The resurgent San Antonio Spurs were elite in nearly every statistical category last year, save for their three-point shooting.
Victor Wembanyama and Co. finished 16th in the league in 3P% (.359) and 3PM (13.6), ranking considerably behind fellow championship contenders Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets.
The Spurs' long-range shooting woes became particularly apparent in the NBA Finals, when their four best players all struggled to make threes. Wemby shot a paltry 9-of-33 (.273) from deep, while Dylan Harper went 7-of-25 (.280), Stephon Castle 6-of-20 (.300) and De'Aaron Fox 7-of-28 (.250).
An intriguing San Antonio Spurs trade idea doing the rounds could help the franchise fix its three-point shooting without compromising depth.
Spurs would receive: Michael Porter Jr., Danny Wolf
Nets would receive: Devin Vassell , Keldon Johnson, 2027 first-round pick (via ATL)
Giving up on Devin Vassell — one of their best two way players — and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Keldon Johnson will hurt. However, MPJ's elite three-point shooting skills will bring a new dimension to the Spurs and make their offense more credible.
Also worth noting is that Johnson became nearly unplayable during the Finals, logging only 15.0 minutes for Mitch Johnson's team. After the series, many Spurs fans felt that the team would be better off swapping Johnson for a more reliable offensive weapon.
MPJ could be a game-changer for the Spurs. Last year, the 2023 NBA champion averaged a career-high 24.2 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists while making 3.4 threes per game. As per usual, the career 40% long-range shooter made his threes at a high clip, even while serving as the Nets' primary ball-hander and No. 1 scoring option. On the Spurs, MPJ can reprise his Nuggets role as an off-ball, catch-and-shoot threat playing off Wemby, Castle and Harper. Such a role better fits him as well.
Michael Porter Jr. enters the 2026-27 season on an an expiring $40.8M salary. The rebuilding Nets may not be ready for the gamble of giving him a contract extension, specifically since the 28-year-old does not fit their timeline.
While Johnson is an on expiring $18M salary, Vassell is signed through the 2028-29 season on a cap-friendly contract (for a player of his caliber). As such, neither acquisition truly risks Brooklyn's long-term vision of rebuilding a contender.
The hypothetical Spurs trade also fetches the Nets a valuable 2027 first-round pick, which they can use to continue their rebuild. Per multiple insiders, the Nets are seeking multiple first-round assets in a potential MPJ trade. The Spurs will be wise not to offer more than one, and the Nets don't have the bargaining power to demand more.
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