As the San Antonio Spurs get set to enter the 2023-24 season, all eyes will be on Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs selected the 19-year-old Frenchman with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and he’s one of the most hyped-up prospects in the last 20 years. He has enough talent to lead the team for the next decade-plus.
But for the immediate future, the Spurs’ gameplan should be to surround him with as much talent as possible. It’s been reported that the Spurs plan to play Wembanyama at the power forward position, with Zach Collins manning the center position. In turn, adding center help could be a priority moving forward.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently wrote a mock trade that would see them do just that, landing Naz Reid in a deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Spurs land Naz Reid in mock trade with Timberwolves
Here’s the full outline of Buckley’s mock trade:
Spurs receive: Naz Reid
Timberwolves receive: Devonte’ Graham, 2025 first-round pick (top-10 protected)
This is why Buckley believes the Spurs should be interested in this type of trade:
“San Antonio figures to slot Wembanyama at the 4 for now to limit the physical wear and tear on his sinewy frame,” Buckley wrote. “The Spurs might need more reinforcements at the 5 to make that happen, though. Zach Collins has a rocky injury history, and San Antonio can’t expect much from the likes of Charles Bassey and Khem Birch.
“Reid could take on a prominent role in this rotation. He could not only handle the interior anchor duties on defense, but he’d also help the offense as a stretch center who can also finish around (and above) the rim.”
Should the Spurs make this trade?
Naz Reid would be a solid fit on this Spurs team. He’s not the best defender, but having a bigger-bodied center next to Wembanyama would be great, and Reid is very talented. And at 24 years old, he can still improve on the defensive end.
Giving up Devonte’ Graham wouldn’t be the end of the world, but losing a first-rounder in the deal could be a risk the Spurs aren’t willing to take at this point in their rebuild. At least, not if it’s not a trade for a star.
So, while this trade could be intriguing, the Spurs may rather wait for a bigger deal.
