Spurs Trade Deadline Grade: SA Flips Veterans, Focuses on Rebuild
Leading up to Thursday's trade deadline, many were speculating that the San Antonio Spurs would prioritize their rebuild.
They did just that, becoming sellers and trading away veterans Jakob Poeltl and Josh Richardson.
In the first major trade in the early hours of Thursday morning on the East Coast, Poeltl was traded back to Toronto, the team that drafted him ninth overall in 2016. The Spurs were compensated with center Khem Birch, the Raptors' 2024 first-round pick (Top-6 protected), and their 2023/2024 second-round picks.
With Poeltl, the Raptors will be receiving a strong paint protector. Last season, Poeltl was sixth amongst centers when it came to defensive field goal percentage allowed, meaning that he was one of the most difficult centers to score on in the entire league.
Poeltl will help fill out Toronto's roster and strengthen its defense despite the lack of offense he provides. Should Poeltl re-sign with the Raptors in the offseason, this move should benefit them as they look to win now in a less-crowded Eastern Conference after the Brooklyn Nets' deadline demolition.
On the Spurs' side of this trade, they finally did what many fans wished they'd have done back when Kawhi Leonard demanded a trade in 2018 and entered a complete rebuild.
Birch is a 6-9, undersized center that can provide energy off the bench, but the real gems of this trade lie in the picks.
The Spurs are a young team, and Poeltl didn't fit with their roster's overall timeline; getting a couple of second-round picks and a first with almost no protections surrounding it, a strong haul for a player that will be a free agent this offseason. Overall this trade was a B+ for San Antonio since they received substantial draft compensation but not much upside in Birch.
The second significant trade that San Antonio had was a major success. They flipped Richardson for four second-round picks and Devonte' Graham.
Graham is a streaky three-point shooter who averaged more than eight three-point attempts per game from 2019-2022 before his minutes were reduced this season.
His shooting should earn him a Patty Mills-esque role in Popovich's system, making for exciting, high-scoring nights off the bench.
When pairing Graham with four firsts, it's hard to score this trade as anything below an A for the Spurs, who gave up a 29-year-old veteran in Richardson.
A trade that received little attention was the Spurs taking a second-round pick and Dewayne Dedmon (who they've already released) from the Miami Heat. Essentially, San Antonio received a free draft pick to relieve the Heat of an unwanted contract and give it more cap space, an A+ move for the Spurs.
Overall, San Antonio should walk away from this trade deadline feeling pleased, adding another first-round pick and a whopping seven second-round picks in exchange for veterans who weren't helping fans' dreams of landing Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs receive an A for their trade deadline moves and walk away as winners.
You can follow Isaiah DeAnda Delgado on Twitter @IsaiahDDelgado.
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