San Antonio Spurs Pair $197 Million All-Star Point Guard With Victor Wembanyama In Intriguing Trade Proposal
(Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
The 2023/24 NBA season hasn’t quite gone the way the San Antonio Spurs and their fans would have imagined after landing No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama in last year’s draft.
San Antonio is currently dead last in the Western Conference as they nurse a disappointing 18-56 record.
Even so, they could be a team on the rise as they have kickstarted a new era with the Frenchman, yet Gregg Popovich would do well to pair their superstar big man up with some top backcourt talent.
As such, a trade proposal has been floated that would see them acquire Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report has suggested that the Spurs could land Garland by sending Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, Malaki Branham, and an unprotected 2025 first-round pick via the Atlanta Hawks.
“The Spurs need to find a franchise point guard to pair with Victor Wembanyama. They need someone who can deliver him the ball in his spots while also being able to space the floor and create his own offense at times,” Swartz explains.
“Garland, who’s under contract for the next four seasons, checks all of those boxes. Even in a “down” year where he missed time with a fractured jaw, Garland is still putting up 18.5 points and 6.3 assists per game and would be a substantial upgrade over Tre Jones.”
Darius Garland Is Unlikely To Get Traded Anytime Soon
The Cavaliers are unlikely to trade Darius Garland barring a wild turn of events.
The Cavs are flying high in the Eastern Conference and sit in third place with a 45-29 record. An All-Star in 2022, Garland is averaging 18.3 points and 6.5 assists per game this season. He is in the first year of a four-year, $197 million contract.
The guard scored 14 points in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, having been listed as probable before the game due to an ankle injury.
