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Spurs trade idea involves swapping Dylan Harper for $150 million star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The San Antonio Spurs' season hangs by a thread after a disappointing loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday.
If the Thunder get the job done in Game 6 on Thursday, Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will look back on that fifth game as a missed opportunity, San Antonio was blitzed for 98 points in the final three quarters of the eventual 127-114 loss, and Wembanyama labored to 20 points on 4-of-15 shooting; most of his points came from the free-throw line, where he was 12-for-12.
MORE: 'Poor decisions': Mitch Johnson brutally calls out Spurs after Game 5 loss to Thunder
Young guard Dylan Harper struggled in Oklahoma City. He scored five points in 25 minutes, and the No.2 overall pick in last year's draft has been held to single digits in each of the past three games.
If the Spurs want to go one better than the Thunder next year, keeping Harper and betting that he ascends to All-Star level play in 2026/27 is a sound bet. But San Antonio might opt to do something more drastic.
Bleacher Report has posited a trade idea that would send Harper and Devin Vassell to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Donovan Mitchell. With the Cavs facing a salary cap crunch -- and with Mitchell not guaranteed to sign an extension this summer -- push might come to shove, allowing the Spurs to build a three-headed monster of Mitchell, Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox.
"As good as Harper will be one day, Mitchell is the far better player right now and likely will be for the next few years," writes Greg Swartz. "With the Spurs looking like a championship contender already, Mitchell in San Antonio actually makes a lot of sense. If the Cavs decide a Mitchell trade is inevitable, Harper is the first player they should call about."
The Cavs' competitive timeline might change a bit with Harper, James Harden and Evan Mobley as the new core. But the Spurs would be prepared to win immediately if they found a way to add and extend Mitchell.
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