This offseason, the San Antonio Spurs have made boosting their physicality a top priority.
Victor Wembanyama and Harrison Barnes worked out with the French rugby team. They drafted Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed in the first round. Tobias Harris was their splashy free agent addition.
After being pushed around in the NBA Finals by Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson, it’s pretty clear that the Spurs need to play mean. Maybe they need a dose of nasty.
Either way, they have the assets to make a trade, and they could land the meanest player in the NBA.
Mock Trade Sends Isaiah Stewart to Spurs
Isaiah Stewart was a fan favorite in Detroit, but didn’t really fit their rotation. The Pistons, of course, are most famous for their Bad Boys era and the Malice at the Palace. If you want kids to wear your jersey in the Motor City, being a villain is the way to do it.
Stewart made a name for himself in 2021, when he chased LeBron James around the court while blood poured down his face.
He’s also gotten into it with Moussa Diabate, Jonas Valančiūnas, Drew Eubanks, the Indiana Pacers, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Who better to be the Spurs’ enforcer behind Victor Wembanyama?
As the Spurs grapple with De’Aaron Fox and his long-term future in San Antonio, ideally they would be able to recoup some draft capital and land affordable players in future years. However, with Fox’s value at an all-time low, it’s hard to imagine a young and rebuilding team like the Memphis Grizzlies wanting to play ball.
That is, unless the Spurs don’t target draft picks and instead make financial flexibility their priority.
With Stephon Castle eligible for a rookie extension next summer and Dylan Harper ready for his in 2028, the Spurs need to get as much money off the books as possible. Fox is owed $222 million over the next four years. Moving him is an easy solution.
As Memphis builds around frontcourt players like Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey, and GG Jackson, adding a proven point guard to help run the offense would go a long way. It would allow Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward to play off-ball. Plus, Fox could be a veteran leader for Walter Clayton Jr.
The Spurs could send Fox to the Grizzlies in exchange for Stewart and Jerami Grant, who would help balance salary.
Both Stewart and Grant are free agents after 2027-28, and with them off the books, the Spurs can extend Harper. Beef Stew would be the third center off the bench behind Wemby and Luke Kornet, and Grant, assuming he doesn’t get flipped in another deal, brings in some much-needed shooting.
For the next two seasons, that gives the Spurs a very deep rotation. Castle, Harper, and Jordan McLaughlin would be the lead ball-handlers. Wemby, Kornet, Stewart, and Reed would play down low. Devin Vassell, Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant, Barnes, Harris, and Grant would round out the wings.
And then, in two seasons, the Spurs would have the financial flexibility to shore up their roster once some current contracts expire.
Is it the perfect deal for San Antonio? Nope, but after Fox’s Finals showing, the “perfect deal” seems unlikely. In rematches against the Knicks, no one would even look at Wemby wrong. Stewart might rip their head off.
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