NBA Trade Rumors: 3 Players the San Antonio Spurs should target

Modified Nov 08, 2022 11:44 GMT

After the retirement of Tim Duncan in 2016, it looked as though Kawhi Leonard would become the new face of the San Antonio Spurs franchise. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old refused to sign a max contract with the franchise last summer, and the Spurs eventually made the difficult decision to trade away their All-Star to the Toronto Raptors.

This was also not the only bad news that came out of the teams 2018 offseason, as Tony Parker completed a surprise move to the Charlotte Hornets, and Manu Ginobili also called time on his incredible career. During the summer of turmoil, the Spurs only major acquisition was DeMar DeRozan, who joined the team as part of the trade that took Leonard to the Raptors.

Nevertheless, despite being unfancied by many NBA analysts at the start of the season, Gregg Popovich has steered the Spurs to a 25-20 record. This has been enough to lift the Spurs into the Western Conference playoff places, although competition remains intense, and here are three players that San Antonio should target this month in order to enhance their playoff hopes.

#3 Markelle Fultz

It is fair to say that the San Antonio Spurs are currently in need of a new starting guard. Tony Parker left last year after more than a decade with the franchise, while Dejounte Murray will miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury. This has left the Spurs extremely short for the remainder of the year, and signing a new point guard could boost the team's playoff prospects.

Markelle Fultz is a notable point guard who is seemingly available, and the 20-year-old's trade value is currently at an all-time low. The Sixers are known to be eager to put the whole Fultz saga behind them, and under Popovich's guidance, the youngster could quickly develop into the prospect that he was initially believed to be.

#2 Jabari Parker

Jabari Parker is a Chicago native, who signed a two-year, $40 million deal with the Bulls last summer. Before moving to Chicago, the 23-year-old had spent his entire career with the Milwaukee Bucks, although Parker struggled with injuries during his final season with the team.

The Bulls, however, took a risk on the forward, as the franchise hoped that the player could match the heights of the 16/17 season where Parker averaged 20.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Nevertheless, Parker has failed to impress in Chicago, and back in December, Parker was completely taken out of minutes consideration.

Parker is now available for a trade, and at the age of 23, Parker still has time to develop into an All-Star caliber player. Parker's youth would also be a great addition to an aging Spurs team, and with the Bulls seemingly desperate to get rid of the player, San Antonio should make a move.

#1 Terrence Ross

It was reported last month that Terrence Ross was attracting major interest from around the NBA, and the San Antonio Spurs are reportedly among the teams that are interested in pursuing a move for the Magic's swingman. Ross has been with Orlando since 2017, and during his time with the team, the 27-year-old has demonstrated the best form of his career so far.

This season, Ross is averaging 13.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, and the former Raptors man is also shooting 39% from beyond the arc. Despite his stellar start to the season, the Magic are still struggling to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt, and Ross is set to become a free agent in the summer.

Ultimately, Ross could be a great fit for the Spurs until the end of the season, and San Antonio shouldn't have to give up too much to acquire him.