Spurs Veteran Doug McDermott Among Best NBA Buyout Candidates?
SAN ANTONIO — Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs know exactly what Doug McDermott is capable of.
He's 32 years old, well-seasoned, experienced and if nothing else, a good fit within the otherwise-young team's "healthy" locker room that's rallied together throughout a tumultuous season. And that was a top priority for the veteran just a few months before opening night.
"It feels great to be the old guy," McDermott said of his unique role on a development-focused team. "I'm just trying my best to be a good leader."
The veteran sharpshooter has done that. He's been a sage voice after losses and even stepped up big in the community during the Spurs' annual "Season of Giving" in December. But unfortunately, a larger part of his presence is basketball-oriented, and because of his age, he could be a buyout candidate over the next few weeks.
At least, Bleacher Report thinks so.
"Keeping as much shooting as possible around Victor Wembanyama needs to be a top priority for the San Antonio Spurs," the site wrote in a league-wide analysis. "Doug McDermott's accuracy has slipped over the past couple of weeks, [but] he's still banging in more than 44 percent of his triples for the season.
"Yet, at 32, McDermott clearly isn't part of the Spurs' bigger picture."
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The Spurs have worked through plenty of different lineups and rotations this season with Wembanyama joining the fold. They've tried Jeremy Sochan at point guard, Zach Collins and Keldon Johnson on the bench and even Malaki Branham in the starting lineup beside Devin Vassell. But of all the combinations, McDermott hasn't moved beyond a rotational bench role.
The small forward sits behind Cedi Osman and Julian Champagnie — both of which have played numerous roles this season — in the pecking order, and does bring a unique skillset to San Antonio's roster with a high 3-point percentage, but the bigger question remains whether or not he'd be both consistent and longeval enough to keep around.
That hasn't stopped Popovich from focusing on his situation on the team, however.
"We all know what he is," the veteran coach said of McDermott last season. "He's a guy that can shoot the 3. He moves really well without the basketball. He knows how to play [and] he's a great teammate.
"Everybody took him very quickly ... he's been important."
This season, McDermott has averaged 5.9 points on a 44-percent shooting clip in just 15 minutes per game in his third season with San Antonio, and there are three main scenarios in which McDermott's stay with the Spurs could be navigated.
The first is obviously keeping him around and using him as a source of bench-offense as well as a veteran leader — the way he has been this season.
The other two aren't so go-lucky. As Wembanyama continues to develop into the star he's promised to be, San Antonio will — at one point or another — be in the market for a star either through the trade market or through free agency.
Bringing in a strong talent to mix with Wembanyama is certainly a no-brainer, though the Spurs are in no rush this season. That's also why they could opt to keep McDermott beyond the trade deadline and simply wish him well with the remaining guaranteed money on his contract.
Yes, the veteran brings a lot of good to the team and the locker room, but with a rising star in their back pocket and a lot of growth and development still to go, making a solely-basketball decision may be the wisest choice, even at McDermott's expense.
Only time will tell which of the three options the Spurs end up going with, but as the trade season continues to rage on, that time is beginning to look shorter and shorter.
