The excitement surrounding Victor Wembanyama has the media acting so unbelievably out of character these days. Kevin Garnett was just one example of everyone’s desire to see his growth process sped up. When you see greatness, you recognize it for what it is: special—and when you have something special in front of you, you want it at its peak. You want more of it. But San Antonio is executing the right plan for longevity, so everyone needs to calm down.
Spurs fans have never seen so much speculation involving Alamo City. From role players to superstars, it feels like half the league has been linked to San Antonio. The possibilities seem endless. Some of the options would be perfect additions to what they’re building—others, not so much.
Steph Curry would cost the Spurs too much
There has been noise floating around the internet for months linking San Antonio as a possible destination for Curry if he ever leaves Golden State. While some may find the idea of the greatest shooter of all time leaving the Warriors to be far-fetched, stranger things have happened.
Curry is 36 years old, but he’s still one of the best players in the game and he wants to compete for championships. Golden State has been trying to make moves to help that mission, but it hasn’t gone well for them this offseason, striking out on big names like Lauri Markkanen.
If they find themselves struggling to make the play-in tournament again, a mutual decision to part ways is very believable. But they have all of their first-round picks over the next five years, so they aren’t desperate for draft assets. That means they can look to honor whatever request Steph makes if he has a desired destination and there’s no way to say whether Curry would be interested in joining San Antonio.
Since the Warriors aren’t in a desperate situation, they’d look to make sure they get plenty in return for their franchise’s best player. Anything less than an absolute haul would be disrespectful to Steph, but that doesn’t have to be the Spurs’ burden to bear. Not to mention the amount of money that would have to be spent on an aging star. You only do this if you’re in a position of strength, setting up a favorable deal. That wouldn’t be on the board in this situation, so the Spurs shouldn’t even consider it.
LeBron is too old to revamp the roster to fit him
If there’s anything fans should have learned while watching LeBron over the last few years, including the Olympics, it’s that he still needs to be a major part of the equation to maximize his talents. He’s not a player you just relegate to the corner or someone you play like just another piece of the puzzle. The 39-year-old superstar is still a force to be reckoned with, but in smaller spurts. That’s not something the Spurs should be looking for.
But the same is true for James as it was for Curry; the Spurs have been rumored to be a possible destination for The King if he decides to leave LA. The Lakers have been in lockstep with the Warriors as a fringe team, fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament. Los Angeles seems to have lost some luster as they, too, have struggled to acquire any pieces to elevate the team in the offseason.
So, the reason for him leaving would mimic Curry’s and he has a track record of doing so. NBA fans are aware of the deep respect LeBron has for Coach Pop, so there are several reasons why the Spurs would come up in these conversations, including their experience taking care of older players.
But the Spurs would have to move young guys out to accommodate James. Jeremy Sochan, for example, doesn’t fit with LeBron. You need more reliable shooters around him, and the Polish Prince is, undoubtedly, working on it, but until it’s proven, there will be doubt. But Sochan fits the Spurs right now, and he’s not going anywhere—nor should he.
Nah. The Spurs are fine without going off the deep end with either one of these all-time greats—with all due respect.
