Ranking the San Antonio Spurs' 5 Best Trade Chips

Regardless of how the San Antonio Spurs 2024-25 season goes, expect them to be busy at the trade deadline. Last season, they were included in pretty much every rumor as trade season heated up, but stood pat at the deadline for the most part, hoping to see what exactly Victor Wembanyama offers.

This season, the Spurs will likely take one of two directions. If they get off to a slow start and it looks like the foursome of Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, and Jeremy Sochan need more time to develop, the Spurs might ship away veteran talents to acquire more future-driven pieces. If the Spurs' young core exceeds expectations, expect the Spurs to add a player who compliments the talent already on the roster.

Either way, this season shouldn't be as quiet as last year.

With plenty of capital to trade, here's a look at the five most valuable assets the Spurs currently have.

5. Keldon Johnson

Keldon Johnson is a solid young player on a team-friendly contract, but it looks like he might be the odd man out. After averaging 17 points on 39.8 percent shooting from deep during the 2021-22 season, Johnson looked like one of the very best young players in the league, but he has regressed, posting 18.7 points on a lowly 33.7 percent clip from deep over the last two seasons.

Johnson is not a horrible defender, but he does not offer the lockdown defense that Wembanyama, Sochan, and Castle do. He is a solid volume scorer who would fit in the starting lineup or off the bench for most teams, but the Spurs seem to be gravitating away from him.

Under team control for the next three seasons, Johnson could be shipped away as a matching salary for a player who better fits the Spurs' needs.

4. 2025 First-Round Pick (via CHI)

It's worth noting that this pick is protected if it lands in the top ten, although with Coby White, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and maybe Lonzo Ball all playing for the Chicago Bulls, it seems likely that this pick will convey in the 10-15 range.

The Spurs own their own pick in the upcoming draft, but it seems very unlikely that they part ways with it, especially without a protection. The upcoming draft class, headlined by Cooper Flagg, is one of the deepest and most talented classes in recent years, so even a pick in the middle of the first round will have a lot of value.

San Antonio could flip this pick, as well as other assets, for a solid player from a rebuilding team, like Cameron Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets. If the Bulls look like they might sniff the playoffs and this pick will convey, expect rebuilding teams to inquire about making a deal with the Spurs for some picks.

3. Harrison Barnes

Should the Spurs find themselves removed from the Play-In race by the trade deadline, or should Harrison Ingram or Julian Champagnie break out as a legitimate starter, expect the Spurs to shop Harrison Barnes to a contender.

With two seasons left on his deal, the NBA champion will be an attractive trade target for teams wishing to add a bit of shooting before their playoff push. A model of constancy, Barnes has averaged a solid 14.8 points on 38.6 percent shooting over the last four seasons and has remained mostly healthy throughout his career.

The Spurs acquired Barnes basically for free as the Sacramento Kings cleared cap space to add DeMar DeRozan, so if the Spurs flip him for a future pick or a young player, it's not like they're losing an investment. Barnes is very much a win-now player, and if the Spurs aren't quite there yet, they can flip him to a team that could use him.

2. Chris Paul

Chris Paul signed a one-year deal with the Spurs this offseason and is expected to be the starting point guard until Stephon Castle learns the ropes. If that happens sooner than expected, or if the Spurs find themselves at the bottom of the conference, there isn't much of a reason to keep him around.

Certainly past his prime, Paul was once the best point guard in the league and is one of the best to ever do it, but after coming off the bench for the Golden State Warriors last season, his stock is at an all-time low. In a starting role with the Spurs, he could improve his stat line, and thus, his value. If a team like the Los Angeles Lakers senses a chance to make a deep run in the playoffs, expect them to come calling and make offers for one of the best passers in NBA history.

After Paul's deal is up this summer, expect him to chase a ring one last time, so the Spurs could flip him and get at least a small return in exchange for the future Hall of Famer.

1. 2025 First-Round Pick (via ATL)

It should go without saying that technically Victor Wembanyama is the Spurs' best trade asset, as any deal for him would likely see the biggest return in NBA history, but he is definitely not available. The Atlanta Hawks foolishly sent the Spurs three unprotected picks for Dejounte Murray, and the first of those three is due to convey next summer.

Atlanta is expected to be very bad this season, so their draft pick will almost certainly be in the lottery. With a chance at selecting Flagg or another franchise-altering player at the top of the draft, teams will be lining up to trade for this pick.

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However, with so much talent in the upcoming draft, expect the Spurs to only part with this pick for an established, quality starter. In mock trades for Lauri Markkanen, fans were reluctant to include this pick, that's how valuable it is.

While it seems highly unlikely that the Spurs part ways with this pick, if they think they can make a playoff run with their core now, expect them to look to add the ideal complementary player, and this pick would be the best way to add whoever they want.