Inside The Spurs

Spurs PF Keldon Johnson: Best Trade Chip in NBA?

Keldon Johnson could warrant serious interest in trades this summer. Could the San Antonio Spurs pull off a deal?

Jeremy Brener

Spurs PF Keldon Johnson: Best Trade Chip in NBA?
Spurs PF Keldon Johnson: Best Trade Chip in NBA? /
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The San Antonio Spurs are approaching a total reset of their roster. When they select Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick, he will begin the foundation of the team's rebuild.

However, there are still players worth considering for the future that were on last year's roster. Jeremy Sochan is an obvious one, while Malaki Branham and Devin Vassell also warrant consideration for being part of the next Spurs core.

The jury's still out on whether Keldon Johnson should be part of the next great team, mainly due to his current price tag and trade value.

Bleacher Report listed Johnson as the sixth-best trade chip in the NBA ahead of the draft.

"Johnson can still bust out brute-force drives when given enough room and is a good enough set shooter to stretch defenses," Bleacher Report writes. "It's easy to envision him thriving on a team with a more proven primary creator and dependable three- to four-out spacing."

Statistically, the fourth-year vet averaged a career-high 22 points per game, leading the Spurs in scoring and finished among the highest on San Antonio's roster in defensive rebounds. 

Outside of Wembanyama, Johnson is the best player on the Spurs roster, so letting him go now would be counter-productive for San Antonio's immediate future.

However, the Spurs could strike while the iron's hot and deal Johnson when his value is at its peak.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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