It was another rough season last year for the San Antonio Spurs as they finished with the third-worst record in the Western Conference.
Of course, the Spurs did have some bright spots last season as Stephon Castle won Rookie of the Year and they pulled off a trade with the Sacramento Kings for De’Aaron Fox to pair him alongside Victor Wembanyama.
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San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) and guard Stephon Castle (5)© Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
San Antonio also landed the second overall pick in the 2025 draft that they used to select Dylan Harper, adding another young player with a ton of potential to their roster.
Now the Spurs will enter the new season looking end their playoff drought with Wembanyama, Fox, Castle and Harper leading the way, though they could look to make more moves ahead of the deadline to bolster their roster.
If that is the case, the Spurs could target these three players ahead of the trade deadline.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo© Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
The Spurs were linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo for most of the offseason as many around the NBA expected him to demand a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Instead, Giannis will enter the season still with the Bucks, though he could demand a trade at some point this season and if that happens, the Spurs have enough assets to pull off a deal for him.
For the Spurs, acquiring Giannis would give them another superstar next to Wembanyama in the frontcourt and could make them into a title contender this season.
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Lauri Markkanen
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
Another star forward the Spurs have been linked to is Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen and if Utah looks to move him this season, San Antonio could show interest.
The veteran forward would give the Spurs another great scorer and defender alongside Wembanyama and Fox and he would also cost much less in a potential trade than another star such as Giannis.
If the Spurs were able to land Markkanen this season, he could make them into a title contender, though San Antonio may hold off due to Utah’s high asking price.
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Trey Murphy III
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Another player the Spurs have been linked to this summer is New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III.
The young forward has blossomed into one of the best young 3-and-D players in the NBA and while the Pelicans may look to move him, it has been reported that they have an extremely high asking price.
Despite this, adding Murphy III would give the Spurs another great young player on their roster to build around as they try to end their playoff drought.
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While the Spurs could target these three players, they could also look elsewhere to upgrade their roster this season as they try to snap their playoff drought.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Sep 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.