I recently posted an article about statistically identifying good trade and free agency acquisitions for the San Antonio Spurs. With this article, I am going to suggest how the Spurs are going to acquire the aforementioned players. For those who haven’t read the previous article yet, the eight players we will be trying to trade for are Aaron Gordon, Will Barton, Malik Monk, E’Twaun Moore, Otto Porter Jr., Dario Saric, Mo Bamba and Montrezl Harrell. Depending on their contracts, we might try to sign them in free agency. So, without further ado, let’s look at our first trade.
1. Aaron Gordon and Khem Birch for DeMar DeRozan
and a 2021 2nd round pick
This trade is one of the few that benefit both teams. The
Orlando Magic have struggled to generate offense, ranking bottom 10 in the
league over the last two seasons, and DeRozan, a 25 point per game scorer, would
certainly help with that. His defensive limitations will be overshadowed by the
rest of Orlando’s main 5, which ranked in the top 10 in defensive rating in the
last two seasons.
Aaron Gordon plays best in the power forward position, but the
emergence of Johnathan Isaac has forced him to spend time at small forward. Moving
to San Antonio would allow him to play his more natural position, which could
help him reach his full potential. Gordon has displayed potential with his
three-point shot, shooting 35% on 4.4 attempts in 2018-19, and shooting coach
Chip Engelland could help him polish his form. Khem Birch could become a nice
back up big man for San Antonio in case Jakob Poeltl leaves in free agency. The
Spurs could also receive Mo Bamba instead of Birch.
For this trade to happen, DeMar DeRozan has to accept his
player option, or the Spurs need to work out a sign and trade deal with
Orlando.
2.(Sign and trade) Bryn
Forbes and a 2021 1st round pick for Mo Bamba and a 2021 2nd
round pick
This is not a very good trade from the Spurs’ point of view,
but it still deserves consideration if they think that Mo Bamba can become a
fringe All-Star. Forbes is entering free agency this year, and will probably
get a contract in the range of 5-8 million a year. He could provide a nice
spark of the bench for Orlando as a 3-point specialist.
For San Antonio, if Bamba can develop his shot and contest
without fouling, he could become the interior presence in a Spurs defence that
could one day become the best in the league, with players like Dejounte Murray,
Derrick White and Keldon Johnson.
However, this trade is unlikely to happen because of the high
price of a first round pick and the possibility that Forbes gets a better
contract from another team.
3.Signing Montrezl Harrell in free agency
This move is one that hinges on DeMar DeRozan declining his
player option and entering free agency. If DeRozan picks up his player option,
LaMarcus Aldridge will likely be traded to make room for Harrell’s contract.
Harrell will likely earn somewhere in the range of 18-20 million a year, but as
the Spurs are unlikely to be major players in the 2021 offseason, they can
afford to give Harrell a contract of this size. Harrell would help boost their
bench scoring, and would give San Antonio a great scorer on the court at all
times, allowing the starters to rest without the fear of blown leads. While he
does have defensive limitations, he could be paired with a shot blocker like
Jakob Poeltl to ensure that he can be hidden on less threatening opponents.
The Spurs have many avenues to improve the team this free
agency period, and these scenarios are just a few that can help the Spurs keep
their record playoff streak alive.
Super analyzed!!
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