The San Antonio Spurs are looking to return to their winning ways by speeding up their rebuild this summer. With Victor Wembanyama living up to his very high expectations during his rookie season, San Antonio has found its star player of the future.
Now, it is all about creating the right supporting cast around him.
The Spurs have already made some moves through the draft and free agency by selecting Stephon Castle fourth overall in the 2024 draft and signing Chris Paul to a one-year deal. Although these two moves will not make the Spurs championship contenders next season, they are in a better place as a franchise to make a run at a play-in spot.
San Antonio still has some cap room to make more moves while also having the second-most picks of any team through 2030. One player that they are reportedly interested in is DeMar DeRozan .
With most big-name free agents already off the market, DeRozan remains unsigned. He has shown interest in joining the Miami Heat , but Miami does not have the cap space to sign him. However, the Heat could still work out a sign and trade with the Chicago Bulls .
The Sacramento Kings have also shown interest, and the Bulls are interested in a sign-and-trade with Sacramento centered around Kevin Huerter. If neither deal works out, the Spurs have been named as another possible landing spot for DeRozan, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.
San Antonio would have to work out a sign-and-trade move with Chicago in order to bring back DeRozan, who played for the Spurs from 2018 to 2021. It may be worth it, though, to bring in a player who is already familiar with the Spurs’ system.
He would add another veteran next to Paul to help mentor the young players on the roster. The Spurs’ worry lies in whether DeRozan wants to sign with a team that is still rebuilding rather than one where he could possibly win his first championship.
Why the Spurs Should Bring Back DeRozan
DeRozan is a great scorer who already knows the Spurs’ system
The Spurs should be interested in bringing back DeRozan. He would provide San Antonio with another reliable scorer and veteran to improve the team.
Despite being 34 years old, DeRozan is still putting up All-Star numbers. In 79 games last season with Chicago, he averaged 24.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting 48.0 percent from the field. Although DeRozan is not the best three-point shooter, he did shoot 33.3 percent from beyond the arc last season.
With him still putting up these numbers, San Antonio should look to bring him back.
DeRozan also already knows the Spurs system and played well during his time there. He spent three seasons in the Alamo City after being part of the trade between the Spurs and Toronto Raptors that sent him to San Antonio and Kawhi Leonard to Toronto.
DeRozan averaged 21.6 points in those three seasons and shot 50.1 percent from the floor. He also averaged 5.3 rebounds and a career-high 6.2 assists. The one downfall of his time in San Antonio was his lackluster three-point shooting. He shot just 22.7 percent from three-point range, the worst mark of his career.
DeRozan is a great scorer and playmaker who would pair well with Wembanyama and the rest of the Spurs roster. He does struggle shooting the three ball, which is something that the Spurs have struggled with as a team for multiple years.
Despite his poor shooting, he would still make a huge impact offensively and is still a decent defender. By bringing back DeRozan, San Antonio could compete for a playoff spot next season while also seeing an improvement in its young players due to his and Paul’s veteran leadership.
What the Spurs Would Have to Give Up
Spurs could deal two guards and pick to Chicago
For the Spurs to sign DeRozan, they would have to work on a sign-and-trade with the Bulls. Chicago will likely want a young player and a pick in return, helping them along in their rebuilding effort.
San Antonio does have a ton of picks, and they might be willing to give up one of their young guards because they selected two more in the 2024 NBA Draft.
In this mock trade, the Spurs would send Devonte’ Graham , Blake Wesley and a 2030 first-round pick to Chicago for DeRozan. Wesley is still a young point guard who needs development. He did improve last season, but will likely see a loss in playing time due to the additions of Paul and Castle.
He could slot in in Chicago as the backup point guard depending on whether the Bulls start Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu together.
Chicago would also receive Graham, who is in the last year of his contract. Graham did not see much time on the court in San Antonio last season, but when he did, he proved that he is still a great scorer.
If he lands in Chicago, he would be able to score off the bench while also being a possible player that Chicago could flip to a contender at next season’s trade deadline.
The big piece of this trade for the Bulls is the 2030 first-rounder. With Chicago entering a rebuild, adding as many draft picks as possible is a huge plus for their future.
San Antonio would not have to give up much and would open up cap space to sign DeRozan by trading away Graham. DeRozan would provide veteran leadership to a team full of young talent while being one of the main offensive options. With him already spending three seasons in coach Gregg Popovich’s system, it would take no time to adjust to his new team.
The Spurs are looking to speed up their rebuild around Wembanyama this offseason. With many free agents already signed, the biggest name left on the market is DeRozan.
The 34-year-old guard is still a reliable scorer and would add veteran leadership to a team that needs it. Although this signing may not make the Spurs contenders next season, they would take a step in the right direction as a franchise looking to return to their winning ways.
