Spurs trade proposal to San Antonio Spurs teams up Lauri Markkanen, Victor Wembanyama

This trade package should land the Spurs Lauri Markkanen ⬇️

When it comes to the San Antonio Spurs, there’s one suprlative that discribes the team perfectly: Potential.

Sure, they signed Chris Paul in free agency, who will certainly raise the team’s floor heading into Year 2 of the Victor Wembanyama era, but even with a “Point God” running the show as rookie fourth overall pick Stephon Castle learns the ropes – and rookie eight overall pick Rob Dillingham is in Minnesota – the Spurs are not locks to make it to the playoffs, are not locks to make it into the play-in, and remain firmly out of the Championship discussion even if they could dominate the space in the future should they build a team around the “Alien” the right way.

And yet, there’s a segment of the Spurs’ fanbase that doesn’t want to wait and see how things shake out for Wemby and company; they’ve watched the team wade water for too long and want to get back to the days of yore when San Antonio was synonymous with winning thanks to the efforts of Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan.

Fortunately, there is a player the Spurs could trade for that would instantly raise their floor even higher than Paul alone, and after loading up on assets through various trades, they just so happen to have enough assets to bring him to town: Lauri Markkanen.

Should the Spurs go all-in on the rebound-grabbing, 3 shooting supersized power forward to build a team that’s bigger than any squad this side of Minnesota, with two ultra-talented seven-footers running an ungodly pick-and-roll game the likes of which almost no team can reasonably guard? Sure thing, but only if they are willing to move off of Keldon Johnson, as he is the key to getting a deal done with the Spurs.

The San Antonio Spurs heard calls about Keldon Johnson this spring.

Outside of Wemby, the Spurs have two very good wings that are widely appreciated by basketball fans and front offices around the NBA, including presumably the Jazz braintrust of Danny Ainge and Justin Zanik: Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell.

Drafted by the team in the first round of back-to-back drafts, with Johnson coming off the board at pick 29 in 2020 out of Kentucky while the latter came off the board at pick 11 after a solid career at Florida State, the duo were bright spots of some pretty bad Spurs teams and felt like a strong enough developmental core to allow San Antonio to move off of Dejounte Murray and Derrick White in the pursuit of a youth movement. While Johnson didn’t have as much luck fitting alongside Wembanyama during his rookie season as Vassell, with some wondering if he would be traded last season for a few draft picks and maybe a promising player, that hasn’t stopped opposing teams from inquiring about his services, as ClutchPoints’ own Brett Siegel reported before the 2024 NBA draft.

“Coming out of the NBA Draft Combine, the talk around the league is that the Spurs will be open for business with both of their draft picks. In addition to the team being open to discussing trade ideas with both the fourth and eighth overall picks, the Spurs will be willing to hear offers involving Keldon Johnson,” Brett Siegel wrote.

However, the Spurs still view Johnson as a key building block next to Wembanyama, and have given teams no indication that he is currently on the trade block. As far as this fourth pick goes, the Spurs are very high on the two Kentucky guards — Sheppard and Dillingham. If he is on the board, San Antonio will have a lot of interest in taking Sheppard.”

While some of the teams looking to trade for Johnson might have found fits they like better in the draft, it’s safe to say there are at least a few who are willing to pay up for a versatile, 24-year-old wing who is in Year 2 of a four-year, $74 million contract, including potentially the Jazz, who actually landed Markkanen in a very similar way a few years back.

The Spurs must try to keep Devin Vassell in a Lauri Markkanen trade.

So what should the Spurs trade to the Jazz for Markkanen? Well, considering it’s been widely reported that Ainge and company would like a package similar to what the Brooklyn Nets got for Mikal Bridges, the number should probably start at four first-round picks, and Johnson, plus any other minor maneuvers needed to get the deal agreed to. If Utah wants an extra pick, to choose which first-rounders they get, or even some swapping rights – when the team will be very good – then sure, San Antonio should do whatever they can to get it done.

The one player they shouldn’t trade is Vassell, as he’s quite possibly the only other player on the roster right now – Wemby excluded – who could remain a major contributor for the team once they become really good. If Vassell is the make-or-break player the Spurs want to acquire, then frankly, San Antonio should simply retain their assets and keep building for the future, as there’s simply no reason to play anything but the long game when you have a future Hall of Famer locked up for years to come.