Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images
Don’t expect the San Antonio Spurs to be active prior to the Feb. 8 trade deadline, per comments head coach Gregg Popovich made to reporters before his team’s 116-96 home win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday evening.
“No, I doubt it,” Popovich said when asked if his team would be in the trade market, per Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News.
“Why would we do that?…Get a vet or two and go win a championship this year? I’m going to go think about that,” Popovich added.
However, the Spurs are 4-20. No trade is going to turn them into a playoff contender at this point, let alone a championship one. Conceivably, the Spurs could ship off some of their veterans, but hanging onto their young talent is paramount as the team goes through a rebuilding phase.
“Our focus is not immediate other than individual development and team concepts,” Popovich added. “But if there’s a trade that would make sense both now and for long-term, of course, we look at it. (General manager) Brian Wright and his guys are probably doing that already.”
It’s clear what the 2023-24 season was all about for the Spurs, and that’s developing their young talent, led by burgeoning superstar Victor Wembanyama. Per NBA.com, the Spurs entered the season as the league’s youngest team (23.52 years of age on average).
There will be massive growing pains along the way, as the recent losing streak shows. But ultimately, this isn’t a year where the Spurs will be making big moves at the deadline.
That may be the case down the road as the team gels around Wembanyama and realizes its potential, but for now, the team moves forward and works for a brighter future.
