Pacers Eye Trading No. 7 Pick; Spurs Interested?
The San Antonio Spurs are looking to find a way back into the first round, and they may have an opening with a team in the middle of the lottery.
The Indiana Pacers are looking to trade the No. 7 pick and the Spurs could be a team interested in making a deal.
“Indiana has been talking to people about the No. 7 pick," ESPN said. "I’ve been told they’ve been trying to get wing players. They’ve been trying to move out of No. 7 to get a high-level wing player. I think they might be able to, if they’re motivated enough.”
There have been reports that have stated that the Spurs would be looking to trade back into the first round of Thursday's draft.
"The Spurs are one of the most active teams in trade talks heading into the draft," sources told SpursTalk. "According to the league sources, the Spurs are telling teams their preference is to trade for another first round pick. If that’s unsuccessful, San Antonio has let it be known that they want to trade away at least one of their second round picks."
The Spurs could hypothetically package one or both of their second-round picks, along with a wing for the No. 7 pick. A player on San Antonio's roster that could fit the bill for what Indiana is seeking is Keldon Johnson.
Johnson, 23, averaged a career-high 22 points per game last season and proved to be one of the league's rising players.
If there was a player the Spurs *loved* that was available at No. 7, then San Antonio should consider. If Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller, the Thompson twins and Cam Whitmore were gone in the first six picks, that could put the Spurs in position to take a player like Anthony Black, who provides a ton of upside as a 6-7 point guard.
Trading Johnson is no easy task for the Spurs, but given how he fits San Antonio's timeline, it may be worth it to trade him while his stock is this high. Ultimately, San Antonio would need to take a player they feel confident in being a long-term starter for the team. If that player is there at No. 7, the trigger may need to be pulled.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
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