San Antonio Spurs Should Keep Tabs on This Eastern Conference Team

The San Antonio Spurs had perhaps the luckiest end to a rebuild in NBA history. After just one season of tanking, the Spurs managed to secure the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and selected franchise cornerstone Victor Wembanyama, one of the most coveted players of all time.

For teams who had been trying to find their franchise player for more than just one season, it was a slap in the face. The Detroit Pistons, who have not finished with a winning record since the 2015-16 season, did get to pick Cade Cunningham first overall in 2021, but have had horrible lottery luck since then.

The Pistons recently fired head coach Monty Williams and General Manager Troy Weaver, and as a new regime takes over, the Pistons might look to shake things up. Between Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Jalen Duren, and Ron Holland, Detroit has plenty of young talent surrounding Cunningham, but a lack of spacing and winning experience will continue to hold them back, at least for the foreseeable future.

With all of those aforementioned young players, excluding Holland, being leftover from the Weaver era, new President Trajan Langdon might try to flip some young players in order to add draft picks that he can use that will be more in line with his vision. As the Pistons prepare for another losing season, expect them to be active on the trade market, as they have several players that could garner interest.

While Cunningham is the undisputed best trade chip they have, he is still the face of the franchise and might not be on the trade block. Third-year combo guard Jaden Ivey might be available, however, as he and Cunningham are yet to find success together.

Ivey is one of the more athletic players in the league, but his ball-dominant playstyle and 33.9 percent shooting mark from deep over the last three seasons have drawn concerns in Michigan. As Detroit looks to take a long-awaited step forward, the Spurs could offer them a solid scorer like Keldon Johnson or future draft picks in order to add Ivey, who has shown a lot of potential.

Stephon Castle, who the Spurs drafted fourth overall this summer, has expressed an interest in playing point guard, but has a lot of experience playing off-ball. If his shooting comes around, the Spurs could add a slashing point guard like Ivey to the fold, especially if his value continues to drop. If the Spurs can get him on the cheap, a long-term starting lineup of Ivey, Castle, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Victor Wembanyama will be brimming with spacing, athleticism, and potential.

Related: Two Former San Antonio Spurs Sharpshooters Remain Unsigned

As the 2024-25 NBA season kicks off and the February trade deadline approaches, expect both Detroit and San Antonio to be major players.