Trade No. 7: San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs could punch the turbo at any time.
Victor Wembanyama was a Top 25 player in the league by the end of his rookie season, with a case to be made that he was Top 15. He is a generational prospect, in that there hasn't been a young player like him since LeBron James entered the league 20 years earlier.
The Spurs are thus far playing things relatively slow, but they have a number of prospects and draft picks that could allow them to put real stars next to Wembanyama right now. Would they possibly entertain trading for Stephen Curry to pair with Wembanyama?
If they did, they would need to work to get together enough money to match Curry's salary. Here is one potential path to doing so:
The Spurs would need to pony up a large return package for Curry, but they could do so and still put some talented players in the lineup with him. In addition to Curry and Wembanyama, the Spurs could start Harrison Barnes, Devin Vassell and Chris Paul, with Tre Jones, Jeremy Sochan and Charles Bassey coming in off the bench. They would also still boast a number of draft assets to continue upgrading.
Who Says No? The San Antonio Spurs have given every indication they want to be patient and let the team grow around Wembanyama, but the reality is that he is already too good to outright tank and he will want to compete soon. How long can they beg on his patience?
Curry likely wants to go to a team ready to win it all, but there is something intriguing about pairing up with Wembanyama; there's a reason Chris Paul took the job. He may believe in Wembanyama's talent and trajectory and want to attach himself to Wemby as he travels his meteoric rise.
The Warriors would get a blue-chip prospect in Stephon Castle, good matching salary in Keldon Johnson and Malaki Branham, and a trio of first-round picks that includes the Atlanta Hawks' 2025 first-round pick. It's an extremely valuable trade piece. This is probably not quite enough to get the Warriors to play ball, but it may be enough to get the conversation going.