The San Antonio Spurs have a winning record at Christmas for the first time in years. Still, with the Western Conference so competitive, will the Spurs be sellers at the NBA Trade deadline?
San Antonio heads to Philadelphia on Monday with a 15-13 and is in ninth place in the Western Conference. The Spurs have won two straight, coming off a 114-94 victory over Portland on Saturday as Victor Wembanyama tallied 30 points and 10 blocks. The Spurs were 13-18 on December 23, 2021, though 2017 was the last time they possessed a winning record at Christmas.
Wembanyama has undoubtedly been the catalyst for San Antonio. The 7-3 Frenchman has stepped up his game from his rookie of the year campaign, averaging 24.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and a league-best 3.8 blocks. He already has produced 11 double-doubles and one triple-double in 23 appearances this year.
San Antonio is 13-10 in games Wembabyama has played this season. More importantly, the Spurs are more talented and deeper than in recent memory.
Will The San Antonio Spurs Be Sellers At the Trade Deadline, And Who Could Be The Players On The Trading Block?
Seven Spurs are averaging double figures, and 11 players typically see major minutes. While the Spurs have made huge strides on both ends of the floor, they have improved the most offensively.
San Antonio is 14th in the league in offensive efficiency and 16th in defensive efficiency through 28 games after finishing last season 26th in offensive rating and 22nd in defensive rating. But the Spurs are 17th in scoring at a touch less than 112 points a game as they are not a great shooting team, ranking 20th in field goal and 3-point percentage.
Defensively, San Antonio is allowing nearly six points fewer than a season ago, at 112.7 a game. The Spurs have defended decently well, but transition defense and second-chance opportunities have been a huge issue. Meanwhile, not fouling and rim protection are their biggest strengths defensively.
Here is a Look At The Spurs’ Key Players
Not surprisingly, San Antonio’s strength lies in the frontcourt. Not only is Wemby there, but Zach Collins, Jeremy Sochan, Sandro Mamukelshvili, Harrison Barnes, and Charles Bassey are major parts of the rotation.
Devin Vassell is second on the team with 16.2 points in 25.5 minutes in his 13 appearances. He is shooting 48.2% from the field and making 2.4 threes at a 40.8% clip. Vassell, who missed the last eight games last season and the first nine in 2024-25, has reached double-figures 11 times, including five 20-point efforts.
Julian Champagnie, who got his first real playing time last season, is having a career season. The 23-year-old wing averages 12.4 points and 5.0 boards with shooting splits of 42.7/35.3/90. He makes 1.7 treys a game at a 36.6% clip.
Jeremy Sochan, who has already missed 12 games, has also shown improvement in year three. Sochan, known more for his defense, is shooting 52.1% from the field while also producing career-highs in points and rebounds.
Chris Paul and Barnes have brought veteran leadership. Paul has also been a solid mentor to Stephon Castle, who has had his ups and downs thus far.
“He’s [Paul] basically been coaching along with playing, very honestly,” head coach Gregg Popovich told The Athletic earlier in the season.
Potential Trade Candidates
Keldon Johnson has decreased his value since moving to the bench last season. Still, the 25-year-old averages 12.5 points, scoring in double figures in 18 of his 25 appearances and 5.0 boards in 25.5 minutes per game.
“A few Keldon Johnson trade rumors were floating around the NBA last season, but those have quieted down, Kelly Iko of The Athletic said. “I don’t see why San Antonio would be looking to move any of their rotational players right now. If contenders in need of shooting and versatility called the Spurs and offered good return for one of Devin Vassell or Champagnie, perhaps you consider it. But if I’m Brian Wright, I’m not looking to break up this roster. San Antonio is competitive and has a chance at making the Play-In Tournament. That accomplishment alone could have positive trickle-down effects. At this point, with where Wembanyama is in his development, the Spurs should be looking for complementary players around him, not trading them away.”
“Zach Collins, who is currently injured and had begun to fall out of the rotation, would be my only trade candidate, Iko added His contract is somewhat trade-friendly, too, making $16.7 million this year and slated to earn $18 million in 2025-26. A fine player, but not one that lifts San Antonio’s ceiling.
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