Fresh off of losing the NBA Cup final to the New York Knicks, the youthful San Antonio Spurs have been imbued with a sense of what it is like to compete at the NBA's highest level.
It will be valuable to the Spurs' future as they hope to return to championship contention with a core led by Victor Wembanyama. But will San Antonio be tempted to deal a chunk of that core to Milwaukee in a blockbuster trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo?
The answer right now appears to be "no."
NBC Sports' Kurt Helin reported Friday that the Spurs are not expected to contend for Antetokounmpo's services if he makes a firm trade request out of Milwaukee.
"Impressed by the way Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox and Devin Vassell are coming together, San Antonio wants to see how the rest of this season plays out — especially after an impressive run to the NBA Cup finals — not break up a promising young core for an older player with an injury history," Helin wrote.
With Wembanyama off the table in any Antetokounmpo talks, any deal for the Greek Freak likely would be centered on Castle, last season's Rookie of the Year. Harper, the second overall pick in the 2025 draft, would be strongly considered as well.
But the Spurs do not feel any pressure right now to make drastic changes amid a 19-7 start that has them one game off of second place in the Western Conference.
That makes an Antetokounmpo trade to Texas much less likely.
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