SAN ANTONIO – The NBA trade deadline is hours away and for the first time in years, the Spurs could be sellers or buyers in the market. Welcome to this week’s KSAT.com Spurs newsletter.
All options appear to be on the table for the Spurs. DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, LaMarcus Aldridge and even Jakob Poeltl have all been mentioned in possible deals by reputable podcasts or media outlets. A Poeltl trade would shock me.
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DeMarre Carroll is another player to watch. He has not suited up for the Spurs since Jan. 8 and many believe he could be on his way out of San Antonio. He has been linked to Utah and Milwaukee in recent days.
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It’s hard to tell what San Antonio will do. They rarely make a deadline deal, but continue to fall in the standings. After this Rodeo Road Trip, they may be unable to overcome the teams ahead of them.
DeRozan would bring the biggest return, but the loss of his scoring and playmaking would be difficult to overcome. If San Antonio does not move DeMar, they risk losing him in the offseason for nothing. It. Will. Be. Interesting.
If you have questions or comments about the newsletter, hit me up at rmarquez@ksat.com.
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ROUND BALL ROUNDTABLE: Do you think the Spurs will or should make a move by the trade deadline?
I do not believe the Spurs will make any moves before the trade deadline, even though the Spurs and DeRozan have a decision to make at the end of this season, whether he stays in Silver and Black.
At the very least, I think they will trade DeMarre Carroll. He’s soaking up a roster spot and cap space. It’s time for first-year general manager Brian Wright to make a move. Clearly, Carroll is not on Pop’s radar.
Since they have a lot of guards, they need to get some frontcourt help. Perhaps look to trade Marco Belinelli and or Byrn Forbes in large part because both are defensively challenged.
It doesn’t appear the Spurs will make a big move before the deadline. Historically they keep pretty quiet, however if the phone rings, they will listen to any offer that comes along. They have to consider DeMar DeRozan, who can opt out of his contract at the end of the season, and become an unrestricted free agent.
The future of coach Popovich may also play a role in DeMar’s decision. Aldridge has also been the subject of trade rumors, but it’s just that and time is running out. If nothing major happens, you can count on something big happening over the summer.
I don’t think the Spurs will make a major move at this point barring some great haul for DeMar or LaMarcus. Carroll should definitely be moved if possible. That has been a bad situation for both parties.
I like the idea of a possible sign-and-trade with DeRozan this summer if he can’t reach an agreement with the team. If DeMar leaves at that point, then the Spurs can possibly get a good deal done with Poeltl, who should definitely not be moved this week.
Follow us on Twitter or tweet us your Spurs questions to: Greg at @GregSimmonsKSAT, Larry at @LRam2, David at @DAVIDKSAT or RJ at @KSATRJ
PLAYER SOUND OF THE WEEK: Dejounte Murray on Spurs Rodeo Road Trip: “It’s about to get real.” WATCH DJ HERE.
OFF COURT STORY OF WEEK: Spurs announce “Selena Night” and new crossover merchandise. FULL STORY/DETAILS HERE.
POWER RANKINGS PULSE:
SI.com: 16th in NBA, agrees that Spurs unlikely to make a significant roster change until summer
NBA.com: 16th in NBA, says Spurs brutal Rodeo Road Trip will likely make or break season
SPURS SCHEDULE LOOK AHEAD (Editor’s note: Do we have to?!)
Feb. 6: at Portland
Feb. 8: at Sacramento
Feb. 10: at Denver
Feb. 11: at Oklahoma City
KEY GAME/MATCHUP OF WEEK:
The Spurs have to steal a few games during this trip so a win at Sacramento is a must. They have played Portland pretty well, but Damian Lillard is on a roll at the moment. This could get ugly if they can’t go 2-2 during this stretch.
The most interesting Spur in the world, or former Spurs player, is Manu Ginobili, with Boris Diaw a close second. What has Manu been up to? Oh, nothing, just helping save a grandmothers life!
Manu apparently helped a woman after she fell into some kind of sand pit. I’m not sure how this happens, but Manu was there. The woman’s granddaughter posted photos of Ginobili with her thankful grandparents on Twitter.
This is how I envisioned Ginobili’s retirement. Hanging out at a beach and helping people out. MANU. FOREVER.
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