Building out their roster around Victor Wembanyama is the top priority for the San Antonio Spurs this summer. Wembanyama showed capable of leading a successful team in his rookie season, but if the Spurs want to make the playoffs with him at the helm, they need to get guys who can complement him on the court. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report suggested Darius Garland as a potential trade target.
“Darius Garland is my own preference as Option No. 1,” Buckley wrote. “He’s the more ambitious target, since the Cleveland Cavaliers, unlike the Atlanta Hawks, have not reached Defcon Break Up The Backcourt. But they could get there. This isn’t purely about the Cavs’ postseason fate. If Donovan Mitchell plans to re-sign, they may decide they’re better off not shelling out $80-plus million annually to a pair of smaller guards.
“The Spurs don’t quite have the personnel to ship them a wing of the future unless Devin Vassell is involved (which he shouldn’t be). But they have Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, all their own picks, extra firsts from Atlanta, Chicago and Toronto, a fake-ish first from Charlotte and second-rounders galore. If some combination of these assets doesn’t pique Cleveland’s interest, they collectively have the curb appeal required to rope in a third-party facilitator with #ThePlayer who does. So, yeah, the Spurs should target the talented 24-year-old with four years left on what ESPN’s Brian Windhorst aptly calls the “Fun Max” first and then adjust their expectations later—if even necessary.”
Adding Garland to the roster would be huge for Wembanyama and the Spurs.
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