Trade Grade: Spurs Deal Doug McDermott to Pacers - Good or Bad?

The San Antonio Spurs were praised after trading Doug McDermott to the Indiana Pacers.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 9, 2024

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San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich predicted a quiet trade deadline for his team. And he was right, but the Spurs weren't completely silent.

San Antonio hopped in on a three-team trade with the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers. In the deal, the Sixers acquired Buddy Hield, while the Pacers brought the Spurs in to replenish that outside shooting by getting Doug McDermott.

As a result, the Spurs received Marcus Morris and a future second-round pick. The Spurs are expected to waive or agree to a buyout with Morris, which will open up a roster spot for San Antonio.

Dec 28, 2023; Portland, Oregon, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Doug McDermott (17) dribbles the ball during the second half against Portland Trail Blazers guard Skylar Mays (5) at Moda Center / © Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN graded the trade and gave the Spurs a B+ for their role in the deal.

"Nearly five years after Morris reneged on a verbal agreement to sign with the Spurs, they finally got their guy," ESPN writes. "Well, not exactly. ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported San Antonio will buy out or waive Morris, ending up with a second-round pick for its trouble."

The Spurs get two positives in this trade. One, they get some value for an expiring McDermott contract. That future second-round pick may never amount to anything, but at least the Spurs are trying to find value for McDermott, who would have left in free agency this summer anyway.

Spurs Trade McDermott to Pacers: Full Details

On top of that, the team will have an open roster spot once they figure out Morris's situation. Perhaps that could lead to the team converting a two-way contract into a standard one, or they could sign a young free agent and give him an opportunity to make an impact late in the season.

Either way, this deal provides some flexibility, which should give the Spurs something to cheer about.

Published Feb 9, 2024

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.