive player of the year last season when he was diagnosed with the blood clot in his right shoulder in February. He was averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, and 3.7 assists when he was shut down; the only other player in NBA history to finish a season averaging all that was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76. Wembanyama has traveled extensively in recent months and spent time last month at a Shaolin temple in Zhengzhou, China. The temple is a place that welcomes visitors who wish to study Chan meditation, Shaolin Kung Fu, traditional Chinese medicine, and more.
Associated Press
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Spurs' Victor Wembanyama says he's been cleared to return following blood clot
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama expects to play this coming season and has been fully cleared after dealing with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder for the last few months, he told the French newspaper L'Equipe in remarks published Monday. There was no immediate comment from the Spurs on the report. It has been expected that the team anticipated Wembanyama would be able to start this coming season, though there was no official word until now. 'I'm officially cleared to return. … I'll finally be able to play a bit of basketball again,' Wembanyama told the French sports daily. Wembanyama was the league's rookie of the year two years ago, and Spurs guard Stephon Castle won that same trophy this past season. Wembanyama was the front-runner to be defensive player of the year last season when he was diagnosed with the blood clot in his right shoulder in February. He was averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 3.7 assists when he was shut down; the only other player in NBA history to finish a season averaging all that was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76. Wembanyama has traveled extensively in recent months and spent time last month at a Shaolin temple in Zhengzhou, China. The temple is a place that welcomes visitors who wish to study Chan meditation, Shaolin Kung Fu, traditional Chinese medicine and more. ___ AP NBA:
