NBA 2018-19: 3 Players the Spurs need to trade away

After more than a decade of fueling success with the same core of stars, the San Antonio Spurs are now in somewhat need of a rebuild. The Spurs had already lost 15-time All-Star Tim Duncan to retirement in 2016, however, the past off-season completely shattered the core of the franchise.

Manu Ginobili chose to retire at the age of 41, whereas Tony Parker made the surprise decision to move onto the Charlotte Hornets. Both players had spent their entire career with the franchise, and matters were further worsened when Kawhi Leonard was traded due to his refusal to sign a new contract.

This has left the Spurs with plenty of work to do, although Gregg Popovich has managed to guide the team to a respectable 10-10 start. So with a number of changes expected before the NBA trade deadline, here are three players that the Spurs should look to trade.

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#3 Jakob Poeltl

The Austrian has not made much impact with the Spurs

Jakob Poeltl was acquired as part of the trade that took Kawhi Leonard to Toronto, however, the 23-year-old already looks like a bad fit. The center was able to contribute well from the Raptors bench, playing in all 82 regular season games, although Poeltl is averaging just 11. minutes per game with the Spurs. When he is playing, the Austrian is contributing less than four points from the bench, so the Spurs may look to see what they can get in return for the 9th pick of the 2016 draft.

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#2 Quincy Pondexter

Pondexter during his time with the Pelicans

Pondexter was signed on the same day that Manu Ginobili left the Spurs after a storied career with the franchise. The 30-year-old's time in San Antonio, however, looks as though it won't reach the same heights as the Argentine, as in 16 appearances so far this season, the shooting guard has averaged just 6 minutes per game.

This has evidently left the California native with little time to make an impact and he has played a total of just 12 minutes in the Spurs past five games. Popovich seems to have no room in the rotation for the 2010 first round pick, so the injury-prone star may soon be searching for a new team.

#1 Marco Belinelli

The 32-year-old Italian signed a two year deal with the San Antonio Spurs over the summer

Belinelli has always been a useful player to have coming off the bench, however, he is currently having one of the worst seasons of his career. The 32-year-old is currently shooting a career low .359 from the field, and his three-point percentage of .315 is the second lowest of his career.

The Italian has enjoyed some good moments in a Spurs jersey such as when he dropped 15 points on the Magic, although these performances have been rare, and even during his biggest contributions from the bench, his shooting struggles have been visible.

The Spurs' offense has struggled badly throughout the early part of the season, and Popovich will know that better shooters are required from the bench. Belinelli has a two-year deal worth around $6 million a season, so unless the Spurs start to see an investment on the contract, they make the decision to trade the underperforming Italian away.