Inside The Spurs

'We're Not Picking Up That Phone': Spurs Keeping, 'Reorienting' Team Around Wembanyama

With a talent as unique as his, it's no wonder the Spurs don't want to let him go ahead of his rookie season. They're simply sending a message to the rest of the league.

Matt Guzman

'We're Not Picking Up That Phone': Spurs Keeping, 'Reorienting' Team Around Wembanyama
'We're Not Picking Up That Phone': Spurs Keeping, 'Reorienting' Team Around Wembanyama /
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When it comes to NBA trades, it's easy to find a "record-breaking" deal that shakes up the league. 

Whether it's a four-team trade sending James Harden to Brooklyn and involving seven players, a blockbuster trade sending Kevin Durant to the Suns for four first-round picks and three players or even an unprecedented string of trades leading up to this year's trade deadline that involved close to 38 second rounders, trade culture seems to grow with every passing year. 

The San Antonio Spurs participated this season, sending veteran center Jakob Poeltl back to Toronto in exchange for Khem Birch, a first rounder and two second rounders — a move that gave Zach Collins a much-needed career revival. 

Other players on the Spurs' young roster made themselves known throughout the season, but despite their development, they may not be the missing piece on a Spurs team looking to make it back into the Western Conference conversation. 

That's all about to change for San Antonio. With the arrival of Victor Wembanyama in less than a week, the Spurs are set to have their centerpiece. A 7-4 big man who has talent like never before — not counting LeBron James. 

With a talent like his, it's no secret that other squads around the league would give up a good amount to bring Wembanyama home, which has likely resulted in the Spurs' front office phone racking up voicemails. 

The reason why was clear when SpursTalk spoke with a prominent team source on the idea of trading Wembanyama prior to his draft selection: 

“We’re not picking up that phone.” 

For the Spurs, their wanting to keep him likely exceeds any kind of return they could get, especially if it wasn't for a MVP-ladder caliber player like Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic. Denver's Finals MVP especially isn't going to leave Denver anyway, and the Spurs want to keep their generational young star. 

Pairing him with Hall-of-Fame coach Gregg Popovich makes the decision that much easier for San Antonio, considering his track record with developing European talent. 

“[Wembanyama] is a chance to reorient the entire franchise and build upon the experiences and successes of the last 30 years,” a source told SpursTalk. “He’s that type of player and, more importantly, that type of person.”

A 30-year window seems to be a long time in the grand scheme of things, which it is, but it's also the window that the Spurs had been sitting near the top of the Western Conference year in and year out — an 18-year streak of 50-win seasons will do that for a team. 

As Wembanyama chases after that success — going after two Spurs legacies in the process — he'll need to rely on his coaches and teammates, who will be ready to back him up every step of the way. 

But the good news for the Frenchman is that he already checks off all of the Spurs' wishes. He brings a level of talent that will certainly make him a future star in the league, and has a passion for the game in a way that no other player does. 

All in all, he is the prospect that San Antonio has looked for since Tim Duncan retired. He's the prospect that could be as dominant as "The Admiral" and he's the prospect that could change the franchise in just a few seasons. 

So, it's no wonder the team isn't entertaining any offers for the center. They are simply sending a message to the league: 

The San Antonio Spurs have their guy. And he isn't going anywhere. 

The 2023 NBA Draft is six days away, set for Thursday, June 22 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Coverage on ESPN will begin at 7 p.m. CST. 

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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