A Trade Idea to Help Victor Wembanyama, Spurs Make 2025 NBA Playoffs

In the second year of the Victor Wembanyama era, the San Antonio Spurs have already begun to compete at a high level. The franchise isn't a top contender in the Western Conference, but that day is coming.

The additions of veteran Chris Paul and rookie Stephon Castle have given Wembanyama a pair of dynamic guards at different stages of their careers. Still, the Spurs will need a backcourt star to build around, and that player is unlikely to be available by the trade deadline.

But that doesn't mean the franchise should sit idly while waiting to see what happens this offseason with potentially available players like Sacramento Kings All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox.

Here's an intermediate move the team can make to help bolster its frontcourt while saving plenty of ammunition for the summer.

The San Antonio Spurs receive: John Collins and Patty Mills

The Utah Jazz receive: Zach Collins, Tre Jones, a Charlotte Hornets 2025 protected first-rounder, a Chicago Bulls 2025 second-rounder and a Utah Jazz 2026 second-rounder

Notes: The first from the Hornets is protected in the top 14 this season and will become second-round picks in 2026 and 2027 if it does not convey (which is practically guaranteed because Charlotte is nowhere close to making the playoffs). The second from Chicago will go to Sacramento if it lands between picks 55 and 59.

John Collins, 27, has resurged this season in Utah, averaging 17.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 43.8 percent from three-point range. He has the skills to play alongside Wembanyama and back him up off the bench. Collins adds a dimension to the Spurs that current big man Zach Collins (no relation) doesn't provide as a floor-spacer.

San Antonio takes on John Collins' $26.6 million next season instead of Collins' $18.1 million, but the Jazz forward/center is the better player. And if the Spurs need a larger expiring contract for a blockbuster trade for a star player, that $26.6 million could be very helpful.

Mills is a sentimental favorite as a former Spur, but he's primarily in the proposed deal for roster space. San Antonio gives up a solid young guard in Jones, but the team needs shooting to space the floor for Wembanyama, and Jones' 22.2 percent clip from three has limited his role.

Bigger picture, the Spurs have several guards and wings that need developing minutes. Until the team gets another foundational piece, finding which of the current cast is a long-term fit is vital. San Antonio is unlikely to change course for a player like Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine, with better-fitting opportunities likely to come this summer.

Giving up Zach Collins, Jones and what amounts to four second-rounders won't derail the Spurs from that path with several first-round picks and plenty more seconds to offer when the time comes.

Despite his impressive play, John Collins is unlikely to continue his career in Utah beyond his current contract (he's all but a lock to opt into 2025-26). Utah can choose to be patient and try to trade him next year, but getting a first-round pick for a veteran on an expiring contract can be difficult. The proposed offer may be the best Utah finds, better than what the Brooklyn Nets got for veterans Dennis Schröder (from the Golden State Warriors) and Dorian Finney-Smith (from the Los Angeles Lakers).

The Jazz may be getting a first in name from the Spurs, as the Hornets (8-28) aren't making the playoffs this season, and the pick will convey two seconds. That may be a welcome development for Utah as the team is relatively pick-poor in the second round (despite a wealth of firsts on its books from the Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert and Russell Westbrook trades). Utah projects go from three to seven second-rounders in the deal with San Antonio.

The Jazz can bargain in an attempt to get one of the Spurs' multiple second-rounders in 2026, but that's for the teams to hash out. Utah would also get Jones (25), a prospect to evaluate in the final year of his contract. Zach Collins (27) is a serviceable player under contract for next season at a lower price than his current Utah namesake.

It's not necessarily a blockbuster, but both teams get what they need without altering their long-term plans.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on X/Twitter @EricPincus.