San Antonio Spurs Season Preview: Devonte' Graham More Than Trade Chip

After joining the San Antonio Spurs midway through last season, Devonte' Graham can be a lasting piece.

The San Antonio Spurs acquired Devonte’ Graham last season–along with four second-round picks–for Josh Richardson. Graham is under contract through next season and is largely expected to be shipped out before he can sign elsewhere.

However, the exact same traits that make him a trade chip make him desirable for the Spurs. In 20 games with the Silver and Black, Graham averaged 13 points, four assists, 2.5 rebounds, and shot 36% from deep. In his first game with the Spurs, he scored 31 points against the Pistons. Despite the small sample size, he has shown he can flourish in San Antonio, as he played better than his personal average in his shortened season.

To the Spurs, Graham brings experience as a starting point guard. The Spurs’ only other experienced point guard, Tre Jones, will come off the bench this season behind the experimental Jeremy Sochan.

Sochan will need all the help he can get as he learns the ropes of a new position. Graham will undoubtedly be the third-string lead guard behind Jones, but his increased value as a scorer makes him more valuable in late-game situations.

Graham's outside shooting makes him an asset.  / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

The Spurs are expected to trade Graham before the deadline this season for younger talent or protected draft capital. The NBA season is long and an injury-riddled team could overpay for him, but even if there aren’t any suitors, Graham can provide valuable minutes for the Spurs if they decide to play more traditional basketball.

While traditional basketball sense says the Spurs should flip Graham, he appears eager to play whatever role the Spurs need. He wants to be a Spur. The franchise is on the way to building one of the best rosters in the league, and Graham wants to be a part of that winning culture.

“I want to stay. It's a great city to be in. The fans have been great. We have a chance to do something special, so just growing, man,” Graham told KENS5.

Despite the buzz surrounding James Harden, most players do express contentment in whatever role they have. Asking for a trade is the outlier, so Graham saying he wants to stay in San Antonio is not out of the ordinary. Graham has previously played for the Hornets and Pelicans, so being on a team heading in the right direction must be a nice change of pace.