San Antonio Spurs acquire Danilo Gallinari, three first-round picks and a future pick swap
The only thing keeping this from being an outright F for the Spurs is they will seemingly sink so far in the standings to possess a 14-or-so percent chance to land the No. 1 pick in 2023 and select Wembanyama. If they end up tanking their way to that lottery luck, then this is a much more favorable trade and grade. Not familiar with Wembanyama? Think if Rudy Gobert as a prospect had guard skills instead of hoping screen assists becomes an accepted statistic. (It hasn’t).
San Antonio is clearly transitioning to a rebuild. The Spurs did it at the trade deadline when they unloaded Thaddeus Young to Toronto and Derrick Whiteto Boston for first-round picks in this year’s draft. Murray is the last remnants of an All-Star-caliber player on this team. He made the West pool of players for the All-Star Game this past season and had a legitimately good, historic season statistically. But the Spurs are not interested in competing with their current group of players. Instead, they’d rather hope some lottery balls fall in their favor when we get to May of 2023.
The picks are helpful in building out that treasure chest of assets. They’re getting the Charlotte pick for 2023, which should be somewhere in the mid-to-late teens in the first round. It’s worth noting the Hornets’ pick was top-16 protected for the Hawks. It’s top-14 protected in 2024 and 2025; otherwise, it becomes two second-round picks. They’re also receiving Atlanta’s picks in 2025 and 2027, unprotected, along with a pick swap in 2026. They have to hope they end up with Wembanyama and the Hawks end up falling apart or imploding by then. Otherwise, you’re just looking at picks somewhere in the 20s or late teens at best.
Gallinari gives them nothing. He barely gave the Hawks much substance consistently. They’ll likely move him before the next deadline if they don’t decide to release him and let him find a team on his own.
Grade: D-
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