Windhorst: Wembanyama Not Thrilled With Where Spurs Are; Doesn't Think Spurs Can Get Away With Slow Build

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The Harden/Young dichotomy is just fearmongering stupidity.

[DAF86]

I've yet to see any of the detractors answer this. All they do is regurgitate the things we all already know.

Like I said above, why do we need to get Wemby's co-star before the 25 draft? Getting that second star that is going to sidekick Wemby for years to come is kinda of a big deal. I know some people might think that if Trae doesn't pan out, they can just re-direct and get rid of him quite easily, but I don't know how realistic that would be. In getting Young, you're giving up, at least, 4 unprotected first round picks and a big ass contract. Pivoting from that won't be as easy as some of you might think.

Making a move for Trae that ends up proving to be not good enough to trully contend for championships might end up costing us Wembanyama. I don't know why we should be in any rush to make that decision and settle for, arguably, the most flawed "star" in the entire league, tbh.

[JPB]

Harden?

Come on, now.

[baseline bum]

Like I said above, why do we need to get Wemby's co-star before the 25 draft? Getting that second star that is going to sidekick Wemby for years to come is kinda of a big deal. I know some people might think that if Trae doesn't pan out, they can just re-direct and get rid of him quite easily, but I don't know how realistic that would be. In getting Young, you're giving up, at least, 4 unprotected first round picks and a big ass contract. Pivoting from that won't be as easy as some of you might think.

Making a move for Trae that ends up proving to be not good enough to trully contend for championships might end up costing us Wembanyama. I don't know why we should be in any rush to make that decision and settle for, arguably, the most flawed "star" in the entire league, tbh.

What makes you think Young is commanding four unprotected firsts? Lakers could only offer three.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

What extra pick? I'm saying give them their 25 and 27 and tear up the 26 swap plus change (like Keldon + Collins for salary matching purposes). They're not going to tank by trading Young when they don't have their 25/26/27 picks. I don't know why people think they're going to do the Spurs such a solid by bottoming out so we can draft Cooper Flagg and AJ Dybantsa with their picks.

You keep on pointing out what the Hawks won't want to do but they are still left with the dilemma of get their picks back or treadmill.

I want to know why you have to give them what will essentially be 3 picks in the part of the lottery where it's much better than a coinflip they guy can play when we don't have compe ion.

[DAF86]

What makes you think Young is commanding four unprotected firsts? Lakers could only offer three.

The least the Hawks will ask the Spurs is all of their picks back, then they almost have the obligation of asking for something more so that it doesn't end up looking like a Murray for Trae trade straight up. Getting Trae will be more expensive for the Spurs than for any other franchise in the league.

[baseline bum]

You keep on pointing out what the Hawks won't want to do but they are still left with the dilemma of get their picks back or treadmill.

I want to know why you have to give them what will essentially be 3 picks in the part of the lottery where it's much better than a coinflip they guy can play when we don't have compe ion.

Treadmill when they don't have their picks is better than lottery when they don't have their picks. Also let's look at #10 picks (which is where Atlanta would draft right now) from the last ten years:

2023 - Cason Wallace - might be decent
2022 - Johnny Davis - bust
2021 - Zaire Williams - bust
2020 - Jalen Smith - not very good
2019 - Cam Reddish - not very good
2018 - Mikal Bridges - great pick
2017 - Zach Collins - not very good
2016 - Thon Maker - bust
2015 - Justice Winslow - bust
2014 - Elfrid Payton - not very good

Yeah give me three of those guys chosen at random instead of Trae Young.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The least the Hawks will ask the Spurs is all of their picks back, then they almost have the obligation of asking for something more so that it doesn't end up looking like a Murray for Trae trade straight up. Getting Trae will be more expensive for the Spurs than for any other franchise in the league.

So whatever the Hawks want they will get and us and anything we want. Nice.

[DAF86]

Just look at the Mavs, they panicked and made a stupid mistake by basically swapping Brunson for Irving. The Spurs only need to hit on one of the many lottery picks they'll have in the next couple of years to get a sidekick that's probably better than Trae ing Young.

[baseline bum]

The least the Hawks will ask the Spurs is all of their picks back, then they almost have the obligation of asking for something more so that it doesn't end up looking like a Murray for Trae trade straight up. Getting Trae will be more expensive for the Spurs than for any other franchise in the league.

They can ask all they want, Spurs don't have to bid against themselves. But they can have their Charlotte pick back, maybe even the Chicago lottery protected one so they can save face.

[baseline bum]

Just look at the Mavs, they panicked and made a stupid mistake by basically swapping Brunson for Irving. The Spurs only need to hit on one of the many lottery picks they'll have in the next couple of years to get a sidekick that's probably better than Trae ing Young.

Yes the front office who thought Primo was better than Sengun is going to beat those 3-in-10 odds I posted above for getting someone better than Trae with three picks at #10.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Treadmill when they don't have their picks is better than lottery when they don't have their picks. Also let's look at #10 picks (which is where Atlanta would draft right now) from the last ten years:

2023 - Cason Wallace - might be decent
2022 - Johnny Davis - bust
2021 - Zaire Williams - bust
2020 - Jalen Smith - not very good
2019 - Cam Reddish - not very good
2018 - Mikal Bridges - great pick
2017 - Zach Collins - not very good
2016 - Thon Maker - bust
2015 - Justice Winslow - bust
2014 - Elfrid Payton - not very good

Yeah give me three of those guys chosen at random instead of Trae Young.

They are the number ten pick now. The moment that trade happens where is the pick likely to fall? Certainly much higher than 10 in a much better draft.

Again, Hawks are kinda ed.

[RC_Drunkford]

Why do we need to find Wemby's co-star before the 25 draft?

well what would you do instead with the ATL 25, CHI 25, Spurs 25 and possibly even the CHA 25 pick? You want 4 more rookies on the roster?

[DAF86]

Yes the front office who thought Primo was better than Sengun is going to beat those 3-in-10 odds I posted above for getting someone better than Trae with three picks at #10.

Spurs' own picks, the Toronto pick, The Hawks' picks. They only need to hit in ONE of all those picks to get someone better than Trae Young. Not to mention the chance of getting a Jalen Brunson type with a second round pick. I honestly would take my chances on the draft over getting a guy that I know is flawed and don't trust to be a good enough number 2 option, tbh.

[DAF86]

well what would you do instead with the ATL 25, CHI 25, Spurs 25 and possibly even the CHA 25 pick? You want 4 more rookies on the roster?

Draft with the likely chance of hitting on at least one that ends up better than Young, or wait for midseason to see if a better player becomes available.

[RC_Drunkford]

Just look at the Mavs, they panicked and made a stupid mistake by basically swapping Brunson for Irving. The Spurs only need to hit on one of the many lottery picks they'll have in the next couple of years to get a sidekick that's probably better than Trae ing Young.

that's not how it went. Brunson wanted to go to the Knicks and the Mavs couldn't extend him. They didn't trade him for Kyrie.

If the Spurs draft that sidekick in let's say 2027. When do you think he will be ready to be the #2 option on a championship team? Certainly not his rookie year. Year 3? So the Spurs can contend in 2030 when Wemby is 26?

[MannyIsGod]

Just look at the Mavs, they panicked and made a stupid mistake by basically swapping Brunson for Irving. The Spurs only need to hit on one of the many lottery picks they'll have in the next couple of years to get a sidekick that's probably better than Trae ing Young.

I'm not even a big Young fan but acting like hitting on a player that is as good as Young being easy or likely is just a crazy thing to expect. The Spurs are unlikely to get a player with their draft picks that is as good as Young is. That should be pretty ing obvious. All NBA Guards are hard to come by.

[RC_Drunkford]

Draft with the likely chance of hitting on at least one that ends up better than Young, or wait for midseason to see if a better player becomes available.

Ok so we adding 4 rookies in 2025, 1 rookie in 2026, 2 rookies in 2027. Who do you actually keep on the roster or is Wemby going to win a chip surrounded by a bunch of rookies and sop res? You only got 15 roster spots.

[Chinook]

i don't think there's only one way to win or to build a contender. it depends on the opportunities.

The Lakers didn't wait for Kobe to be at his prime to win championships with him.

Kobe was not their franchise player. Shaq was. I don't think there's much wrong if the team had a path to get a top-10 player, and let Wemby be his Robin. I've said that enough for it to be exhausting. If Wemby is going to be the best player on the team, then the team will move on his timeline, no matter how much you improve his talent. That's why Barkley was trying to tell them that the Spurs are still going to be bad next year, Young or not. Shaq was Shaqting out and cutting him, but Barkley was trying to temper expectations, because he seems to think like I do that Wemby's not at that point yet. It's not simply a matter of "getting used to" the NBA either. It's going to require hundreds of hours in the gym and film room in addition to hundreds of games to get him to that point. That's what Pop was trying to say. Duncan spoiled people. His readiness was an abnormal as Wemby's size/skill combination.

Wemby's ceiling is higher than most star prospects, but he still has a curve. I'm really feeling like his curve is going to look more like Durant's did, which is actually a gift for the Spurs because they have a chance at a 2025 lottery pick if they want it.

[Dejounte]

Just look at the Mavs, they panicked and made a stupid mistake by basically swapping Brunson for Irving. The Spurs only need to hit on one of the many lottery picks they'll have in the next couple of years to get a sidekick that's probably better than Trae ing Young.

When they hit, then it’s another three years to get that player acclimated. I’m glad you think we have all this time to get that player and have so much faith that one of those players will pan out. It’s like putting all your eggs in a basket in a few lottery tickets.

[RC_Drunkford]

I'm not even a big Young fan but acting like hitting on a player that is as good as Young being easy or likely is just a crazy thing to expect. The Spurs are unlikely to get a player with their draft picks that is as good as Young is. That should be pretty ing obvious. All NBA Guards are hard to come by.

nah man just look at the last 6 years. Aside from Wemby we had two 19th picks, the 29th pick, the 11th, 12th, 9th, 20th and 25th pick and ended up with Lonnie Walker, Luka Samanic, Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and big Primo. All of them are better than Trae Young

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Kobe was not their franchise player. Shaq was. I don't think there's much wrong if the team had a path to get a top-10 player, and let Wemby be his Robin. I've said that enough for it to be exhausting. If Wemby is going to be the best player on the team, then the team will move on his timeline, no matter how much you improve his talent. That's why Barkley was trying to tell them that the Spurs are still going to be bad next year, Young or not. Shaq was Shaqting out and cutting him, but Barkley was trying to temper expectations, because he seems to think like I do that Wemby's not at that point yet. It's not simply a matter of "getting used to" the NBA either. It's going to require hundreds of hours in the gym and film room in addition to hundreds of games to get him to that point. That's what Pop was trying to say. Duncan spoiled people. His readiness was an abnormal as Wemby's size/skill combination.

Wemby's ceiling is higher than most star prospects, but he still has a curve. I'm really feeling like his curve is going to look more like Durant's did, which is actually a gift for the Spurs because they have a chance at a 2025 lottery pick if they want it.

Shaq and Kobe were both HoF caliber players. There are other structures than unilateral such as bilateral you might consider.

[baseline bum]

Spurs' own picks, the Toronto pick, The Hawks' picks. They only need to hit in ONE of all those picks to get someone better than Trae Young. Not to mention the chance of getting a Jalen Brunson type with a second round pick. I honestly would take my chances on the draft over getting a guy that I know is flawed and don't trust to be a good enough number 2 option, tbh.

So they'll still have their own picks and the Toronto pick to get that better than Trae Young guy you want. But the odds aren't great getting someone better than Young with Brian Wright picking around tenth three years in a row with the Atlanta picks and the swap. And even in that best case scenario they do it's still a rookie who would take a few years to be better than Young. There's no way in Atlanta can have the Spurs pick or the Toronto pick for Young, they bent themselves over a barrel with the Dejounte trade.

[DAF86]

that's not how it went. Brunson wanted to go to the Knicks and the Mavs couldn't extend him. They didn't trade him for Kyrie.

Not true:



Basically, The Mavs panicked, went for the established star instead of having patience and are now stucked with an older, worst, more expensive player.

If the Spurs draft that sidekick in let's say 2027. When do you think he will be ready to be the #2 option on a championship team? Certainly not his rookie year. Year 3? So the Spurs can contend in 2030 when Wemby is 26?

Yeah, basically the age most great players start to contend.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I'm not even a big Young fan but acting like hitting on a player that is as good as Young being easy or likely is just a crazy thing to expect. The Spurs are unlikely to get a player with their draft picks that is as good as Young is. That should be pretty ing obvious. All NBA Guards are hard to come by.

Hawks still will never self tank by trading away their stars without getting at least some of their picks over the next few years back. That means that we don't have compe ion because we have to be dealt with first.

I get the carpe diem impulse, but I hope the Spurs are better negotiators than the lot around here.