San Antonio Spurs Trade Rumors: 3 things to expect from the Spurs before the trade deadline

Both Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker exited the San Antonio Spurs during the 2018 offseason and Gregg Popovich is now having to deal with the aftermath of his legendary trio of Tim Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker.

The Spurs felt as though they had the perfect replacement in Kawhi Leonard, however, the All-Star refused to sign a new deal in San Antonio, and the Spurs opted to trade the 27-year-old to Toronto, in exchange for DeMar DeRozan.

Due to this, many experts around the NBA predicted that the Spurs would miss out on the playoffs for the first time in two decades, although Gregg Popovich has once again proved that he is the best coach in the NBA. Despite a limited talent pool, Popovich has led his team to a 31-22 record, and the Spurs are currently in a strong position to claim one of the final playoff places in an extremely competitive Western Conference.

Nevertheless, the Spurs could still be active ahead of the trade deadline, and here we will look at three things to expect from the team in the final days of the trade window.

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#3 No major outgoings

San Antonio Spurs v Los Angeles Lakers

While most teams around the NBA currently have question marks hanging over the futures of their star players, the majority of the Spurs squad seems set in San Antonio. There have been whispers that the experienced duo of Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge may be traded, however, a break up with either player is extremely unlikely until at least the summer.

Aside from this, no other members of the Spurs roster are actively being pursued by rival teams, and Greg Popovich is known to be keen on continuing to work with his current roster. Ultimately, the Spurs experienced a rare summer of change in the summer, however, don't expect major changes again over the next week.

#2 They fail to add a point guard

Chicago Bulls v Philadelphia 76ers

Over the last year, the San Antonio Spurs have endured somewhat of a nightmare at the point guard position. Firstly, Tony Parker made the surprise decision to leave the team during the 2018 offseason, and the Frenchman's exit was reportedly something that the Spurs hadn't planned for. In addition to this, the Spurs' starting guard, Dejounte Murray went down injured in preseason and was subsequently ruled out for the entire 18/19 campaign.

Nevertheless, despite calls from San Antonio fans to sign a new point guard, Popovich has repeatedly stated that he won't be adding another guard. Instead, Derrick White and Patty Mills will continue to share the starting role until the end of the season, although the Spurs are likely to target the likes of Dennis Smith Jr., Markelle Fultz, and Terry Rozier during the 2019 offseason.

#1 They manage to add a wing player

Detroit Pistons v Washington Wizards

While the Spurs are unlikely to add a major addition this month, the team are still on the lookout for a wing player that can become a reliable member of Popovich's rotation. The Spurs currently have a lack of depth in the wide areas, and in recent weeks, the Spurs have been linked to a number of wing players such as Terrence Ross, Wayne Ellington, and Stanley Johnson.

Of the trade targets listed above, both Ellington and Ross are available on expiring deals, while Johnson is a younger player who could potentially become an important player to the Spurs under Popovich's guidance. All three of the listed targets should be available for little in return, and the addition of a wing player to the Spurs' roster could be the difference between the team finishing 6th or 9th in the competitive Western Conference.