San Antonio Spurs' Doug McDermott: Trade or Buyout Coming?

Doug McDermott's time with the San Antonio Spurs could be coming to an end soon.

It's December 15, which unofficially kicks off the NBA's trade season.

Several players who were acquired during the offseason no longer have exceptions tied to them, which opens up doors and opportunities for all 30 teams in the league.

The San Antonio Spurs are expected to have a quiet trade deadline. After losing 18 consecutive games, a franchise record, they certainly aren't looking to add any players. And the players they have that are tradable ... are difficult to trade, including Doug McDermott.

Doug McDermott / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

McDermott, 31, is in the final year of his deal making nearly $14 million. He's a veteran with playoff experience and the ability to shoot well from distance. That's why he's listed at No. 21 on The Athletic's trade board.

"McDermott is one of the best, most consistent 3-point shooters in the NBA, shooting over 41 percent on more than 2,100 career attempts. He has only had one season below the 40 percent threshold since 2017-18, and this season has been no different. McDermott still fires them and knocks them down," Sam Vecenie of The Athletic writes.

"Defensively, you want to be able to hide him a bit, something the Spurs haven’t always been able to do schematically as they’ve switched more often in recent years. This year has been a bit easier as they switch less, but McDermott, who turns 32 in January, is always going to have his difficulties in terms of footspeed."

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Vecenie lists McDermott as a likely buyout option because he likely won't be an intriguing option to veteran teams as a backup wing making that kind of money. McDermott can help a contender, but he'll be much more valuable if he's making the league minimum (or close to it) than his current contract. So unless a team really wants him and is willing to sacrifice some big assets, look for McDermott to be a buyout candidate in a few months' time.