© Scott Wachter, USA TODAY
NBA Trade Rumors: 4 Players Spurs Shouldn't Deal This Offseason
The San Antonio Spurs are just three games away from the offseason, where the team should look to make some changes in order to improve the roster.
The Spurs could look very different next season, but San Antonio has a lot of talent worth holding onto in the the second year of a true rebuild.
Bleacher Report identified point guard Malaki Branham, veteran forward Keldon Johnson, rookie lottery pick Jeremy Sochan, and sharpshooter Devin Vassell as the players the Spurs shouldn't trade this offseason.
"If the San Antonio Spurs strike draft-lottery gold and add either Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson, then they may look to compete sooner rather than later. That could have them holding on to more of their young players in hopes of building a winning core on the fly," Bleacher Report writes. "Should disaster strike at the draft lottery, though, San Antonio might tear things down even further and flip a few of its more polished prospects for assets. That could put players like Johnson and Vassell up for grabs, but at this stage of the Spurs' rebuild, their development likely trumps their trade value."
As rookies, Branham and Sochan are probably the safer of the quartet. Both players have showed a lot of promise in their rookie seasons and should continue to develop with more playing time next season.
Johnson and Vassell are perhaps the two best players on the team for next season, even if they don't have the highest ceilings. Both are viewed as leaders on the team and should be key pieces for the Spurs ... at least for next season.
The Spurs have at least two first-round picks that will be added to the roster this offseason to contribute to the youth movement, and they'll compete alongside these four to be considered among the "untouchables" in a year from now.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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